A long time ago.. I could do a bunch of things I don't really know how to do now.. I could knit a pair of slippers (with the watchful eye of the best grandmother anyone could ever have). I had successful runs at cinnamon buns and fresh brown baked bread but had the assistance of said grandmother. (But she had a magical kitchen with prairie sun and farm washed tea towels that did something special to yeast, sugar, milk eggs and flour.)
I could follow a sewing pattern thanks to the best mom one could ever have who taught me how to thread a sewing machine and I remember distinctly her patience with a apron pattern cut from brown paper brought home from Girl Guides. Learning to crotchet, darn, and embroider comes naturally when you come from a family with nimble fingers. Having constant access to knitting needles, yarn, sewing machines, needles, pots and pans and support was idyllic when you think of teenagers today.What happened to my skills?
Somewhere along the lines.. I realized I couldn't knit a pair of mittens if I wanted to. I tried to crotchet socks.. they lay unfinished in the back of a craft cupboard with way too many balls of yarn (I decided once I would make an afghan.) I could also buy 4 yards of fabric and a pattern but would then loose patience with the confusion of what exactly a salvage is. If I had to make bread from scratch on a dare it would end up like paper mache and if someone asked me to make jam, I'd probably freeze and stare wide eyed into the horizon and pretend I didn't hear you.
So, I've decided to take matters into my own hands, so to speak.
This weekend, I'll be taking a one day course in sewing. The project is a pair of drawstring pajama bottoms. I bought a perfect green, red, blue, and yellow striped cotton (no- it'll look festive on dark rainy mornings) and enrolled myself at Vancouver's latest "sewing lab"- Spool of Thread.I figured 2 legs, a crotch seam and some hems and I'd be back in action.
Later, every Thursday night for 4 weeks, I'll be at Three Bags Full every Thursday learning how to cast on, knit, purl and will walk away with a hat or a scarf. I choose red yarn and wooden knitting needled. It will go well with the jaunty striped pajama pants.
Beyond that, I'll go back to the one other thing I learned on the farm..I'll learn how to drive, just not a car. But someone stop me if I go riding in my new "outfit".
1 comment:
This is such a lovely blog and I am excited to see where your new direction takes you. I was looking for hints and tips to drafting a floor-length apron pattern, but am quite happy to have found the story of your mythical dress instead. Will google-wonders never cease?
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