Learning a new language

No, not Spanish. But I am graduating into Conversational Spanish II next week, yeeeah.

I'm talking about sewing, or more literally Quilting.
I've learned so many new words today, that I think I need to start making flash cards. For instance "throat size," "feed dog," and "presser foot." I'm especially found of "throat size." There are several dimensions of your "throat size" too that are equally amusing.

So why do I get to learn this spectacular new language spoken only by the women of old?
Because I contacted Don's family and said "Hey we should all make a quilt together for Don's grandma!" Everyone make a square and then I will gleefully sew them together into a quilt.

I'm sure she will love it, and it's very exciting.
But I know absolutely nothing about sewing!
Several people have tried to teach me before, and I always fail miserably at it. But Mimi gave me her sewing machine, and I think that it would be special if I sewed the quilt together for her, so I will. She is 91 years old, and has made many quilts for all her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

So today I embarked on the learning of the crazy sewing machine-thing. This monster even has a computer screen on it, veeery creepy.
(Possibly a good halloween costume for me, tho?)

Luckily for me my sister-in-law happens to be in town this weekend. She is my hero.
She knows just as much as I do about sewing, but she helped me conquer my fears.
She got me to plug in the machine and turn it on!
Then we opened the manual, and became instantaneously stuck on the first obstacle; How to Thread the Bobbin. We drove to the sewing store (my sewing machine has it's own store, scaaary...) and they showed us how.
I'm convinced that it's because we took the minivan, instead of the red mustang, but anyhow...
Now I am signed up for a basic sewing class, I'm still terrified, but hopefully someday I will master my new chosen language.
Then you will all get quilted vests for Christas! HA!!

Oct 16th, 2007