Hoppo Bumpo (n): A children's game. Played by folding one's arms and hopping on one leg. Aim is to bump opponents, so that they lose their balance. Last person standing wins.


February 05, 2009

A year ago today



One year ago, to this very hour, I was sitting in my first sewing lesson.

About 18 months prior, I had purchased a beautiful new sewing machine. My very first. But it had sat virtually idle. With no sewing expertise, I was simply too nervous to use it on my own. Once when I tried to wind on a bobbin I managed instead to feed metres of thread back inside the machine. It took Mr HB some long time to fix that particular mess. I was completely scared off.

Finally I took a deep breath and enrolled in a class.

So there I was, on that particular night last year. With eleven other beginners; all nervously guiding pieces of paper through unthreaded sewing machines. The task was to practise stitching along a printed spiral line. Next we were to wind a bobbin and thread a machine. I managed to wind thread back into the machine instead of onto the bobbin. I was mortified. Everyone else stared, as the teacher shook her head. Perhaps this just wasn't meant to be. Should I jump ship? It could easily be done. That's how some previous French lessons and a meditation course had ended.

But then someone else tipped their sewing machine over whilst trying to thread it. And I realised I might only be the second clumsiest person in the class. I stayed.

And I'm so glad I did.

12 comments:

  1. Sheesh, I'm so glad you didn't give up either. Where would I be without freezer paper stencilled t-shirts, perfect seams, and everything I could ever need to know about Gingerbread Houses?

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  2. hillarious! good think you kept at it!!

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  3. What a nice happy ending!

    I have to say I had a shaky start to sewing back in year 7 when my teacher was constantly shaking her head at the amazing errors that I was making! A couple of decades later I had a rematch, and love it as well.

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  4. Good on you for being brave. I only have grad 7 and 8 sewing and a lot of practice. I tend to feel nervous when other sewers see my stuff!

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  5. OH that was a fun story to read : o )

    Poor pussy cat : (

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  6. I remember sewing paper with no thread in year 7.... I didn't go back to sewing until about 6 months ago. Thank goodness neither of us gave up!

    when this weather cools down (and now school is back) we will HAVE to have that blog meet : D

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  7. so glad you persevered - look at how much you have achieved!

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  8. Good heavens, I'm glad you did, too! Who else would show me how to do seams, and stencils and all sorts of good things?

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  9. So important to impart that 'never quit' attitude onto your kids! I can't believe how much you have learn't in only a year, puts me to shame.

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  10. Okay...burning curiousity here...what exactly were you DOING where you managed to feed the thread into the machine...twice??? :lol:

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  11. I'm quite surprised and very impressed to hear you only started sewing lessons this recently given how many wonderful projects you have going on here. Obviously a natural talent there as well as perserverance.

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  12. Wow! And so much has happened since then. Just look at your wonderful sewing now!

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