Dear Friends,

In junior high school, I was required to take a sewing class. I still clearly remember that class, and to be honest, it didn’t go well. I was afraid of my teacher (I have no idea why), the class sewing machine ate my thread, and the machine itself was a complete mystery to me. For my first project, I chose poor-quality fabric and thread from a local big-box store, and to make matters even worse, I picked out an A-line skirt pattern with buttons and zippers.  When I was done, I had a poorly-fitted skirt with a crooked zipper and a horrible button hole that accentuated every single part of my figure that I wasn’t pleased with.  What did I learn?  After that single class, I remember thinking to myself, “I am not a garment sewer!”

Driving the back roads on my way home today, I began to think. You know, maybe I AM a garment sewer! Why had I decided that I was not able to make any clothing based on my experience as a 13-year-old novice with a bad machine, and inferior fabric, trying to sew a skirt that wasn’t flattering?  Maybe it is because of our human tendency to want immediate success.

For many years, I said, “I am not an embroiderer” but honestly, I really hadn’t made an effort to learn.  I had shied away from some beautiful paper piecing projects, because I became intimidated by the complex patterns and instead, gravitated back to projects that I was comfortable with and offered guaranteed success.  Through the years, I am pretty sure I have skipped over some pretty neat projects and perhaps, may even have missed my opportunity to become a world famous clothing designer.

Starting today, I will never again say, “I am not a garment sewer.” I will not let the possibility of creating another poorly-fitted skirt stop me from trying something new or trying it more than once.  I will always remind myself that if I don’t have instant success (or even have a complete failure), it doesn’t mean I am not capable.  It just means that I need laugh it off and try again.  My first step is going to be to learn to embroider. My next step will be to embroider a skirt!

Are you shying away from trying something new and instead, reverting back to what is within your comfort zone? I invite you to make the same commitment to yourself as I have made to myself.  Try something new, or maybe try something again! We are here to help you every step of the way, from the start of your project to the end.  We hope that you enjoy new possibilities in our fall session.

Enjoy life. Be creative!

Elaine and Mike and the staff at Judy’s