A Lack Of Sewing Aptitude

And now my Home Ec sewing nightmares are coming back to haunt me...

So yesterday I confidently added darts to what I intended to be a pretty blue summer tank top. When I held up the piece to examine afterward, I noticed that one of the darts was a bit lower than the other.

Ah well, I thought. Maybe no one will notice.

Then I sewed the bias tape onto the neck line. Keep in mind that I had no idea what bias tape was a week ago! It sounds technical, but just refers to a strip of fabric that's used to add a bit of substance and support for parts of a sewing project.

In theory, after I sewed it onto the neckline of my top, I could fold it over to make a nice finished edge. However, when I went to fold it over I realized that I had sewed the tape onto the WRONG SIDE of the top. Sigh.

Ginny had given me a stitch picker, and I used that to pick out all the stitches. Then I sewed it back on, this time on the right side.

But then (THEN) I noticed that I had sewn the two pieces of top together with one piece inside out.

AUGH. Instead of unpicking the bias tape again AND unpicking the rest of the sewing, I decided to scrap the top and try again with another piece of material. I'm glad I'm experimenting with inexpensive pieces of fabric in the beginning!

It's clear, however, that I don't have a natural talent for sewing. BUT (!!) I refuse to give up. I immediately grabbed more fabric and started again. I currently have two more tops on the go, and this time things are looking much better.

There's still plenty of time to screw up, though.

Wish me luck. :-)



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My First Sewing Project(s)

Inkygirl update: I've posted an interview with Jo Knowles about her first book, Lessons From A Dead Girl, and am also giving away a copy of the book.

The main focus of today's Blatherpost, however, is sewing.

I'm happy to report that I still haven't impaled any of my fingers with my new sewing machine. That's a very good sign.



My first sewing project with my Very First Sewing Machine: a pillowcase! I'm sure you experienced sewing types out there aren't super-impressed, but this was a major accomplishment for me. I took a pattern I found in Sew Everything Workshop by Diana Rupp and modified it to fit a small pillow I use in our car.

Yes, I said modified. Am I adventurous or what? Anyway, when I'd finished, I couldn't believe that it actually turned out ok. Sure, some of the seams may be a bit crooked and the case could fit tighter but I MADE THIS PILLOWCASE MYSELF! With MY SEWING MACHINE! I kept admiring the pillow, hugging it, marveling that the case looked almost professional (if I didn't look too closely), something I might even have bought in a store.

Bolstered by this success, I decided to visit a Fabricland and pick out an easy clothing pattern.

Dear lord.

I felt like a little kid in a candy shop. Not just because of the huge variety of fabric colours and types, but also because of the hundreds of patterns to choose from! I ended up asking one of the Fabricland clerks for advice, saying that I was looking for a very simple pattern for a summer top.

I ended up buying Butterick's B5170 See & Sew pattern, encouraged by the "Yes! It's EASY" promise on the front. I'm starting with the tank top.



Many thanks to Ginny for giving me my first sewing lesson. I remember being baffled by the terminology used in sewing patterns back in grade school Home Economics classes. It seems just as baffling to me now, but Ginny went over the pattern and helped explain what the instructions meant, as well as showing me how to do darts.

Anyway, I've pinned and cut out the pieces to the top with her help...now it's up to me to do the actual sewing. I was surprised by the cost of the cloth itself: I needed one metre for my top, and it only cost me $3.



Seems unbelievably inexpensive for a women's top, even a simple one. Stick a designer label on the collar, and something like this could easily sell for $40 or $50 in an upscale fashion shop (one reason I don't tend to buy clothes in upscale fashion shops).

Eventually I'd love to be able to sew more complicated clothes as well as stuffed animals, costumes and fabric art. It was SO hard fighting the urge to leap into a more advanced project right away, but I'm forcing myself to take small, easy steps until I can feel confident that I've mastered the basics.

If any of you more advanced sewing types out there have basic advice and words of wisdom, I'd appreciate it. :-)

Below: As soon as I spread my paper patterns on the floor in prep for my first sewing lesson, my mom-in-law's cat IMMEDIATELY settled himself on the crinkly paper.



Below: world's best French fries, prepared by my chef brother-in-law (who hand-cut each French fry!). So bad for me, I know, but soooooooo good!






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