Steely Lady

This past week I received one of my birthday gifts early. A big box from Amazon greeted me at my doorstep a few weeks in advance. Clearly, the parentals are on top of things. Danke sehr, Mutti & Vati! I got the green light to go ahead and open it, or at least I think I had permission to take an early peek. Spoiler alert, I knew what I was getting. Not to worry, it was just as exciting as if it were a surprise. After Monday's post, you're probably already aware of what I'm talking about. But because it's my birthday month, let's go ahead and give it a drumroll, shall we? 

Brrrrrrrr... Brrrrrrrr... Brrrrrrrr... 

Beautiful things don't just happen. If you want something marvelous, you've got to make something marvelous.

I'm pleased to introduce you to Steely Lady, my new sewing machine. Say what? It's true, I'm the proud owner of a Singer HD-110. That sounds so fancy, especially since I don't know how to use it. Oops, I wasn't going to tell you that part. Don't judge, I'm learning! We all know I have plenty of time for some in-depth self teaching. I thought about calling her Trial & Error, because there will be a lot of that going on. I also considered naming my machine Jill Zarin, because it's my new hobby. Do you like how I asserted it a hobby? If you didn't get that Real Housewives reference, I don't even know you. While the idea of naming it after the bossy and meddling housewife made me smirk, I was reminded of how much I dislike JZ (her initials, not H to the Izzo). I'm still open to name ideas. Just don't make the mistake of suggesting something silly like Shaniqua -- the name Flyboy has coined for the Jetta. I wanted something charming like The Black Flash -- similar to Julia & Paul Child's station wagon. Nope, we're left with Shaniqua. Unfortunately, the flashy name never caught on. Le sigh.

So what do I hope to make? That's if I can get the darn thing threaded. Just kidding (only slightly)! I want to make pillows and adorn items around my house with pom poms. It sounds silly, but this has been a dream of mine and my mom's for quite some time. We believe that with the right equipment, we can become some kind of maker. Example: When my mom got a Kitchen Aid years ago, she said she got it so she could become a "cookie maker." Once her red mixer arrived, we made cookies to our hearts' content. We always joked about becoming "pillow makers" so we could buy cute fabric and create our own throw pillows in whatever color or pattern we like. And because I have an excess amount of free time and an urge to create, I hope to become the family pillow maker. Now if we just could live closer to one another, she could bake the cookies and join me for Pillow-palooza. Maybe one day!?

What's one thing I refuse to make with this thing? Okay, there are a few things, but I'll share the worst piece of crafty crap. I draw the line when it comes to those ridiculous ruffle Pantaloon things -- the ones for little baby girls. Do you know what I'm talking about? Yuck! They deserve to be featured on Regretsy. Since when did any parent think it was cute for a little girl to look that silly? I love a good embellishment, and I'm a huge fan of a tasteful ruffle; however, those hideous things epitomize DIY meets WTF. I'm not sure if the creators took style cues from pageant moms or clowns, but I digress. Clueless as to what I'm talking about? I would share an example, but my ego won't allow me to put something so unsightly on this blog. I call it One Fine Day for a reason. Staring at something like this would make it an awful day. Just trust me on this one. Still curious? Alright, email me and I'll send you an example or two. You won't be disappointed.

And now that I've probably offended someone, I'll wrap up this rambling post. Do you sew? Do you have any tips? What do you keep in your sewing tool kit? Any great resources? Words of wisdom?

Happy Thursday!

Toodles,

ANF