First Post

Since I can remember, I've had this unfortunate pairing in my life - my desire to be an expert sewing demon plus the attention span of a gnat. However, I did ask for - and receive - a sewing machine for Christmas so really it's time to get on with it. I've waited long enough for those brain chips to come out, but have now accepted the only way this thing is gonna get done is by learning it myself. (I am not, and doubt I ever will be, averse to fabric glue. I haven't actually tried it yet but it appeals to my find-a-shortcut-wherever-possible nature and I'm thinking felt letters are just too pernickity to sew on...)
So (the pun, the pun!) I've started with a few little projects, and one big one i.e. copying my favourite weird-shaped skirt and inserting a zipper. For the latter, I had on hand the wonder seamstress-turned-yogini Erika but it doesn't detract from the fact that I made it!
I must admit I got a little over-excited at the tons of free patterns and tutorials online and have already promised skirts and dresses to friends, so I'm going to have to knuckle down with a proper pattern and work it all out - eeek! In the pipeline are items from this pinboard - including the Grecian-style dress and a couple of the simple skirts - and this other board is for collecting pseudo-stroke-no-sewing projects.
What I've learned so far:

• remember to hold the bl**dy threads every time you start sewing, or risk rethreading with every starting row
• always keep the pincushion and scissors within reach - you will inevitably need them when they are at the other end of the table and you are sitting under a mountain of pinned material
• ironing before sewing really does make for a straighter finish (I suspect washing fabrics beforehand really is a good idea - possibly essential - but I haven't got the patience to wait for it to go through a cycle and dry so my cot cover and cushions may yet be wonky)
• I can't stand the idea of following patterns, much less assembling them from 20 pieces of A4 paper
• teasing out that stuffing stuff that's inside pillows is mega-tedious and takes forever
• young children - at least from 5 to 8 years of age) think teasing out that stuffing stuff is fun...at least for a while
• Daiso is amazing (5RM/a quid for 12 filled bobbins that fit my machine!) followed closely by Spotlight sales and eBay for cheap, reliable materials and tools
• I LOVE sewing!