Traffic Light and Apple Tree

This is my Grandma's sewing machine.





It's one of those fold out ones so when its all put away it just looks like the stack of drawers.

I'm lazy and plan to leave it folded out for the next little while, so you don't get a picture of it that way. Unless my girls (okay, just one girl) get into it.

Anyway, I inherited it in 2002.

I have moved it 4 times.

I have never used it.

Until today.

That's right people, after about 17 years, I have actually touched a sewing machine! And sewed something. All by myself. For real this time.

My mom used the machine when she was here in July when Kaitlyn was born. She put it all away nicely. Including the bobbin. Here's a confession. When I was learning to sew I could never remember which direction to put the bobbin in. I always got it backwards. So I learned to just look at the one that was in there previously. But this time it was empty. I'm proud to say I got it on the first try!

Filling the bobbin, not so much. Apparently you need tension or something. Or you end up with this.



It's not pretty. It was not tight. It was not usable.

So I called Mom in a panic (only a few hours of nap time for my girls and I got them to sleep at the same time for probably only the 3rd time in Kaitlyn's life!).



She wasn't home. In fact, she's 2 provinces away (later when my Dad called I made sure to find out when she's coming back so I don't go attempting zippers without her close by).

Well on the second attempt I got it to work and I officially put together 2 pages of my quiet book.

After I re-pinned them.

Apparently there is a certain direction the pins need to go. I forgot that.

Or I'm left-handed and just do everything backwards.



I started with the traffic light because it uses black thread and I figured it could hide any of my mistakes. But if you check out the back you can see I did a pretty bang up job. I know this is the simplest stitch, on the simplest of fabrics to work with, but work with me here.



The apple tree was a little harder because it's curved, but I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out.





I'm debating if I should add a little turtle embellishment. Thoughts??



So there you go folks, it has begun. And now that I'm not totally scared of the machine, I might start progressing a little faster on this book. I have a LOT of pages left to do. For the record, I HAVE been working on it, I've just been cutting and doing all the hand-stitched pieces. I'm not totally lazy!

And the bobbin will be staying in.