Sunday

Embarrassing admission:
I am not domesticated.
It's not my mother's fault - she has it all: adventurous, intellectual, capable, and the consummate housekeeper. I mean that with all sincerity. She is an expert fly fisherman and a world traveler, but I challenge even the most exorbitant maid service to clean a house as impeccably as the woman who raised me.
I'm not sure what happened in my case. Maybe it's a generational thing. I'm the kind of person who will drop-kick my clothes under the bed as I peel them off at the end of the day...and forget they're under there for a month or two.
I mean, cleanliness issues aside, I don't even cook. I am fortunate enough to have a husband who is a former chef, and who genuinely loves his kitchen time.
So it was with great trepidation that I buckled down and purchased my very first sewing machine last week.
I'm not sure what came over me. I guess I thought I would not be able to make it through parenting a toddler without owning a sewing machine.
For the next few days, it sat (still sealed in its box) in the middle of our livingroom carpet, staring me down like a viper. Today, goaded by friends, I finally girded my loins, busted it out, and made this: a sundress (of sorts) repurposed from a vintage apron I found once in an antique store.
Having successfully (more or less) reconfigured an apron, my imagination took off on a wild tangent, and suddenly I wanted to make THIS (from the Etsy shop of Sandritocat).
Crazy, right?
Yeah.
Maybe if I had a 14" waist, and a lot more talent for sewing than I will ever have in this lifetime.
Quick and Easy? Perhaps if you're a 1940s housewife with a maid and no kids.
Sigh.

8 comments:

Jeanne-ming Brantingham said...

judging from Q's apron sunsuit, you did great! keep going.
As I read, I thought maybe the velveeten dress you are wearing in the earlier post was homemade and it's incredible.

Lonnie Hanzon said...

Yes, just keep re-modelling things. Forget the "from stratch" patterns for now. You'll get the hang of it.
There are so many things you make simply - hold off on the evening gowns - that's like jumping from crayons to oil painting....

rosemary said...

Good for you! I am extremely domesticated (love to cook clean organize etc...) but even I have been a fraidy-cat about learning to sew. However, I too have had the same thought that I can't survive motherhood without learning so I got a sewing machine a couple of months ago. Alas mine is still in the box!! ;-0

Maia said...

Jeanne-Ming, I wish I could claim that velvet dress - it was a gift from my MIL and probably my favorite thing in the closet.

Lonnie - The vintage evening gowns are all pie in the sky. I don't have anywhere near the attention span. I'm a big dreamer, though!

Rosemary - Open that box!! I think you'll have fun. If I can do it, you CERTAINLY can!

Yoli said...

You dream of learning to sew and I dream of learning to cook. I smiled when I saw your post because I saw so much of me in you. I cannot cook, I cannot sew and the list goes on. If I lived in ancient times I would have never been picked for marriage.

Maia said...

Yoli - you made me laugh. I would not have been picked for marriage, either. Maybe for other things...
No, I meant warfare! I'm strong and a pretty good horseback rider.

Jeanne-ming Brantingham said...

Strong undomesticated women unite!

Maia said...

You said it, Jeanne-ming! :)