Why that high school aptitude test may have been right.

I like to think that I am the kind of girl who can get things done.

Give me a task or challenge, and I will try my darnedest to make it happen.

For example, this Labor Day, I spent my day off by getting ready for one of these:

By making lots of these:

Until one of these started giving me problems:

 

And by problems, I mean that the needle (and all other moving parts) stopped moving entirely.  Now, this may be related to the fact that I have been using this machine for a while and have not taken it in for its 3000 mile check up. Regardless, I was in the middle of a project, at my sister & brother-in-law's house, and I had work to do.

So what was my next step?  I asked for a screw driver, of course.

Steven got me some tools and a flashlight, and very politely asked if I would like help.  I said thank you, but no, to which he responded something like, "awesome, because there is no way I would have any clue what to do with that thing."  Chivalrous and cute that man is.

I disassembled pieces, attempted to not lose tiny screws, unwedged some mis-wound bunches of thread, cleaned some gunk, and oiled the moving parts.  In the middle of this repair attempt, it brought back a memory from high school.

So do you remember those aptitude tests you had to take in high school?  The ones that you were subjected to many times over your later educational years so that you could figure out the perfect career that suits your interests and skills?  When I took them, they always told me to go into teaching or childcare or something like that.  Then, one test gave me a slightly different result.

It recommended that I pursue a career as a VCR repairman.

Yup.  VCRs.  Little moving pieces.  On a workbench.  All day. 

(Not to mention, I would already be obsolete.)

Regardless, guess who fixed the sewing machine with no outside help (even from the worthless user's "repair" manual)?  That would be me.

Maybe I really was made to be a VCR repairman.  Or maybe I picked up more than I thought from my mechanic-who-can-fix-anything father.  Maybe I should consider a career change...

 ...or maybe I should just be grateful for WD-40 and get back to sewing aprons.

In the meantime, if you live in my area and like pretty feminine crafts like aprons and scarves and flowers and more, check out our facebook page for more info about our craft and garage sale this Saturday: