Sewing

I got the crazy idea to personalize everyone's softball or baseball bag this season.  We've been playing baseball for seven years now.  I don't know why this season I felt the need for personalization.  It's not like we were losing bags left and right or anything.  In fact Ruby and Eliza Claire both got hand me down bags and the big kids got new bags.  Maybe that is what led to the idea.  I don't know. 

Ruby's bag

Charlotte's bag

Regardless, I got the idea to personalize each of the bags.  Off to Hobby Lobby I went.  I found stick/iron on lettering I liked for everyone.  Only problem was I knew I couldn't actually iron it on the fabrics I had as I knew it would melt.  Not to mention the fact that I like ironing about as much as I like sewing.  I'm horrible at ironing and never iron something without giving myself at least one awful, leaves a scar, burn.

 I was hoping that the stickiness would really be enough to hold it.  It wasn't.  So today I got out the trusty old mending box to sew the stupid things on.

Three stitches in to my first letter I had jabbed a needle all the way to the bone of my thumb and broken a needle!  That is when I remembered why I gave up sewing.  It's not that I don't know how to sew it is just that I don't do it enough to be good and proficient at it.  I grew up in a family with a mother and grandmother who were both great seamstresses.  My mother is currently shaking her head and disagreeing with my assessment of her talent, but she is underestimating herself.  I've never had to do my own sewing.  I don't enjoy it - I think because I always injure myself, or don't have what I need to do a job, or just don't do it frequently enough to have a good routine and work space.

I did not give up today.  I finished Ruby and Eliza Claire's bag.  And watch an episode of season one of Downton Abbey in the process.  I do have to admit that I kept thinking it would have made more sense to take them and have them embroidered but I guess there is some satisfaction in actually completing a project.  I guess...

I have not attached Rehm and Charlotte's lettering, yet.  I'm thinking I will take a Facebook friend's advice and give the old hot glue gun a try.  I can guarantee it will be much quicker.  And, burns are much better than puncture wounds. 



Here are some pictures from one of the treasures from my sewing box.  Yes, I'm sewing with needles from 1965.  Don't be jealous ladies, I also found a spool of thread that had a wooden spool - I'm sure it was even older than the needles.












I didn't make pictures of everyone's bags.  The twins will both be getting their monogram on their bags as I know they will be keeping the bags until the bags are trash.  The big kids are both getting their last initial with stars on either side.  That way when they outgrow the bags they can still be passed down to the little girls without anyone complaining about using a bag with someone else's name on it.  Yeah, I'm cheap and everything gets passed down.  God was even nice enough to give me two lefties and two righties so gloves and all get passed down.

Jenn- Posted from my iPhone