My Very Own Merri Singer

In 2009, I embraced my heritage and started watching kdramas.
In 2010, I started exercising more regularly.
In 2011, I started beading.

I think this year, 2012, might be the year of the sewing machine. Along with more exercising. And more beading. And more kdrama watching.

I've dabbled with machine sewing, starting with middle school home ec projects to last year's stuffed animal fish for my nephews, with a pair of lounge pants for my sister thrown in there somewhere about 15 years ago.

Last fall, my sons started a sewing class with my neighbor and they've made some fun projects on her machine. Sadly, my neighbor is a snowbird and on her way south to visit her daughter for the next few months, which leaves me without a good friend, neighbor, and local sewing guru.

My sister gave me a sewing machine last week, which has passed through various hands and is 20+ years old. It's extremely heavy, as it's made of cast iron. I should also say I have a White sewing machine I received from a friend about 15 years ago, which had belonged to her mother. Now, she wears her dust cover and sits lady-like wherever she happens to be. Meaning, I still haven't figured out how to adjust the tension and thread it to get it ready to sew. This doesn't give me much hope in my sewing motivation, except I have some long pants I need to hem and I refuse to pay someone else to do it. Unless I completely mangle a pair ... or two ... or three. Then, I might have to rethink this sewing thing, but I don't think it'll be difficult - just takes some basic math, planning, and getting to know my machine. Perhaps I am being overly optimistic?

Anyhow, after my sister gave me this Singer Merritt 2404, I started to look for information. I found this interesting website about making your own slipcovers and Angie had picked up the same machine about a year ago. She says her Merri Singer (as she has dubbed hers and I shall call mine the same for camaraderie) went through 10 layers of duck cloth fabric.  Now, I have no idea what duck cloth is, but 10 layers of anything is pretty impressive so I'm duly impressed with the potential of this Merri Singer I have sitting in my living room.

Knowing that this machine can handle multiple layers of duck cloth fabric (which I now know is a type of canvas), I am a little less hesitant and becoming more excited about sewing things. So far, my list of sewing projects include hemming jeans, a ruffled scarf, reusable Swiffer dust cloths, non-committal curtains, and a new Scrabble tile bag And perhaps a slipcover for my couch, but I'm starting small.  Plus, there are exercises to do, sparkly beads to work with, and kdrama to watch, in addition to everything else.