MY DISASTROUS SEWING CLASS...

I am going to try and whip this out really fast as I am anxious to get to my Monday morning chores, and then my sewing machine.  : )  I want to tell you about my sewing machine class on the stitch regulator though.  I guess it should really not have come as a shock to me that I was definitely NOT feeling my perkiest upon arrival at the class after my concert the night before, but it was more of a problem than I anticipated.  But I did make it to the class on time, and with all of the supplies that I needed.  It did help me out a lot to be able to leave my machine there all set up, as it was at the same place as the day before.  Anyway...it started out fine.  They provided us with all the fabric we needed all cut out and ready, and told us to put a quick nine patch together...OK, no problem.  Then, we were to layer our fabric using an adhesive spray.  Now I somehow found myself in a class with 9 other women ALL of whom were experienced quilters.  They were ALL also very comfortable with their particular sewing machines.  I seemed to be the only one who could BARELY work her machine, who was glad she even knew what a nine patch was, and didn't have a clue how to layer pieces let alone use an adhesive spray.   I wanted to protest but remembered this was NOT a class on sewing machine use, nor was it a beginners quilting class, it was merely a class to learn about the use of a stitch regulator.  The teacher is VERY knowledgeable, and I do like her, but honestly she is soo experienced on everything I think she has kind of forgotten what it is like to be somewhat clueless like me.  But back to the class.  I did get my nine patch together quickly (keeping up with the others no problem!) and I merely watched one of the gals layer and spray hers (thank goodness for waiting in lines to use tables etc.) and realized it was no big deal.   I got that done and by then we had been told to use our walking feet and stitch in the ditch the nine patch.  Now I did NOT have a walking foot for my old machine (how wonderful they are btw, would have made some things soo much easier!) and while I knew what stitching in the ditch was, I have never actually done it! But somehow I got my walking foot on, and fairly easily got that stitching completed as well.  I was starting to feel like OK, maybe I can do this.  Well, let me tell you it was ALL downhill from there.  She began demonstrating the stitch regulator after that.  Now everyone there had a Bernina machine, but only 1 other gal had my particular model.  The others had the much more complicated 800's.  So of course she was demonstrating on the 800.  She would occasionally say something along the line of, "you two with your 580's will do this and that etc. instead."  I was immediately lost and began to panic.  Why I was feeling panic was probably do to the fact I was just flat out tired, because it was silly to be feeling that way.  We were sent back to our machines and of course I couldn't even get the attachment on. (everyone else had no problem!)  She had to come and help me. Now we were given a practice piece, we weren't actually stitching on our projects yet, thank goodness!  We had traced a couple of different flowers onto our practice piece and were told to stitch them.  OH MY GOODNESS...what a clown I was at this.  Nothing was going right.  I couldn't make the machine work, couldn't even remember how to raise and lower my needle, and couldn't get past not using my foot peddle.  I felt in WAY OVER MY HEAD.  The teacher had to be kind of planted by my side, and while she was pleasant, I could tell it wasn't exactly what she had in mind.  Meanwhile, everyone else was calmly stitching away.  My stitches were ridiculous, and no where near my outlined lines.  They were all over the place, looking jerky and uneven.  I couldn't seem to grasp that I didn't need to turn my fabric (like you do in sewing) but just merely move the fabric.  And there is a definite difference between TURNING AND MOVING...sigh.  I wanted to take that "thing" off, fling it into orbit, and do it with just my straight stitching which I knew I could do with no problem.  I had done that whole quilt for Vincent doing just that.  However in my mind I kept thinking what I had paid for this little attachment, and I was going to learn to work it or know the reason why.  I was feeling VERY overwhelmed.  Meanwhile, the others had finished practicing and were busy drawing designs onto to their projects, which truth be known I was scared to even try doing just this, let alone actually stitching! About this time they told us to take a 30 minute lunch break and come back.  I was sooo tempted to just pack up my machine and go home you will never know.  I was tired, couldn't seem to come even close to keeping up, and felt like perhaps I had a made a mistake in even buying any of this.  However, after a little lunch and an encouraging conversation with my sister on the phone, I headed back to the class.  I would love to report that suddenly everything fell into place and I was able to do pretty well.  Uummm that would be a no.  However, I did improve.  I managed to get my flowers on my project, looking "somewhat" like flowers, and by then the class was over so I packed up and went home.  I never did put on silk flower petals like the rest of them!  I have had my hubby put a leaf in my kitchen table (it is right close to my sewing cabinet and other machine) and my intention is to PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE!  I am not ready to throw in the towel yet to learning to do this, but I have admitted that it might be a little harder to free arm machine quilt than I thought.   Not being tired anymore, I have managed to calm down and realize that this is SUPPOSED to be enjoyable, I WILL eventually learn to do if I persevere, and at the end of the day if I honestly never LIKE doing it, it is not the end of the world.  I do have my embroidery class on this Friday.  I am not looking forward to it as much as I was, (can't bear a repeat of this last class!) though this will be a class of total beginners like me, so hopefully she will move slower and I will do a little better.  In the meantime I have a lot to keep me busy this week at the sewing machine.  I hope to make myself a jacket (found such a cute pattern) and a nursing cover for my dil, and continue working on my quilt tops.  Hope you all have a GOOD week.  I am going to share a couple of cute pics of Luke.  Melody successfully transferred Sam to his big boy bed last week.  He did soo well!  So tonight she is transferring Luke from the bassinet to the crib.  He is already sleeping the night.  Time goes by soo fast!

HERE HE IS WITH THE BLANKET DIANE CROCHETED FOR HIM...LOVE THE COLORS!

LOVE THIS OF BOTH THE BOYS!

HOW DARLING IS THIS LITTLE GRINNER?  HAPPY BOY

ONE OF HIS DIMPLES SHOWING!