yo brother

Before today I never realised the brand name of my sewing machine is 'brother'.....now that's got soul! If amendments are allowed (and they are) I would change the name ever so slightly to 'mother' or 'soul mother' because the machine was gifted to me by my mother-in-law, which was gifted to her by her mother and someday I will pass along to my daughter.
My mother-in-law gave this machine to me a few years ago at a time when sewing was very far from my mind. I was working full time as a child care teacher which left me too exhausted and used up to do anything creative. I had stopped drawing , writing in my journal, reading, seeking out new music, and in a lot of ways, stopped feeling like myself. It was a strange time for me.
But recently after weeks hunting around the multiple storage areas on my in-laws property, I resurrected the brother! Teaching myself how to sew has been a lesson in patience and persistence. Here are some things that I have been doing to help me through the beginners stages:
1) always plan on the project taking twice as long as it should
2) 'when is doubt, take it out'. Starting again takes longer but you'll never be happy if you leave the mistake, which leads me to number 3.....
3) keep seam rippers handy
4) have lots of cheap or recycled fabric around for experimenting
5) Sew with soul. For me this means enjoying the process -I drink coffee, listen to Joanna Newsom, wear my hair in braids, tap my feet, talk to the dog.
6) keep records of what I have made by making patterns, taking notes and photographing the results. This helps me go back over work and learn from mistakes.

How did you learn to sew and what helped you on your way?

Above is the bag I made yesterday and it took a jolly long time.

-Kimberlee