Small things lead to big things

As I was typing the title, I realized there were several directions I could go with this, beyond what I was thinking. I immediately thought of how we started so small, with two regular students. Now, here we are, 6 months later, and we have 11 students!! We are feeling blessed.

My original thoughts had to do with sewing 😉, since this is, after all, a sewing business. We have several students who are wanting to tackle big projects. They are not ready, but don't realize they are not ready. They have to master the basic skills of the smaller projects before they are able to move onto bigger projects. I have been able to do basic mending since I was a child. Once I had children, I moved on to a few bigger projects: making EASY Barbie clothes for my daughter's dolls, and making a Barbie bed, blankets, and pillows 😂. 

Then, a few years ago, I took a semester of classes at Thimble Bee's Sewing School, the same school my daughter had been taking lessons at for years. In that class I learned how to make a drawstring bag, pajamas, and a few other things I have since forgotten 🤦. Regardless, this class gave me what I needed: confidence to try things on my own. I made both my kids a T-shirt quilt, which is something I never would have tried before taking that class. I did an okay job, made a lot of mistakes, and learned a lot of things (like I still need to learn more about quilting and binding quilts!).

When we started Stitch in Time, I had a lot of fears...and I still do. I don't know everything about sewing. Honestly, I probably never will! And, that's okay.

What I do know, is you have to master basic skills in order to tackle big projects. If you do not have the patience for the small projects, you will never complete the big projects.  The student needs to be able to pin patterns to fabric, cut fairly straight, and keep their project lined up straight on the sewing machine. If they do not master these skills, they will not be able to do big projects. This is one of the reasons we start with a very simple, small project, for the first class the student makes.

I made several big projects over the holidays, quilts that fold into quillows. I made one for my sister for her birthday in November. Then I made both of my kiddos one for Christmas. Last week I made myself one. What I realized last week is that I still have fear and trepidation before I start a big project! I don't know why. I think my biggest fear is I will mess up (and I do, I manage to make a mistake each time 😂), but that is also the process for learning.  Two of our students were afraid to start sewing Friday night. I encouraged them that it was going to be okay, and it was. As long as we follow the safety rules (don't put your hand under the needle), and follow directions, it's all going to be okay. My encouragement to you, to whatever big (or small) project you keep putting off because of fear or trepidation, is to just start! It will be okay.

Also, this is not my original idea. When I was a freshman in college, my roommates mom made me and her a Christmas Quillow. I still have mine and pull it out each year. My family loves it and we fight over who can sit under it each day 😂. The reason why, is because it has a pocket (which is how it goes into a pillow), and we love to warm our feet in that pocket, LOL! Well, with my children being older this year, I decided to make them each one they could take with them when they eventually move out. I found the pattern online here if you would like to make one too!!!