Finished Tank Top #2 last night! Tank Top #1, as I mentioned yesterday, was scrapped after my sewing mistakes accumulated to exploding point.
I did manage to do one more inside out mistake, but caught it in time to only have to use the seam ripper once. I also ran out of one colour bias tape so ended up using both red AND white bias tape.
I also had trouble with the hem. It always looked like such an easy job when I gave my pants to the local tailor to hem! But I found it more difficult than I expected to make sure the hem was straight, AND then fold the extra bit under before pressing and sewing. I have to figure out how to do that properly.
Anyway, when I put on the final product I could see all the problems -- the crooked seams, the uneven sewing, the bad fit (I'm going to leave out the darts for my next attempt; I think the pattern was made for someone with a bigger bust!) -- but I still feel hugely proud. I MADE THIS TOP MYSELF!!!
I can't wear this in public, but I can at least wear it in my office and when working out in the garden.
I went back to Fabricland and bought some more of that blue floral fabric to give my top another go. I also bought a bunch of zippers because they were on sale for 3 for $1. I figure I'll have to learn how to sew zippers sometime, and I can practice on scrap fabric.
Spent some time yesterday cleaning out and rearranging my craft corner to make room for my new sewing hobby. If you think the photo below looks cluttered, you should have seen it before. :-)
Thanks so much for the sewing encouragement, everyone. Some comments:
From aunt_marion:"Ah, yes - the problems with sewing are many and legion, even (as oreouk says) for the more experienced. The term "moebius lining" springs to mind...
I have a half-made pair of summer-weight casual trousers (also, thankfully, in a cheap fabric!) sitting on the side - I measured, very carefully, an UNPICKED pair of old trousers which I knew fitted me, to make a pattern. And double-checked the measurements, and allowed a little extra on top of the seam allowance. When I made them up, they were several INCHES too small!!!! Grrr.
Don't worry too much. Practice makes perfect (or at least, better)."
From BSAG:"Hehe. Your sewing tribulations sound a lot like my last serious attempt to sew during needlework classes at school. It took me all term to finish a very simple skirt (which was also hideous, as an added bonus), only to find that I had inadvertently sewn the pockets closed. These classes were just a perfect excuse for my friend and I to chat non-stop for a double lesson anyway, so the actual product was fairly unimportant. Thinking about it, the non-stop chatting could explain why I sewed the pockets up...
Keep at it and I'm sure it will get easier!"
From damedini:"*grin* I've been sewing half my life. My constants are sleeves sewn inside out, sleeves backward (yeah, sleeves hate me) and hemming the wroing way. I have also sewn one piece wrong-side-out. No worries, you're learning how to make really good errors. And that's important.
As to the rest, you'll get there. Cheers!"
From Teddy:"It's good to learn when to make gratuitous use of the unpicker and when it's better to scrap the project and start over.
The more work and time you've invested in a project already, the more expensive or hard-to-find the fabric is etc, the more you value the time it takes to unpick and resew over the prospect of scrapping and restarting."
From fifona:"Well, thank goodness, Debbie, because sewing is the one thing I can do with a certain degree of success, and everytime I read about your newest hobby which you immediately turn into a successful business idea I always think "Wow, oh, well, if only I could paint, play an instrument, do computoid stuff...never mind, everyone can't be good at everything"...
I was beginning to think you were infallible! For the record, everyone does the things you did by way of learning to contruct any sewn-up item. Inside out pieces? Un-picked the wrong seam? Decide to adapt a pattern and then find it doesn't quite look right? Sew a silk dress then discover it comes apart at the seams (sorry sis, but you were only the bridesmaid, not the bride!) Been there, cursed myself blue in the face at that!
:-D"
From artbeco:"Hey! You're now an official member of the club of sewers! You can't really be a true member until you've sewn a piece together with one part inside out, or sewn a facing onto the wrong side, or a sleeve on backwards or inside out. ;)
It'll get easier and more intutive the more mistakes you make. I think. And you have lots of people to ask for translations of directions. My mom's motto works well too: Pin it, then check twice (or three) and only then sew. And still expect to have to unpick now and then. Also, don't sew when you're tired.
*hugs*"
From mickeydaily:"When I was in school I got 14% for home ec the same year I got 98% for science. I think I was a bit of a science snob, on reflection. Now I sew like a demon. But I make mistakes all the time too. It's part of the fun (and frustration)."
From chk:"Rip-stop nylon is hard to sew because it is relatively thick, and very slippery! And then there's the nylon webbing for making strut pockets and reinforcing corners...
And yet, we continue to try to make new kites! (well, mostly Michaela does :-).
Learning to sew is fun, be it kites or clothes; welcome to the club!"
From vixyish:"Meeheehee! You're in a distinguished club, my dear, as you have already seen. I haven't sewn very many things, but ever since a hideous purple shimmery (what was I thinking?) APRON in middle school Home Ec, I too have made my share of mistakes.
But you can get there! Did you see the blue Kaylee jacket I had on at FKO? I made that! And it looks great... from the *outside*. Nobody but me ever gets to see the *inside*. Like where I somehow managed, despite (I *swear*!) following the pattern exactly, to wind up with a collar considerably longer than the neckline it was meant to attach to, and sort of crinkled and crumpled and stuffed the excess fabric inside and sort of sculpted the collar into shape with a bunch of clumsy hand stitches. :)
Remember, just like Vegas, what happens in the seam allowance stays in the seam allowance. ;)"
To see the rest of the comments,
see my LJ comments section for that entry.
Babylon Five Virgin update
SPOILER WARNING: The blog posts below focuses on my reports while watching Babylon Five for the first time. An
LJ feed is also available. If you haven't seen B5 yet and don't want spoilers, please DO NOT click the links below.
Season 3, Episode 45: Matters Of HonorSeason 3, Episode 46: ConvictionsSeason 3, Episode 47: A Day In The StrifeSeason 3, Episode 48: Passing Through GethsemaneLivejournal comments
Friday, August 22, 2008 at 2:48PM 
by Susan Beth Pfeffer. It was a great read, and immediately made me go to our pantry to check how many cans of food were in there. Probably not enough for Jeff and I to survive more than a few weeks in an emergency, but at least we could gnaw on dry pasta for a while. This would be a good book for reluctant teen readers; it's fast-moving, with plenty of action and suspense.
