Weddingbee Blog

So, as I write this, I am in the throes of the most ridiculous DIY project I have ever attempted. I’ve yelled, I’ve cried, and I’ve threatened to throw things across the room. It’s ugly, my friends, and I’m just getting started.

The project? Napkins.

Yes, napkins. I’m not the first bee to consider attempting homemade projects, and to be honest I should have heeded the warnings of those before me and just stayed away. But, no. I’m stubborn and I just had to do it. Bad, bad idea.

The problems started when I began looking for fabric. Apparently, yellow fabric is extremely difficult to make, because it’s either non-existent or it’s $14.00 a yard. I couldn’t find any patterned fabrics that I was happy with, so I settled with just doing plain yellow and gray napkins. Sure, it’s not the most exciting option, but I’ll be saving some money since I can sell them after the wedding, and it will add a nice homemade touch to them.

Well then I couldn’t find fabric that was thick enough. Everything I found was super flimsy, and I was worried that food would seep right through. Finally on a trip to visit BM Audrey in Ft. Worth, I stumbled upon the perfect fabric at Jo-Ann’s. Of course, they barely had enough of the yellow and had about half of the gray fabric that I needed, but whatever. I’ll figure that out later.

So, I finally have fabric. Now for a sewing machine. BM Audrey’s mom has one that she graciously offered to let me borrow. Awesome, right? I go pick it up, assure her that I know how to use it, and proudly bring it home. I begin to thread it, only to find that the needle will not pick up the bobbin thread, no matter what I do. It’s just not happening. I messed with it for about an hour, finally gave up, and called Audrey’s mom begging for help. She came over the next day to see what was wrong, and she (of course) threaded it on the first try. I was frustrated, but that’s okay. I forged onward!

I was (finally!) ready to start sewing. I spent about an hour cutting out the first napkin and pinning the edges (on a side note, I really need to get faster at that part!) and sat down at the sewing machine, so excited to get started.

I pressed on the pedal, heard the sound of the motor… and waited.

… and waited.

Nothing. The needle wouldn’t move. The motor was making noise, but the needle just wasn’t having it. This is when the tears came. I was so incredibly excited about this project, and something has gone wrong every single step of the way so far. As I type, Mr. Cardigan is saving the day (as usual) by trying to fix the sewing machine for me. I’m finally hearing the sound of the needle moving, so that’s absolutely a good sign. Of course, the machine seems to hate me so I have a feeling it will change its mind about moving once I sit back down.

I have a feeling this project is going to be much, much more difficult than I anticipated. But, of course, I already have a ridiculous amount of fabric in my apartment, so I’m not giving up now!

Did you have any projects that just seemed to be absolutely impossible? Tell me your stories - I need some encouragement!