Sewing machine, what a dream

I got a new sewing machine.

Well, sort of. You see, when my mother came to visit last month, I asked if she had a spare sewing machine she could bring to either help me make curtains while she was here, or to leave for a while so I could make them. The blinds in the playroom are shot - they fall down on my head every time I touch them, and I'm tired of it. Rather than replace them with another set of cheap-ass, plastic, hard-to-clean blinds, I thought I'd make something cuter and more washable.

Fortunately for me, she had just purchased a new sewing machine, to replace one of her basic sew-it-all models (she has about 6 machines, all for different things). She didn't like it. What she did like were the extra feet and accessories that came with it. There was a lot of cool extra stuff included with this machine, which will fit on a couple of the ones she already owned. So now I have the machine on long-term loan, she gets to keep the stuff and go get the machine she wanted in the first place.

Good deal for everyone, right?

Now I just have to use it. Without sewing over my fingers or anything. I have some very basic skills, between years assisting my mom and sister with their sewing and a long-ago Home Ec class, but I'm pretty rusty. I'm good with design, figuring out how things should go together, or how to make something look like a picture I saw, but I usually skive off when it comes to the actual sewing phase.  But I have grand plans, my friends, grand plans. Plans which begin with curtains made out of this Ikea fabric. I love it so. The mountains, the goats on the bridge, the lovely blues...while I was at Ikea one day, I actually saw a lady wearing a coat made out of this fabric. It was a smart, stylish, well-done trench coat, belt and all. I almost chased her down and asked her if I could take her picture.

Next time I see her, I totally will chase her down.