Here's To The Ones Who Dream

Regular readers will have heard me speak about how I started to sew when I was a young child, and what that initial skill has led on to. I couldn't have dreamt that my repeatedly (boring) practicing of sewing straight lines with a very basic sewing machine could have led to designing and making ‘couture wedding dresses’!  It only proves that the old adage of taking it ‘one step at a time’ really does ring true when we face our biggest hurdles. 

So… I tried to remember those early days of feeling technically inadequate and afraid of my electric sewing machine, whilst creating the content for our course ‘Sewing for the Terrified’. Having already received lots of messages from several of you asking if the course is really for someone who ‘has no idea which end is up’ with a sewing machine or reinforcing that ‘I am an absolute beginner!’ – I knew that this course needed to be a foundation course in machine sewing. 

The course starts from the very basics, such as identifying the different parts of your machine, how to thread it up, how to fill a bobbin, what is the tension adjuster used for… and onwards. Then together we will build upwards from there, to sewing straight lines, seams, adding buttons, zips and so acting as a firm foundation for those true beginners, but also as a refresher course and confidence builder for those who had some prior knowledge but may have forgotten the hows and wherefores.  If you are interested, click here for more details.

So then last week I went to see the movie ‘ La La Land’ with two of my friends and we had a great time, escaping into the film’s beautifully, sentimental storyline. The costumes, the songs, the colour, all added to the feeling of escapism that we were hoping for after a long day at work. I was especially struck near the end of the movie by the lyrics to one song in particular, namely ‘Here’s To The Ones Who Dream’;

Here's to the ones who dream

Foolish, as they may seem

Here's to the hearts that ache

Here's to the mess we make

sung by Emma Stone

Oh I can make mess alright!  But the lyrics inspired a flurry of colourful sketches in my art journal the following day, mainly because they spoke of seizing the day and fulfilling your dreams. I really don't go in for setting New Year’s resolutions but I would encourage us all to be as creative, courageous and ambitious as possible in 2017. Maybe it is simply to endeavor to learn something new this year?

Whether it be enrolling on that Spanish course that you have always dreamt of, taking piano or guitar lessons, (because you know that there is a performer in you somewhere), or indeed learning how to master a sewing machine and to make those blasted curtains for your new bedroom! Or possibly to start dance classes, I mean how amazing would it be to ‘float’ across the dance floor just like the stars of the La La Land movie?!

We all know that it can potentially get harder to learn new things the older we get, so why wait any longer, just do it now! Don’t listen to your negative inner voice, (you know the one that keeps doubting and belittling your abilities) – instead enroll on that course and enjoy the learning – whether the outcome leads to something or not, it's all good. You will have taken a huge step towards your final goal and stepped out on a dream!

Craft yourself happy!

Jacqui x