"This is a true story" or "My Predicament with A Sewing Machine"

A few posts ago, I mentioned my desire to officially learn how to use the sewing machine that some friends of mine gave me as a wedding gift almost 6 years ago.
One of my friends was kind enough to remind me that yes, I really needed to get on this because I owed the two thoughtful souls who hauled it all around town on the bus when they purchased it for me.

At this point they should have been repaid with homemade garments or something....a pot holder at the very least....

Alas,  the machine has still received very little use at my hands.
I pulled it out just after my baby girl was born and under the patient tutelage of my mother in law learned how to thread it and proceeded to sew some very sketchy hems onto a bunch of receiving blankets.
But, I kept needing help with the threading of the dang bobbin and, in frustration,  I put the whole contraption away.

However, as of late the list of "Things To Do When I Learn To Use My Sewing Machine" has been growing and growing and growing...

Then I learned of some sewing classes being offered at the local library for a decent price.
Hurray! 
There was only one catch -- the class was for kids age 7 and up.

Now I may be a baby as far as adulthood goes...but I'm way up on seven years old.

Nevertheless, those of you who know me well, know I have very little personal shame, nor do I feel much personal embarrassment (or so I thought), and the the idea of being in a class with a bunch of other small girls didn't really deter me too much. "If anything", I thought, "the instructor will be prepared to answer many questions and have a high degree of patience for those who may be incompetent with machinery" (both of which I will need)

So I called the library and asked to speak to the instructor of the sewing classes.
I was put through to her extension and our conversation went something like this....

"Um, yes, hello, my name is Ashley and I noticed in the Winter Program brochure that there are Sewing Machine classes on Tuesday evenings? 

Yes that's right.

But I see they have already started a week ago, is there still time to join the class?

Well, I suppose there is. We could prorate the class so that your daughter could just join the class and pick up where we are.

Ah,...yes,....that's very good!....and it leads me to my...um... next question.

I....uh see... in the class description it says... um...Ages 7, is that correct?

Yes, that's correct ages 7 and up.

Right,... the "up" part;...what is the maximum age limit on taking the class?

Maximum age limit?

Yes,....right,...well,....how young do you HAVE to be, to be in the class?

Well, we do have a couple of girls that are twelve  years old, so I suppose that's pretty old. I mean if someone were 15 or something I would think perhaps they should look elsewhere....

How old is your daughter?

"Um......she's twelve." ( I totally bailed.)

Oh, well I should think she'd feel right at home if she's only twelve then; same as the other girls. Do you want me to register her for the next class?

Uh.... um.... well...I'll talk to her more about it and see what she wants to do.

Thanks so much for your time and the info, goodbye!

I guess I did have a few more shreds of personal pride than I thought.... I was just hoping she wouldn't ask me the NAME of my twelve year old daughter...what would I have said then!!!!!!!!

I buried my face in my hands, utterly embarrassed and then burst into laughter.

what else could I do?

So I'm on the look out for a sewing machine class now... hopefully one more age appropriate.
In the meantime, I will carry on with my hand sewing which must surely be as precise as any Amish Woman's by now.
My grandmother taught me how to hand sew as a young girl and it has served me well... to a point. I've done plenty of mending and made many small projects, I even sewed a small patchwork quilt for Ava's baby doll a few years ago, not to mention tons of tiny outfits.
But I'm moving on, and the itch to read patterns and really create something substantial get's stronger everyday.
Hand sewing is a skill I feel very blessed to have cultivated as well as I have, but just as walking has it's merits at some point one must learn to drive a car.

One must learn to master her machine if she is really going to tackle that long list of inspirations in her head.....

One must learn not to lie to library coordinators on the phone and make up imaginary daughters to save face....

sigh.