The Creator

My husband bought me my sewing machine for Christmas almost 3 years ago and I've been learning how to sew bit by bit since then. I've made drapes, a grocery bag, adorable little hanging baskets, a wall hanging quilt, a child's jacket, a coat for myself, and a few other things, all with the help of a pattern or a tutorial I'd found online. Most things I've made have come out looking pretty decent and I'd wonder once in a while if I could open my own shop. But! I figured I would and could open a shop only when I started having some ideas of my own.

So this summer when I discovered how much I liked embroidery and felt how much it kindled my creativity, I decided I'd reached the point at which I could start creating things. But boy, it's tough sometimes. Creating a pattern takes time, patience, a lot of paper and little bit of math. And for the first time I'm the one deciding whether or not this piece could use some stabilizer or interfacing and I'm the one figuring out how to put it all together and what seam allowances and stitches to use. The things I'm making aren't complicated at all construction-wise. I'm not making purses over here or anything (yet), but it's a lot different making something without the help of a pattern or a friendly tutorial full of pictures.

I suppose what I'm saying is THANK YOU to all the sewists out there who take the time to make tutorials and put together patterns for the rest of us to use. I know now how hard you work not only to create something new but to remember how you did it well enough to describe the process for someone else.

That said, I'm dealing with a creator dilemma right now on these Christmas ornaments I'm making. I think I like the edge finishing on the snowman a lot better than the edges on the bell. What do you think??

ps- Thank you to my husband, too, for that sewing machine. I swear at it because I love it :P