Sing, Sweet Singer

If there is such a thing, I’m pretty sure my grandma was my crafting hero. She was the woman behind Berniece’s Window World, and boy, did she have the mother load of fun stuff to play with.

And she shared.

There were always drapery fabric sample books we could dismantle, and enough Tacky Glue in the awesome gold bottle (remember my affinity for shine?) to keep any project from falling apart.

I remember one summer when Grandma let me and my older sister use her cute black Singer, the first sewing machine she owned. Grandma threaded it up, gave us a few instructions, watched us sew for just a bit, and then let us go.

Unsupervised.

We sewed for hours, making all kinds of patchwork blankets for our dolls, pillowcases to cover some scraps of foam Grandma found for us (I’m telling you – she had everything), small purses, and anything else our hearts desired.

I was on cloud nine.

Before my grandparents’ household auction, my family asked if there was anything I wanted. We’d spent so much wonderful time in my grandparents’ home, and it would have been easy to find things rich with sentiment. But they were all just things, and I didn’t want our home to turn into a shrine. However, I didn’t have a sewing machine, and I just didn’t want Grandma’s beautiful little Singer to go to anyone else.

After sitting in my home for several months, this machine and I have recently bonded. Keep in mind – the extent of my sewing experience is pretty much what Grandma taught me that summer. But thanks to my trusty friend Google, I found an old manual and have since replaced belts, applied lots of oil, wound bobbins and started zooming along. Sometimes a little irregularly, but zooming nonetheless.

Grandma had a bit of a fearless spirit when it came to creating, and she always encouraged whatever project I was elbow-deep in at the time. I’m pretty sure that’s part of what makes me think I can tackle any project – including this little Singer.

Plus, it still makes me smile when I finish a project and think of her saying, “Beau-ti-ful!”

Check out my latest sewn cards on Etsy.com.