For my day jobs, I'm doing my best to be a full time mom of 2 young children, as well as a part-time science teacher. However, I often slip into seamstress mode as a form of relaxation when I can find a spare moment.
How I came to sewing
I learned to sew as a child from my mother. We often spent time at a friend's house, where I remember sewing in their basement, practicing threading needles, knotting the end of the thread, and trying to cross stitch. (To this day my sampler is not done!) Spike, my maternal great-grandmother was a great seamstress who made wonderful clothes for my mom and her siblings. I'm aspiring to be as confident a seamstress as she was.
The Machine
I just upgraded to a Janome Memory Craft 4900, which is is so much easier and faster than the old factory refurbished Singer I bought on Ebay 10 years ago. So far I have done pjs, a mei tai baby carrier, and quilt piecing. I picked this machine for several features - a library of decorative stitching (The Singer had straight and zigzag. This is NOT an exaggeration!), drop in bobbin with see-through window to see how much is left while sewing, adjustable speed settings, a variety of feet included (satin, 1/4" quilting, darning, zipper, and more), storage for accessories built into the machine. Bonus - knee lift. This is a machine I will have for 30+ years.
