This story will introduce two secret fears I’ve experienced over and over in my life. Prepare yourself for a chuckle on this one even before we get started. My fear was my sewing machine. Now I realize that sewing machines are tools. They don’t speak, they don’t sing and they don’t throw tantrums. They’re not designed to rip us off. They are designed to pull fabric together in a beautiful, tight-stitch way that when appropriately sewn, would provide something lovely to wear, adorn a window, or beautify a place in your home.
But in order for a sewing machine to be effective and efficient in operation, it first requires a human agent to lift it out of its case, plug it into the electrical outlet, turn on the switch, and then proceed with material at hand.
Now, my challenge is not in lifting the machine out of the case, plugging it into the outlet, or turning it on. My “fear challenge” is not only working with the material in such a way that it proceeds through the needle pathway in a straight direction, but that when I’m finished with interpreting the details indicated on the sheet of directions, that it all comes together in such a way that the finished product can either be worn, or displayed in some fashion. My experience lacks both accomplishments.
In high school I took a leap of faith and signed up for a “sewing class.” If it hadn’t been for the teacher working with me step-by-step and moment-by-moment, I never would have never finished the dress. And for those interested, I never wore that dress in public….ever! It was navy blue trimmed with a white color, and the only place it adorned later in its life was the trash can.
At this point I need to express my other fear. It’s the fear of “directions.” This fear has progressed into other areas of my thinking. Whenever someone says to me, “just read the directions,” I simply and silently freeze up in my mind.
Before you begin your laughter and finger-pointing, let me ask you….”when was the last time you read instructions on putting together a bicycle, or figuring out computer directions.” Need I say anything further?
Let’s be honest, I’d love to meet some of the people who write these, so-called, user-friendly directions. After reading certain instructions, my first question is “why don’t they just speak plain English?”
Before continuing with my saga…..I must share a dear friend’s attitude about learning skills on the computer. She feels the same about computer instructions as I do, and to quote her, “She doesn’t have what you’d call a friendship with her computer, but they are at least on speaking terms.”
I wasn’t even on speaking terms with my sewing machine. Her husband purchased a nice new sewing machine for her. As her husband was bringing the machine into the house, their ten year old son noticed the new arrival and blurted out, “Oh Dad, don’t take that in the house, she’ll kill herself with it.”
In that you now are on the same page of understanding with me regarding one of my fears, let me share the other sewing fear that corresponds to this sewing machine story. This second fear is how to place the material under the needle and move it along in such a way that the finished stitches are in a straight line. I’ve had many unsuccessful attempts at this; thus, my sewing machine went into retirement (the closet) for a long, long time.
Many years ago I was in the home of three dear friends. The common “thread” (funny that I should use the word) in each of their homes was the fact that their window coverings were all “handmade” shall we say. All of them were a gorgeous display around the window casings.
One morning, as I was doing one of my favorite things (sipping tea from a fine china cup), I asked the friend I was with about her drapes (or window coverings as I call them). She proceeded to share how one would go about making them yourself. I was keen to take in every instructional detail. At the end of this “instructional dissertation,” my mind went to tilt. In other words, everything she shared seemed to evaporate from my head.
A few weeks later, another friend invited me to her home for tea. She invited me to her kitchen table as she prepared her luscious and fragrant tea. There in front of me were some lovely scalloped curtains. I couldn’t help but notice how straight they hung, and I even got a glimpse of the stitches. They were lined up like little stringed soldiers….in perfect alignment.
By now you’ll surmise the conversation that was about to take place. My friend served the tea and I began complimenting her on her lovely fabric and the design of the window covering before me. Her immediate response was that she had made them.
Now I’m thinking, I’ve got some clever friends in my life, and here was another one who was talented in that arena.
I shared my “fear challenge” about directions and she was prompt to tell me that she didn’t use a pattern. What? No pattern? No instructions? I was now more than interested in what she had to say. When she finished sharing “her instructions,” I thought to myself, “Hey, I might be willing to try.”
After the tea party in her kitchen I went home, and the first thing I did was pray. Yes, I spoke with the Lord (who is interested in every detail of our lives) and asked that He would send someone along to help me not only interpret a pattern’s instruction sheet, but help me learn how to sew a straight stitch.
You’re going to love to see how this adventure ends!!!!!!!!!
Within a few weeks, I was in another friend’s home and guess what? Her window coverings jumped right out at me and told me to take notice and ask questions. I was prompt to obey my inner admonition. My friend was fabulous in sharing how she had made the ones I was admiring and told me how I could make them.
Truth time! I shared my fears with her and she encouraged me that I could learn how to sew, and that if I was willing, she would work with me in the process. At that point I don’t think she was fully aware of what that process would involve. It would require a great amount of patience and a sense of humor to get me through.
She was just the “one” God sent my way in answer to my prayer requesting help in walking me through the steps of sewing a beautiful window covering.
This friend was so encouraging and more than on-board with wanting to help me. We made arrangements to spend an “entire day” buying the fabric, measuring the patio window (that was currently bald of fabric), introducing me to my sewing machine and completing the project of a lovely hunter green window covering.
She realized my fear, so her suggestion was to purchase a flat twin sheet (hunter green in color to go with the color scheme in our home) and make a curtain out of that fabric instead of spending money on an expensive fabric. Smart choice I thought. After all, if I ruined it, it would only be a few dollars down the tube.
After a lengthy, but fairly simplistic explanation of what we were going to attempt, I felt enthusiastic about trying.
The trick about sewing a straight stitch was incredible. I would imagine that most of you reading this story are fully aware of the idea. But we used a piece of masking tape and placed it in the area to the right of the needle in the location that measured out the width the stitch should be sewn at. Then all I had to do was place the edge of the material along the tape, and voila…..a straight stitch.
This friend was a “gift” to me from the Lord. She had four children she had to make arrangements and provide for so she could spend that 8 hours with me. Yes, we finished the valence. I called them “poofs” at the time. They were gorgeous, and I was grateful.
That has been over 20 years ago and since that time, and my sewing has gone from a simple valence, to long and fabric-lined drapes. I’ve even shown others how to make some elegant window coverings without using a pattern. For some, reading and interpreting instructions seem easy, for others, it is not. And I’m in the “not category.”
The lessons I learned from that friend about sewing and creativity with fabric, really isn’t as important as the principles and people behind it all. Firstly, God! He is the One who helped me want to deal with my two practical fears; and then, He orchestrated my steps to a dear person who wanted to make herself available to Him to use in another person’s life.
There are two words that bring have shown me about their value. They are “ordinary” and “availability.” God loves both and uses both in our lives. If we are willing to get in line with God’s activity in our life journey, He can bring others along our life’s path and bless “them” through us.
Sewing is an ordinary activity! But availability on the part of my friend was crucial. She was sensitive to God and to the fact that one of His kids wanted to learn to sew. Another quality that expressed itself through her, was not only availability, but that she sacrificed her precious family time for me.
My friend, and you know who you are, thank you for being “my teacher and mentor” in this practical area. Every time I look at a beautiful drapery fabric, or a twin flat sheet, I think and give thanks to the Lord for using you in my life in such a dear and practical way. Even to this day, as my eye may catch a glimpse at a pretty window treatment, I give thanks to the Lord and think of you.
Her famous words to me regarding creativity with fabric are:
LET ‘ER RIP …and don’t be afraid to create.
My prayer is that God would “help me see” the ordinary opportunities He presents to me, and that I would be available to be used….even when maybe it’s not convenient. I think that’s called sacrificial.
ORDINARY – AVAILABLE – SACRIFICIAL
Lord, may these qualities be woven by You into my character that my life may be a blessing to others. Amen
Cups of Cold Water 