Me, learning to sew?

When asked, I used to tell people that I didn't sew.  Sure, I knew how to sew by hand and did it when I had to but I had no clue how to use a sewing machine.  Yeah, I've made several mixed media projects that involved some sewing.  I didn't really think of myself as someone who sewed because I didn't know how to use a machine.  I remember talking to a lady at the CREATE Mixed Media Art retreat in Chicago in 2010 over breakfast one day about sewing and mentioning that not only did I not sew but but I didn't know how to use a sewing machine.  She seemed surprised.  She was one of many who made art quilts and whatnot who were at the retreat.  I'd always considered myself more of a paper gal who also liked to knit, crochet and make jewelry.  For quite a while, I figured that I had enough things that I could do, so why add one more?  You know what I mean.

Anyway, I'm not sure when I decided I want to learn to sew but I did.  I asked others for sewing machine recommendations.  I looked at tons of reviews and articles on what to look for in a machine.  I knew I wanted something that wasn't too cheap or too expensive.  I wanted something that could do basic sewing but also something that would allow me to do art quilting type work, if I wanted to (so something that would allow me to lower the feed dogs or come with a plate to cover the feed dogs).  I even asked my mom  if she had my grandma's machine but she gave it away.  I got overwhelmed with the amount of information and ended up putting my search on the back burner for a while.  Randomly several months later, I ended up asking some mom friends for recommendations and one of them recommended the Brother XL2600i  The price was good, the machine had generally good reviews, it comes with a darning plate to cover the feed dogs and Christmas was coming.  Haha!  It was a wonderful present to open up on Christmas.

view from above...setting things up according to the manual

wound my 1st bobbin!

threading the needle

Do you sew?  If you do, what's your first memory of learning to sew or learning to use a machine?  If you don't, is there something you want to learn to do or make?