My mother was an evening gown designer. She grew up in Dublin and during the war she made costumes for England’s Royal Ballet. She made an evening gown for legendary actress Maureen O’Hara, and when she moved to Canada she was sought after by Toronto’s finest bridal and evening gown design firms.
So you might think her daughter would pick up even a little of that talent…but alas, no. Mom did her best to teach me. My home economics teacher did her best. And I tried on my own countless times, but that doggone thread always found its way outside the bobbin to wind up in a hopeless mess inside the machine and knotted into the fabric. Needles snapped…and so did my patience. I did us all a favor and enjoyed knitting instead.
And that’s why, after sewing with only a needle and thread for the past twenty years…I wondered how I became the owner of a brand new sewing machine today. I’m not even sure what I was thinking of to lead me to the topic of sewing but suddenly I was online looking at basic entry-level machines. Then I thought of the hours I spend sewing dog toys, blanket edgings, rips in dog walking clothes …and did I say dog toys? Maybe, just maybe, I could run-up a quick seam without tangling it if I had my very own sewing machine. Not a hand-me-down that’s forty years old. And it would be SO MUCH FASTER!
It’s crazy what the dejected look of a dog does to me. He’s ripped the guts out of his best toy and then comes as close to tears as physically possible for a dog. So I re-stuff the thing and wash it and sew it by hand and sometimes have to add a patch or three. And the big goofy smile and bright eyes on the dog when I give it back makes it all worthwhile. Until he rips it apart again.
I’m thinking it might give ME a big smile to know I can now turn that hour of hand sewing into five minutes with my brand new sewing machine.
That’s my vision, anyway. I don’t actually have the machine delivered yet. I thought I had better write this post beforehand. You know…just in case the past repeats itself.
