I made a pillow!
New Year. New Skill!
I've drooled over Jen's beautiful sewing projects over the last few years and considered myself completely unteachable in the sewing arena. Just trying to learn how to thread my sewing machine would bring me to tears. My friend, Hillary, and I have commiserated over our desire to be able to sew. For my Christmas gift, she signed us up for beginner sewing classes. We made a weekend of it, and did a few other fun Seattle activities.
We started with the Learn to Sew Class at It's Just Sewing in West Seattle. Our instructor Monica was so enthusiastic, patient, and encouraging that she made you think you could sew anything! She allowed us to bring our own machines and personalized all aspects of the class . We reviewed the anatomy of the sewing machine, threading the machine, and threading and loading the bobbin. This made sewing so much less intimidating. I have much respect for anyone who can figure this out without step by step instruction. It's the least intuitive thing I've ever done. And, this was the view from my sewing machine! It was hard not to love every minute of this class with a sunny day and a skyline like that!
Even though I've lived in Seattle my entire life, there are still so many touristy things I've never done. The night after our first sewing class we saw Joy at Big Picture Movie Theater, tucked under El Gaucho. The popcorn is delicious, with flavors like white cheddar and truffle, and signature drinks are delivered to you throughout the movie. The seats feel like you're being hugged by a cloud. I'll definitely be going back!
The next morning before our pillow making class, we did a Coffee Crawl through Seattle By Foot. We met at the Hammering Man on the most gorgeous January Sunday morning. Our stellar guide, Heather, led us through six delicious cafes, most of which I'd never heard of. We sampled french press at Cafe Fonte, chemex coffee at Cafe Ladro, fire roasted coffee and a creamy latte from Cafe D'arte, and the most amazing biscuits of my life from Cafe Lieto. We ended the tour at Pike Place Market tasting flavorful pestos and truffle butters and balsamic vinegar from La Buona Tavola - Truffle Cafe, and a cupcake latte and chocolate covered espresso beans from Ghost Alley Espresso. The tour was incredibly informative and left me with an appreciation for all that goes into making a cup of coffee.
One quick thing about Ghost Alley Espresso. Last October, Hillary and I took another walking tour, the Market Ghost Tour, run by the owner of Ghost Alley Espresso. It covers so much rich Seattle history, all new to me, and was the perfect way to spend a dark and stormy almost Halloween night. Regular tour season runs from March - early November.
We ended our sewing weekend at Drygoods Design in Pioneer Square, and took the Handmade: Home Pillows class. Our instructor Keli was delightful and so incredibly creative. We made a Placketed Zipper Pillow and Envelope Pillow. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I was every capable of making a real life, useful object with a sewing machine. Thanks to Keli for her guidance and hand-holding!
Now the question remains, will I be able to recreate them!? Happy new year of crafting!
