So you know that neat present I got last Christmas?

My new sewing machine has been sitting pretty much where I put it at the end of 2008. I told S that I felt bad that he had bought me such a nice gift and that I hadn't really used it yet. He said he knew how overwhelmed I've been the last 7 months and that he considered it more of a long-term investment.

Well, I finally decided to put this long-term investment to work a few weeks ago when I was working on a paper craft project (to those of you who don't make cards or scrapbook, sewing on paper is totally legal and actually kinda fun.) The end results were successful enough that I think I got over my fear of using my new toy and decided to pull out a pattern and get to work.

(Sidenote: anyone who has been reading my blog for awhile knows that I made a quilt for S last Christmas, so I'm not a total beginner but (a) I was using my mom's sewing machine at the time and, naturally, my mom was there if I got into a bind and (b) cutting out squares and sewing them together ain't exactly rocket science.)

I decided to not start with anything too difficult. I need a tote bag. Voila, found perfect pattern in my mom's stash (she has a million patterns she's collected through the years and was nice enough to loan me one) and headed off to JoAnn's to get some material. Talk about a kid in a candy store, I had no idea there was so much cute stuff out there!! I also realized why my mom has so many yards of unused fabric laying around. It's too much fun just buying the stuff! Here's what I ended up with.

And then I found this material that I knew I would regret if I didn't get it. I'm planning on making a jumper for baby girl. (We'll get through the tote bag first, of course.)
And then I realized they have all of this COOL organizing stuff for sewers too!

Don't laugh, I realize that an entire thread box is overkill for 3 spools of thread but they just look so cute in there.
I can't wait to fill it up with pretty colors. And don't get me started on the bobbin box.

Of course, I needed something to store all of the pins in.Pretty and practical.

So I pulled out my fabric and pattern and realized I had nothing to cut it with or on. Needless to say I ended up back at the craft store and scored a cutting mat (just like the one my mom has used for years and years) and some pink sewing scissors. Now I'm ready. I think. I'll keep you posted on the progress...or lack thereof.