So, I've started to machine sew, something I've said I'd never do. It started out with two things. One, a friend gave me a sewing machine and, two, one of the monks at the zen center asked me to mend a badly torn work coat of his (apparently if you knit, people assume you can sew). I was going to hand sew the monk's coat but the tears were so extensive that I decided to try out my new machine. And, what do you know? I liked it! I'd done some machine sewing before but always on my mother's sewing machine in her apartment which was awkward and inconvenient and I never really got into it. Meanwhile, eight months ago, I'd volunteered to sew a belly dancing skirt for Doria for a birthday gift. We got all the fabric and trim and there it sat. Then along comes this sewing machine! Having my own machine somehow makes all the difference. So now I'm sewing. Well, not actually sewing.
Today, I ironed. First the pattern,
then the fabric.
Then I laid out the fabric,
(isn't it pretty?)
laid out the pattern,
found the straight of the grain (very important),
pinned it up,
and finally,
cut it out.
Now I just have to repeat this process for the other seven sections of the skirt and then I'll be able to sit down at the sewing machine and actually sew!
6 comments:
Sigh. That is exactly why I haven't got very far with sewing either. It needs to wait for when I can have project time measured by hours rather than minutes. Once you get to the actual sewing though it does go amazingly fast. I am eager to see the skirt when you are done.
P.S. Since you have nephews this might amuse you. I got asked to do a repair job this week too. One of my nephews is very upset because a huge hole somehow appeared in his favorite blankie. Of course, it is crocheted - my sister thought it was knitted. I hope I will be able to figure something out. :)
Soooo excited!!!!
Hey Carolyn, crochet's pretty easy to fix, much easier than knitting. Let me know if you need any help.
Doria, Me tooo!
Well, I ended up slip stiching the loose loops together and sort of chaining them along the length of the hole. If I could read crochet like knitting I would have tried to fix in the original pattern, but at least it is back in one piece and on the way to little C who is missing it.
Lucy, where did you get the fabric?
1. You have to love the fabric for the sewing to be worthwhile -- and that fabric is gorgeous!
2. Even when you have your work all cut out (that must be where the expression comes from) there's a lot that isn't actually sewing -- trimming seams and pressing again! Keep the ironing board handy.
Something I just learned recently is that little tiny tailor tacks (like half or 3/4 of an inch on each side of the fabric) are better than long ones. Long ones always get caught on something and pull out. Tiny ones don't get caught and stay there until you need them! I put tailor tacks even for buttons and buttonholes on my last shirt and it was well worth it for the time it saved not to measure for those items.
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