Tag: sewing

Thanks to everyone who helped me with my choice of fabric for the baby blanket I’m making for a total stranger.  I really appreciate all the comments and emails sharing your opinions.


I went with the majority of you and cut into stack #2, the one with lots of pink and green.  I’m pretty sure the other two will also become baby blankets at some point.  Now I have a tidy little stack of fabric waiting patiently on my sewing table.  I’m enjoying the yummy colors and am excited to get started.


Sometimes I pause to marvel that this tiny stack will become something to wrap around someone.  It reminds me that lots of little things do, indeed, add up to great things.  Life is like that too.

I hope you have a great week!
HH

Well, it’s February.  I’ve turned the page on January’s list of goals to begin a new month.  My sister and I signed up to take an online sewing class together this month, a class on sewing curves, taught by Rachel at Stitched in Color .


I’m really excited about the class.  I’ve taken sewing and quilting classes before but this is the first online class I’ve been involved in.  I think I’ve sewn just one curved seam in my life, so this will be a good thing for me to learn.  Learning new skills is part of my goal for 2012, to feel more joy.  When I’m learning I am happy because I’m growing.  The moment that cinched the deal on paying for the class was when I saw this retro flowers quilt .  I want to make one and so I’m going to learn how to sew curves.

My biggest worry with this class is that I really don’t have time for it.  The lull on our calendar during early winter has disappeared and life is in full swing at our busy home.  I hope I’ll be able to find the time to master this skill and make some great things along the way while still keeping life running smoothly.  That’s why my sister and I signed up together, so we can make sure we get our projects done and keep life balanced as well.  I’m super excited to take the class with her.

For those here visiting from the class, I’m a stay-at-home mom  who would love to actually be able to spend more time at home!  I have eight children ranging from age 14 to 2 and yes, they’re all mine.  (Hence my nervousness about not finding time to master this like I hope to.)  Sewing has become one of my favorite hobbies, something permanent that I can do in a home where everything seems to be undone 2.5 seconds after I finish it.  I love color, texture, pattern and using beautiful fabric seems to fill a creative need in my life.  Honestly, my skills are probably somewhere in the novice circle, but I’m not bothered by it.  I know I’ll get better over time and make a lot of useful things along the way.  I try to spend a few minutes every day or two at my sewing machine, even if it’s just for ten minutes.

I’ve always loved to make things and hope I’ll learn to make some great new things this month.   So welcome, February!

What are you going to do this month?

Jennifer

In the midst of our crazy week last night, and on a night when I wanted to curl up in a ball and cry myself to sleep, I went to a sewing class and made this skirt for my daughter.

I love fabric and I love to sew, but I’m scared to death of making clothing.  Oh, I’ve known for a while that I really ought to learn to make skirts at least, especially with five daughters.  I also know how difficult it is to find skirts that are long enough to be modest.  Yet I’m intimidated by the patterns so I haven’t done it.

Two weeks ago I was in a fabric store for some thread and overheard several women talking about this fabric.  I decided to peek at it, and it was gorgeous.  Gorgeous in several different colors.  I listened more and discovered they were talking about making skirts with it.  I asked a question and they pointed above my head at the sample hanging from the ceiling.  The class was less than a week away and they still had an opening.  On a total whim, I bought fabric in four different colors and signed up for the class.


I started with a skirt for my two year old because I could pick my favorite color, the vintage aqua that I love so much.  I enjoyed learning more about how to deal with this particular material, which is tricky with the ruffles.  My machine and I had to do some fiddling to figure out the best settings for slippery fabric since all we usually do is cotton quilting weight material.  I also got to learn about using a double needle to attach the thick elastic waistband to the material.  The double needle allows the elastic to stretch without breaking any thread.  I didn’t know that before Thursday night!


Really this is such a simple skirt that I shouldn’t be bragging about making it, which is exactly why it was a good first project for me.  I plan to make one for each of my daughters in the next couple of weeks.  It happens that both of my little ones fit this skirt and it’s made me smile to see them taking turns wearing it.


It always feels good to learn something new, doesn’t it?