Blood , Sweat, and Tears

My struggle with my new "pride and joy " was kinda like - "birthing a baby"! High expectations gave way to research, study , Praying and a lot of begging and long hard hours as I struggled to grasp how this new world worked.

My first "test sample" gave way to an abundance of "bird nests" and no project. I called Alpine in desperation - because I HATE to bother anybody - but they told me to bring my baby and come back in. Sure enough - it was my ignorance - I had to learn to be sure to raise the pressure foot as I threaded each new color and somewhere in my "exuberance"I had neglected to trap that lesson in my wee little brain. After that - life started to look much better and Bernina and I were on a new adventure .

Since I had some of the fleece jackets in my learning list and Christmas was still coming I ventured a new pattern: Simplicity 4324.It was a fun project and along the way I had met a lady who digitized designs and she did me a Pit Bull dog as a gift while she was learning. I wish I could remember her name but I lost it , yet I have not forgot her kindness because I could not find this design anywhere in my searching and my youngest son has a pit bull named Cain , so I was able to put this design on Emmett's shirt and really surprise him . I am still amazed at the kindness of the sewing world and how open they are to helping others accomplish their goals. Christmas was starting to look more exciting to me as each day passed. My children and friends would certainly be knowing I thought of them in great detail this year. I was so excited I could barely contain myself.

I was lurking on a sewing group and they were having conversations about how their families and friends reacted to their sewing, and it was VERY educational to me. It really tore my heart out to learn that others were having their feelings hurt by people making them feel like if it was a handmade gift - then it must not be valuable!!!!!!!!!! I pondered HOW in the WORLD could people even think that way??? Did they not realize when they were of enough importance to receive a "gift of the heart" that all those stitches of love centered around them? Did they not realize that not everybody in the world has a gift like that in their life???? I really think I was "in shock"! I wondered how anybody could be so cruel?