You may have noticed that I was missing yesterday.  (Even if you didn’t, humor me, okay?)  I was learning to sew from a pattern.  During Elf School, I had to choose between sewing and advanced shopping seminar.  Guess which one I picked?

I have some basic sewing skills.  I can repair clothes and do some very simple machine sewing, but I had never created anything from a pattern.  This year for Christmas, I want to give some gifts that I’ve sewn, so I asked a friend to teach me.

Sewing is challenging for me because it’s unfamiliar and it feels so permanent.  Also, stepping on the pedal to run the machine reminds me of driving and I HATE driving (sleighs pulled by flying reindeer excepted).

Like anything, sewing takes time and practice to master.  I’ll have to work on projects regularly for a period of time before I get comfortable.  Not everything I make will be perfect, so I’ll have to accept the imperfection.  But in time, I should have a basic competence.

Don’t let fear of the unknown or insistence on being perfect keep you from learning new things.  Try.  Fail. And try again.

Do you think Comet learned to fly on the first try?