Friends, DVDs Great Way to Learn

As I mentioned before, I am trying to learn free motion embroidery. A friend came over last week and helped me set things up and I feel like I can go ahead and jump into this new-to-me craft, but with a lot of practice.

But since I am not a comfortable seamstress, I also borrowed a DVD from the library which featured Ann Fahl's technique for Coloring with Thread. It was very helpful as it matched what she had written in her accompanying book.

But there's something about watching a real person do something that makes it much easier to learn. I have always sought out books to learn new things, but I now think that DVDs, and to the same extent YouTube-type vidoes, are more the way to go. There's no replacement for having a person right there with you that you can ask questons of, but coming in second place are these new video learning tools.

If there is something you have being waiting to learn, get a friend to come over who knows how to do it (best of all). If that can't happen, borrow some DVDs from the library or check out YouTube offerings. You will be up to speed a lot faster on the basics, which will allow your creative self to take off!

Stop! Creativity May Have to Wait. . .a bit

Sometimes, being creative means that you have to take two steps back and put those whimsical, inspired ideas on hold.

I know, not much fun, but often, it's the only way.

I recently bought an open toe free motion spring foot for my old Viking sewing macine. This model was the first, I think, of the series of machines which had electronics built in so that I could write names on fabric bags, and do a lot of decorative stitches. (See photo above)

I haven't used the machine in years and years except for a couple of projects sewing on paper. But I have been interested in learning to do free motion embroidery with the machine for a while.

With luck, and my friend's advice, I actually ended up buying the right free motion presser foot for the machine. So I decided to try and quilt with it and ended up with a big old jam (probably one of the reasons I gave up sewing years ago.)

I decided I didn't have enough information to go ahead and try again, and for a reason that escapes me, I don't own a book that would show me how to do this type of embroidery.

So I ordered some basic books at the library and hope they come in soon so I can get back to my projects.

This is very frustrating as my creative juices were flowing last week and now I will have to get inspired again next week once the books arrive and I can take the steps to learn more. But this is the intelligent way to do things, I know, so I will do the responsible thing and wait.

Except that I hate waiting.