I sat down today and made a short list of the things I enjoy doing (including things I want to learn.) Immediately I noticed a running theme – in everything I wrote it is always my creative side yearning to come out:
I want to take photography classes. I want to paint. I want to play guitar. I want to learn to sew. I want to learn to crochet and knit. I want to learn how to quilt.
It’s time. It’s time to cross some of these things off my list.
Ok, first things first- I’ve decided that instead of just drooling over the many beautiful crafty sites and blogs I read and wishing I could do some of the things that I see these amazing women doing, I’m going to take the plunge myself and jump right in with both feet.
Here goes nothing….
Step One:
This weekend I decided to take the first step and set up a little crafting area. This has always been the biggest stumbling block for me, and the main reason why I have been putting off getting started for so long.
You see, in my mind I needed my own crafting room. Now, practically speaking in the land of reality, this is just not an option. We don’t have an extra room in the house just waiting for me to take over.
I probably won’t have my own craft room until the kids move out! In the past, I have just shoved the idea aside and figured that now was not the time to get started on a new hobby…..but unless I want to wait another 20 years I need to get a little creative in my thinking.
Well, yesterday I realized I could actually just set up a table in the basement. Sure it’s not a room and I’ll have to store all my supplies in bins, but it’s away from the toy room and all I have to do is set up a baby gate in the doorway to keep the little fingers from getting into everything 🙂
So, I did it, and I am so excited. It’s not much right now, as you can see:
(Don’t mind my little model…seriously whenever the camera comes out, he’s ready to pose!)
Hopefully soon I can transform it into a beautiful and creative space. I plan on hanging some fabric on the wall, adding some lighting, maybe a few pictures…..the possibilities are endless! I’ll post a picture when I have it all ready.
Now, the next step for this space is to buy a sewing machine. Here’s where you come in. My friends, I need your expertise! What do I need to be looking for? What brand is good? What features? I don’t have a ton of money to spend, but want to get a good enough machine that I can use it to craft with, maybe make clothes for the kiddos, and hopefully learn to quilt. Now, I have absolutely NO idea when it comes to these things, so your wisdom would be so wonderful!
Step Two:
I have begun to feel my way through the land of crochet. I am a complete beginner, and actually taught myself last year when I was on bed rest with baby girl using YouTube videos 🙂
Sadly, this project is pretty much where it ended for me. I haven’t done anything since, but am getting the itch again after being inspired by a sweet blog called Under A Prairie Sky. Oh my! I absolutely drool over all of her gorgeous creations!
Right now, all I can do is a basic single crochet stitch. I’m currently fooling around trying to learn some more complicated stitches, while trying really hard not to get frustrated with my progress….did I mention that I’m a perfectionist?
I need to remind myself of the same thing we tell our son when he is learning something new:
“Practice makes perfect!”
So there you have it. I am stepping out and am excited to take the first few baby steps towards the craftiness that I so desire.
I’m so excited to do this for ME!
I love Jesus, my guy Chris + our four. We seek joy. Homeschool. Adventure together. Mess up and start again.
My sewing machine is really, really basic. It does straight stitch and zig-zag, forward and back. My mom bought it for me 10 years ago when we got married and I think it cost about $200. It’s a Kenmore from Sears.
A really great book for learning about the basics is called SEW — Sew Everything Workshop. I have a copy you can borrow :-). It talks all about choosing a machine and fabric and tools and basic techniques. It’s a great book!
Also, I learned to crochet in a sort of blog-along carnival hosted by Crafty Daisies. They taught new skills and posted instructions every week for a couple of months. If you search back through the Crafty Daisies archives I bet you could find it. Crochet is actually pretty easy and fun!
Thanks Lindsay!
I’d love to borrow that book. I’m a little overwhelmed with the whole process 🙂
I checked out the archives to Crafty Daisies and I’m so excited to get started! Thanks for the link!
I echo Lindsay – my sewing machine is pretty basic too. It was purchased as a wedding present for me by my Aunt. It’s a Janome brand and I think she got it at The Sewing Room. I actually have found that learning to sew on a more basic machine is less intimidating. It doesn’t go super fast, it doesn’t have a computer screen and there’s not a whole lot of stitch options…but that’s ok with me.
That being said, it’s on my wish list to upgrade to a more fancy dancy machine. That may take quite some time and this one does a great job in the meantime. I will always hold onto this small one as it will be great to teach my daughter how to sew.
One thing to consider is if you do want to do some quilting, it might be nice if the machine you purchase has the option of a walking foot (this is an attachment that helps prevent puckering when sewing through multiple layers). Just ask the salesperson if that is possible.
As for crochet, I pretty much taught myself too after a girlfriend showed me how to double crochet. I’m confident you’ll be able to pick up the different stitches. You tube is a great resource, but if you have any questions, I’d be happy to help.
And thanks for the kind words about my blog – that was awfully sweet *grin*
Thanks Lindsay!
I'd love to borrow that book. I'm a little overwhelmed with the whole process 🙂
I checked out the archives to Crafty Daisies and I'm so excited to get started! Thanks for the link!
I echo Lindsay – my sewing machine is pretty basic too. It was purchased as a wedding present for me by my Aunt. It's a Janome brand and I think she got it at The Sewing Room. I actually have found that learning to sew on a more basic machine is less intimidating. It doesn't go super fast, it doesn't have a computer screen and there's not a whole lot of stitch options…but that's ok with me.
That being said, it's on my wish list to upgrade to a more fancy dancy machine. That may take quite some time and this one does a great job in the meantime. I will always hold onto this small one as it will be great to teach my daughter how to sew.
One thing to consider is if you do want to do some quilting, it might be nice if the machine you purchase has the option of a walking foot (this is an attachment that helps prevent puckering when sewing through multiple layers). Just ask the salesperson if that is possible.
As for crochet, I pretty much taught myself too after a girlfriend showed me how to double crochet. I'm confident you'll be able to pick up the different stitches. You tube is a great resource, but if you have any questions, I'd be happy to help.
And thanks for the kind words about my blog – that was awfully sweet *grin*