My adventures in sewing, Part 2

Here I am again, I can't believe I am posting 2 weeks in a row. (Ashlee will be proud)

Well week 2 went really well and I'm so excited for week 3 to start tonight. After getting my pattern, fabric, and all my notions (thread, elastic, ribbon) I was ready to get going on making my very own skirt. While picking out my pattern and fabric I wondered if anyone else in my class would pick the same ones as me. It's pretty funny because there were to matches in my class of the same pattern and no matches on fabric. Two girls chose the same pattern and I saw the one they chose but it was not my style. My pattern was the other that was chosen by someone else. I wasn't sure if I liked that someone else in my class had my pattern but I felt a little better when I saw we had chosen much different fabric.

When I got to my class, I immediately set up my machine but later realized it could have just stayed in the car. I was assuming I would be go to go, ready to start sewing but I was way ahead of myself. I forgot how long it takes to cut out a pattern and then pin it to the fabric (after getting it laid out properly and wrinkle free) and then cut out the fabric. You have to do all of those steps plus a little more before you are ready to get to sewing.

I am not a total newbie when it comes to sewing, I've made a dress for a child and other children's size items so I knew what it was like to cut out a pattern. I didn't realize all the steps you have to take and the precise methods you have to use to do so. I get to cutting out the pattern and am so excited when I finish I immediately start laying out my fabric to start pinning. This is where I was a little slower, and it's great to follow the directions of your pattern and teacher. I was a little worried I wouldn't have enough fabric but I know I bought what the pattern said so I should be good. After reading the pattern and moving the fabric around I realized I had to place the fabric exactly like the pattern and the cut the first 3 pieces out, cut the fabric in half and the cut the other 3 pieces out folding the extra half a different way. Long story short I had plenty of fabric and each piece came out great.

By the time I finished figuring out where to pin the fabric and finally cutting everything out class was over. I couldn't believe how fast the time flew by. After getting everything put up I was ready to head out and excited about putting all the pieces together tonight. Hopefully tonight will go smoothly and I won't have to become best friends with my seam ripper. :) I will leave you with some pictures from my second class and will take more tonight to show you next week.

My adventures in sewing, Part 1

I am so excited to be posting again. I have been trying to make myself write a new blog post for a long time but I just haven't been motivated. One I really have not been that interesting lately (or is that just what I am telling myself), two, I have had some things going on but I just don't know if they are blog worthy, and three, I get in a rut of just checking all the blogs I follow each day and then just putting off all these wonderful events that have been going on. More than likely it's number 3. I am a procrastinator, I have been my entire life and it looks like that is not going to be changing anytime soon.

Sorry for all the excuses let me just get into what I'm excited about.

I have owned a sewing machine for about 2 years, started out on a tiny one and then was upgraded two Christmas' ago. I have been testing the waters on what I should sew and have bought plenty of cute books with great ideas in them. (Here comes the procrastinator in me) I just haven't found my niche yet but I really feel like it is coming. Over the past 2 years I have made a few zippered bags as gifts, a few of stuffed animals, some burp cloths for friends, and a couple of outfits for children. One I will admit is still waiting to be finished.

Oh well, all that is changing because I am now enrolled in a sewing class at TCU through their extended education. I am really excited about this because I know I can sew I just don't know if I am sewing very well. I know I want to learn more about this to become really good at it in the future. So I had my first class last Tuesday night and my second one is tonight, classes are every Tuesday in the month of July. The goal for the class (all 4 classes) is to make 2 skirts, one with an elastic waist and one with a zipper. I will tell I am a little nervous about this because I have been sewing in a more home decorator style rather than a me wear my own clothing style. Who knows how it will turn out but I'm in.

Last class we were told would be working on the elastic skirt this Tuesday so it was important to have all of our supplies ready next class. I started getting a little anxious with this task because I was going to have to pick out a pattern, fabric for the skirt and all the extra notions that go with it. I'm not really comfortable with this task because I like to buy my clothes already sewn from a store and picking fabric is hard for me. During my first class we talked about patterns, different types of fabric, notions, and even practiced sewing using a piece of paper to follow along the lines. I was feeling better about the skirt process afterwards so I made a decision to take a trip to Joann's last Thursday night. I was in Joann's for almost 2 hours, trying to make a decision on a pattern, plus the fabric and also there is hardly ever any staff around to help you in that store. I will say if you are interested in sewing please take the class from TCU that I'm taking and also signup for the Joann's emails and iPhone app. I get great discounts and coupons using both.

I want to show you what pattern(s) I ended up with, yes I bought 2 because I still can't decide which one I'm going to use yet. I got a really great deal on my patterns too, through an email I received from Joann's I saw that the Simplicity patterns were going to be $1.99 from Thursday to Sunday. I bought 2 patterns originally priced at $15.95 for $1.99 each.

I know they kind of look the same but I wanted to start out easy and slow so I thought these would be the best pics. I walked around the store with these 2 patterns in my hands, 1 big task down 1 more to go- fabric. This is what I dreded the most because I really wanted to wear the skirt I made so my fabric had to be a great choice. I found a really cute Batik fabric and I carried it all around with me until I did one more loop around the front of the store with all the nice fabrics when I found the one I had to have. It is a Lisette fabric that I fell in love with while looking at the lisette patterns. I really wanted one of those (the patterns) but they didn't have a elastic waist skirt so I was out of luck. Maybe when I get really good at this one I can move one to those. Anyway back to the fabric, it's blue and white sateen fabric that is flowy enough for a skirt, casual and yet because of the look and feel can be more dressed up. Let me show you a picture of it.

After deciding on my fabric I had to make sure I would get enough which was easier than I thought, I know the measurements of my body so that helps. Once all that was done the lady helped me cut the fabric to the yards I needed and I was on my way. Now it just comes to tonight to start making it.

I really hope this skirt comes out well because I spent lots of time deciding on this pattern and fabric. You see in the picture I also had to get some notions- thread, elastic for the waist, and ribbon for the waist as well. I have orange or white ribbon, I will just decide when I get to that point what color I will use. Let's just hope I get to that point. :) After writing this post I guess I will be going with the first pattern (top left) with the ribbon and pockets. Everyone cross your fingers that it turns out ok and wish me luck. I'll be back with an update later.