Let the Fun Begin!

Hello and welcome to my first-ever blog post! Scarrrrry. I'm a self-taught sewist (with a couple of kind women who helped on a project along the way) and have remained at what I would consider a high-functioning beginner or failure-to-launch intermediate. I can fake it through something I don't completely understand but I've also been known to throw an entire UFO in the trash! Okay, maybe that only happened once. And don't ask me about grading or fitting. You don't wanna know. Now I'm ready to move on up and sew for real!

I decided to blog because all of you bloggers are so inspirational to me. I learn so much and I hope that someday somebody can learn from me. In the meantime, feel free to give me constructive criticism. I can can't can totally take it! I'm like a sponge. The world is my oyster. Yup.

I left my full-time, crazy busy job at the end of June running a non-credit program and wildly successful (if I do say so!) kids' camps at a community college to focus on a commercial embroidery business my husband and I started in January, SmileDog Embroidery. We named it after one of our Boston Terriers, Digby, who is always smiling. We have 3 rescued Bostons (including Stretch who is deaf and super naughty which is completely our fault) and a rescued Rottweiler. We have a studio on our property so I get to work from home and couldn't be happier! Here are the four of them:

And here's Stretch. Now do you see why he's so naughty? You try telling him no. He wanted to be picked up for pictures too. That worked. And you think those ears would pick up some sound, but nope!

While trying to repair a chewed up dog bed and fighting with my Janome 1600P QC, Mr. SmileDogstitches decided we should get an industrial sewing machine. We fell in love! He started looking to replace all of my machines with industrials asking, "Do you need one of these? How about one of these?" I'm sorry, come again? Of course!! I LOVE sewing on industrials. I do have a Singer Sling-O-Matic for buttonholes and zigzag, even though I could have purchased a zigzag foot for one of my straight stitch machines. I like having one "home" sewing machine on hand. Here is my current sewing setup although some machines are moving location to another room soon. 

And here is my Singer Sling-O-Matic. I don't typically name my machines but I think this looks like it's from the Jetsons' era so I named her Penelope Jane. Penelope after the sweet woman who previously owned her and Jane for obvious Jetson reasons. Penelope (the woman) is deaf and I think she was quite amused with the sign language I've taught Stretch. Or not. 

My first "big" project as I jump back in and try to turn it up a notch is going to be the Ginger Jeans from Closet Case Files. I'm going to join the sewalong starting next week and yes, I'm terrified! But I'm also excited! Gosh, I hope they turn out looking like something wearable.

I try not to take myself too seriously and I like to say that "happiness is an inside job" and I think you'll see that once you see my creations. So stay tuned!