The first Tuesday after I arrived, about 5 weeks ago, my host mum insisted my roommate and I tag along to visit an old colleague. However, meeting this colleague meant we were going to sewing class! Traveling Tip #24: Meet new people; all shapes, ages, sizes, and cultures!!!
Pause in this story, if you know me, you're probably laughing right now. Never have I ever sewn before. I don't do needles and, honestly, I just don't think I have the patience. So, as you could imagine, I was in for quite a treat. To my surprise, my host mum's friend was beyond welcoming; she tossed me some yarn and suggested I start picking out my fabric!
For those who also don't know the basics of sewing, here is proof anyone can do it (the fact the little girl in the video below can do it, not me...obviously).
So, I did just that. Choosing the fabric was the hardest part because there were just so many options! Thankfully, I found a square of the famous New Zealand flower, the Clematis, I could simply sew straight onto my bag.
Ironing the fabric was easy. Following the directions on how to step-up the sewing machine and plugging it in was easy. But, I don't know if threading the needle, or finding the courage to ~willingly~ place my fingers that close to a needle was more challenging. Either way, I did it.
My wonderful instructor led me step-by-step, every inch (literally) of the way. I'm not sure how this remarkable woman found such patience to work with me, though we did make a great team, and bag! I was blown away with the
confidence and patience, with myself, I gained throughout this process. Over the course of two sewing classes, I completed this mater piece. Not sure if it'll hold my children's books, laptop, journals, or heaps of ungraded papers; although, I do recon it will be quite handy in my classroom. I'm still thinking about writing on it in fabric paint...
Kia Ora . . .
New Zealand . . .
NZed . . . Kiwi Squad . . .
Either way, now that I'm a pro, I was convinced to sew something else. Because why not just keep sewing new things to shove into your luggage and try to take home! Traveling Tip #25: Be content with paying extra for a heavier suitcase because it will be worth it (I hope). This is also about the time I contacted my parents to make sure they would bring an empty checked bag when they came so I could fill that one up, too...better safe than sorry, right??
Back to sewing. My next challenge was a beautiful apron. I saw this (the apron below) in the closet and thought it was so cute! I loved the design and concept, so I decided I could give it a try. I mean how hard could a few more stitches, a few strings, and a button be? Ok, surprise, still pretty complex for the beginners.
This wasn't the design or what I made, just the style.
While this will remain a surprise, I thought I'd try to give you a few details to envision this beautiful piece of art.
The color scheme - dark blue, black, white
Theme - silver fern (national plant)
Made with - love, sweat, and overcoming fears!
My Tuesdays have gone from being just "the day after Monday" to Sewing with Sydney!
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