Tag: sewing

SEW, WHATS BEEN GOING ON?!

Happy New Year! I’ve been getting me together. 2024 was a year of growth. Can you guess that I learned to sew!

The completed construction of my 1st pants

Sewing was something I desired to learn for a long time. Initially I thought I needed a special machine for left-handed people. I found out that didn’t matter.

My husband gifted me a sewing machine the Christmas of 2023 and it sat for a few months while I tried to find in-person classes.

Singer “Heavy Duty”

YouTube University was not that helpful. I had to watch too many videos from different people to kinda get close to what I needed to learn and no matter how much I tried the bobbin didn’t set right. The frustration could’ve blown my head off.

I found a sewing machine shop online, close enough to me and took my machine there to get a little help. The associate showed me how to do it lickity split. I needed to get instructions from a real person. This shop did not offer classes. Not even Joann’s offered classes anymore. Covid was the culprit. The correction was so simple. I was over thinking it and the resolve opened up a whole new world for me.

Knowing how to set the bobbin, I started playing around with stitches. Seeing how straight I could keep my lines.

Sewing is so practical. A skill that I can use for pleasure and necessity. To practice more sewing without knowing much more, I began mending my kiddo’s bath towels and wash clothes. Some of the ends had unraveled on perfectly good towels. The refresh made them look new again.

It was hard staying straight

The towels inspired me to do another refresh. This time with our dirty laundry thingy. All three bags had molded in the bottoms and along the top where we set the wet clothes. I tried washing them before and to no avail, the mold did not come out. I decided to change the material to something I could wash in the laundry just the same. Walmart sells pre-cut material in various colors and styles, from one yard to four. I picked some up and attempted to make my first bag!

First bag using Velcro
Cropped image Courtesy of my Son 🤗

It turned out okay. Definitely gave me confidence to keep going. I wish I had a better picture of how I attached the fold over flap on the laundry thingy. Lol, the Velcro slid off the first time we hung a wet cloth over it. Not to mention, I broke two needles attempting to sew the Velcro down. The amount of safety pins I lined the flap with was ridiculous. By the end of the 2024 I remade them all. I even learned how to add buttons.

Midsummer, I started sewing classes! I’m learning from a well-seasoned dress maker too. She’s sewn for 50 years. Becoming a student again has its own set of challenges and I’m grateful for my growth.

The first project was to make a bag. I made the bag for my son. He carried his cooking club supplies in it. I showed him how to construct an apron too. We used a one-size-fits-all pattern and added some details.

In-person classes made following YouTube University much easier. The apron was a way to familiarize myself with working with a pattern and also introduce sewing to my children. Again, sewing is a necessity if you ask me and they will learn it early.

I made bathing suit bottoms! I needed a silver suit for a coordinated event and the bottoms that came with the suit did not fit my Big Ol booty. I decided to try my hand at crafting some and they turned out pretty good. I lined the inside and used non-roll elastic to keep the bottoms in place. Look at the match-up. Can’t tell the difference.

My pink pants are the finished second project from class. I chose a simple enough pattern with some detailing like the pinched line down the front of the legs. I’m so proud of this accomplishment.

The pattern was not my size. Sizing can be tricky because you don’t go by the size you wear from a store. You have to take your own measurements and pick be sure to pick the proper size in your pattern. This was pattern number two for me. I returned 5 patterns from this mishap; they were all too small. From this, I made holiday pants for my family! Look at those pockets.

I added the drawstrings and did the pinched line. Used different pattered fabric to achieve this look. Snowmen and mittens go together like peanut butter and jelly. The girls got that and the guys’ combination was gingerbread men and plaid.

Lol the pants were so big on the kids. I did mismatch panels on their pants and went with mismatch legs on the parents. Christmas was good. I love my family, and I can’t wait to share my next project with you!

Thanks for reading.

Take Care of Yourself

Tote’s (bag) Cool!

I’m finally posting about the tote! It’s been an emotional roller coaster for me. I made two bags, I must confess. I hated the first bag so much. The second bag turned out much better.

Bag #1 Bag #2

I had left over material from the cow bench, another one of my hand-crafted items. I love creating and building things. Using my hands to craft my ideas gives me, simply put, joy!

Back to the story at hand, the tote. I was eager to try again after the first bag because the process wasn’t complicated. Step by step cutting the sides of the bag, scaling the straps and determining the size and mood of the bag. Bag #1 I learned the most on, so many mistakes! Still, the process intrigued my soul. The most fun was the inside of the second tote. Hand stitching leather and sealing edges, oohhhh I just loved it.

Bag #1 (Lots of mistakes, wrong thread, uneven pieces, bunched up sewing under lining)

Adding trim and extra support for the handles

Bag #1 images are a little out of order. You get the picture! My favorite part of the first bag were the handles. I loved making those, the design gave it texture and I wanted them to stand out.

Bag #2 ( I did not get as many images as I intended. I would have liked to show a threading image. Next time!)

I ordered more supplies. I had the right thread this go around and a few new tools that made it easier to thread. I took better measurements and more precise cuts (Side note: use a blade instead of scissors). I’m pacing myself with supplies. I’ve had several interests in other hobbies that I’ve lost momentum in after purchasing tools for those hobbies. I don’t want to do that with leather crafts. Something about this feels like more than a hobby for me. I enjoyed the material so much. I used cow hide and a stiffer shoulder cut of that smooth brown hide you see in the photo. I’ve signed up for a class and watched several videos from different crafters. Learning about the different types of leather. What’s the best leather for making jackets and furniture, threading techniques, thickness and so on. I know what I ‘d like to craft next!

Take Care of Yourself!