Among the items in the long ignored basket was this vintage embroidered tea towel that had definitely seen better days. I knew I could salvage the good part, but what to do with it? Do you see how flipping sweet that is? It needed a new life and one that would showcase it well.

My top of the line circa 1960-something Singer had stopped holding a stitch and I never could get it to do anything fancy. Certainly nothing like this:
So this Christmas eve, when Pat put a great big box under the Christmas tree, I recognized the paper from the bag Uncle Kevin had dropped off a week or two before. It must be for Edie I thought – I went to bed thinking he’d gotten her something big she’d been begging him for. Was I surprised when the next morning, Pat put it in front of me! And what was in there but a brand spanking new sewing machine! A computerized one no less, a realm I had considered entering, but had no idea where to begin and just not sure I wanted to invest our money in. Problem solved all the way around.
I noticed last time I had visited said uncle that I had left my favorite apron – nothing fancy, just a plain white workhorse I’ve had forever that has definite chocolate and red wine stains. Next time I went to visit, I managed to see the apron, but it mysteriously disappeared before I could pack it. Uncle Kevin mentioned something about perhaps using the new sewing machine to make a new apron to replace it – I’m not sure if I was supposed to make one for me or for him.
I’ll admit, it took me awhile to really delve into using the new machine. Between losing my creative mojo there for a bit and then having the learning curve of a new machine, I was hesitant to start a full blown project. I needed the instruction manual in my lap the entire time, the presser foot arm was in a totally different place, how could I really sink my teeth into anything new? It required way more concentration than I had.
I’ve played around with it on some little projects – like some applique T-shirts for Edie’s pals – to get my bearings on it. Finally, I started feeling a little more comfortable with it. Really started liking it. Realized it had been way too long since I had a sewing machine that I had any confidence in because halfway through anything on the old one, I would have to stop and take it apart and put it all back together again, fingers crossed I could finish. Half the basket I have sitting there blocking the entrance of the happy corner are things that my old machine crapped out on, that I got frustrated with and put aside.
I really started missing my apron. I used that thing almost daily. I decided to make myself a new one, but without the apron in hand, I didn’t have a good pattern for one. But I really needed another full apron. They work so much better for me than those half ones (as evidenced by the stains on the missing one) especially when rolling anything out. My wardrobe choice of wearing mostly black and a love of baking bread need a moderator. A full apron works beautifully in that capacity. I used another apron I have (but admittedly, don’t like the line of as much, but it will have to do for now) and managed to find a way to use some of my fancy new stitches on the hem and the tea towel on the top.