Why Do Sewing Needles Scare Me?

Maybe it's the cut-offs I tried to hem in high school; they ended up shorter in front than in back.  Or it may be the lining I sewed into this bag with uneven stitches.  Probably it was the blood I spilled sewing taekwondo patches on testing gis.  They were white.  Somewhere along the way, I decided I didn't like sewing needles and that I should avoid them.

But I want this clutch, so I bought lining fabric, interface (?), a zipper, thread, and big orange sewing scissors like my mom had (the ones we weren't supposed to use to cut up boxes and junk, but we did anyway).  (Hey, I finally googled wether or not to put the period into the parenthesis or outside.  It only took 20 years.)

My swatch is so pretty, even without the scallop detail.  Since I received the yarn in a giveaway, I didn't have to worry about choosing coordinating colors.  I really like these.  I probably would have picked more subdued colors, and regretted it, if I'd bought them myself.  This is going to be a good change of pace.

(my Ravelry and my Flickr)