My Biggest Headache in Life!

When I was in the 7th grade, Mrs. Morrell was my Home Ec teacher. She was a little old puckered faced crabby lady with crooked pointy fingers, and you had nightmares and anxiety attacks just thinking about her class. It was NOT a fun thing, believe me. To this day, if I think about sewing, I see her face!

And the past few days. . . . .I've seen Mrs. Morrell and her pokey fingers a whole lot!

You see, I REALLY, REALLY want to be able to sew. I want to join all you gals in your swaps and challenges and exchanges and be proud to send you something besides a dishrag or floor mop! And so. . . . .I keep trying.

I've got the apron fever. I want aprons. I bought fabric. I bought patterns. I bought bias tape (whatever for. . .????) I bought a seam ripper. I bought thread.
I bought machine oil, new bobbins, needles, etc., etc., etc.

I sit down to sew. And what do I get? puckered fabric, stitches not right, what looks like chennille on the backside, jammed up stuff with a million gray-black knots, and LOTS of crabbing, complaining, whining, even some tears along with, "Why does this have to happen to me?"

Then I thought, Let's face it. This machine is now 35 years old!!!!! Maybe it is just dying a peaceful death and would like to be left alone. But. . . .I haven't used it that much for it to be dying. And I for SURE can't afford a new one. This WAS a good machine in its day, after all!!!!!

So. . . .by some miracle and a miriad of angels, I still have my little manual that came with the machine and I started reading from the "Congratulations on your purchase of your new Kenmore Sewing Machine!" all the way to "Happy Sewing" on the back cover. I learned a whole lot, believe me.

Did you know you have to clean this thang?????? Oh, I've blown on it once in a while and when I saw some dust bunnies in the bobbin thingy I got those out. But I didn't know I needed a pick and shovel and tweezers and surgeon's tools to clean it!!!! So, that was my first project. I think there was enough greasy dust and lint and hairy looking things in there to make a llama!!!!

Next! Did you know there are different sized needles?????? Wow! I didn't! No wonder mine were breaking all the time. Here I am trying to sew nice quilting weight cotton with a needle meant to sew lightweight hankie stuff!!!!!! So. . . . on my list of things to buy ---- correct needles!

Next! The bobbin! I noticed a page in my trusty old manual that showed how to put the bobbin in the casing with the thread coming out a certain way. I'm not sure I ever did it one way --- I always just plopped it in there and pulled the thread on through that thing. Learned something new there, too! How did I miss that?

Now! On to the oiling! No where in that book did it tell you how often to oil this thing. I know it had been done in 1994. And a few weeks ago, someone told me it might need oiling, so I did get some oil and do it. Ya think??????? But, just to make sure, I did it again, and squirted everything that had an arrow pointing at it in the book. I did realize that last time, I missed oiling two places in the bobbin thing. So maybe THAT will make all the difference. Couldn't hurt, could it!

Ok! Now I pray. I beg for grace and mercy! I knew if this did not work, my dreams of a career as a professional apron maker would be down the drain, the sewing machine would be in the dumpster, and my lip would be so far out a bird could perch on it!

So in goes my practice material. Down goes the foot. And my big toe gently presses that peddle. Oh, THANK YOU, LORD!!!!! That thang just purred like a kitten and the stitches were perfect, no puckers, no pulls, no chennille, and no black, greasy tangles.

So Mrs. Morell???? I CAN SO do it. . . . and I did it ALL BY MYSELF! You can take that old purple gathered skirt I made in your class and stuff it because I WILL make this darn apron if it's the last thing I do and I WILL make a thousand aprons if that's what it takes for me to be able to sew like the rest of these . . . . . .what are they???. . . . . .Apronistas!!!!!!