Well, that turned out to be quite a break from blogging, though I assure you it was unintended. Do not fear, however, for I have been quite productive in my absence and have much to share with you, though I may break it up into several blog posts. First things first: I am learning to sew! I am so excited about this! I have wanted to learn for a long time. I (mostly) know how to quilt, and always thought it would be really nifty to know to how to make dresses and whatnot, but I was afraid to try.  I have a fear of doing new things. Is there a word for this? Like nouvephobia? Did I just coin one, lol? Anyhow, I finally talked myself out of it and pulled out a pattern for jammie pants and some material I bought eons ago (seriously- eons - like before I had kids!)  and came up with these:

I made them short because all I do is wear out the knees of my long pants and end up cutting them this length anyway! And for the record, that is my son's leg jutting out of my side there, and YES his big toenail is painted red - the boy would give me NO peace till he was just like his sisters.  As an added bonus to finally conquering my fear, I also learned, through a little trial and error, how to use the buttonholing foot on my sewing machine! Of course, once I figured it out it was quite easy. The only thing these pants really need to make them perfect is pockets! And now that I've done one pair, I am dreaming of a whole slew of jammie pants as chirstmas gifts, hehehe  Before that however, I am making some napkins out of old pillowcases, because quite frankly, I am tired of wasting money and landfill space on paper ones. THEN the big project - making dresses for my girls. I haven't looked at the pattern instructions yet, but  I am hoping that it doesn't involve fancier skills than I currently posess. There are zippers involved, so yes, I have been praying for patience and wisdom!

In all seriousness and honesty though, I am glad to be learning a skill that is useful and productive. Scrapbooking is fun, I enjoy it very much, but aside from preserving memories (which is IMPORTANT!) it is not as purposeful as clothing. Plus I always feel like there is so much I don't know - I am so in awe of the early colonists and pioneers who, when they wanted a thing, made it; simple as that. While I don't neccessarily want to live like they did (Thank You, Lord, for flush toilets!)  it is a nice feeling not to have to depend entirely on someone else for bread or clothes. 

Posted by salsaandtea

Great Job! I was afraid to learn to sew, as well.

I still barely follow a pattern, it's easier for me. If I don't follow a pattern, I can't mess it up. ;)

Posted by Melissa at Our Side

Are you teaching yourself? I really wish that I knew how to sew too. I took one sewing class in home ec in High school, but one class was not enough.

Good job on your first project! And thanks for the laugh about your son's red toenail!

Posted by jugglingpaynes

Enjoy your adventure with sewing. It looks like you're off to a good start!

Love the toenails! My son had a favorite dress at two because he adored his big sister. It really doesn't harm their masculinity, except that they get slightly embarrassed when you mention it ten years later! ;o)

Peace and Laughter,
Cristina