. . . And Keep Your Head Straight!

My eyes were barely open after a few hours in the evening behind a sewing machine. I was tired and frustrated. I turned to my dad who was reading silently next to the kitchen table and asked, “How do I make a straight line, the material keeps shifting?” I heart sewing and am always looking for a project to accomplish, but because I don’t do it too often, I’m a pro at zigzagging! My dad gave me the answer, the golden tip we all seem to forget about. “Practice!” Oh, that’s all? How come I didn’t think of that? It would be just fabulous to pick up a cello and play it, flawlessly, but unless you’re Yo-Yo Ma, it’s not going to happen. I thought about the time I didn’t know how to take pictures of detail shots, at least the ones that I would be proud of. So, I started practicing. I took out a pair of my favorite heels and placed them on a window pane. I didn’t like the picture, but it was a start. Every time I needed a picture to go along with my blog post, I would photograph something to compliment my post. A picture of a book might not seem like a practice for a wedding, but if you can rock out an awesome book shot, you can repeat the same process with an invitation. It was in these little personal assignments I started seeing the light I like for my photos, and getting clearer more focused shots became less and less of a problem.

Is there something you always wanted to do, but got discouraged because it didn’t work the first or second time? I hope I inspired you a little today to try that recipe one more time, to practice your bumps before you get on the volleyball field, to take a class to develop your skill, to read a book related to your hobby, and not to give up!

As I inserted a needle into material for one more seam, my dad added, “And keep your head straight!” There are tips, but they only help once you start practicing. Happy Thursday Internet!