Step Away From the Machine! (June 26, 2011)

I’m obsessed and I know it. There’s no denial involved. But being obsessed with sewing and creating does not exactly put me on the Ten Most Wanted list. It’s hardly a crime to have a passionate love affair with my sewing machine, right?



When I last blogged, I’d just left my first sewing class and excitement was pumping through my veins. Now: thirteen days later. Tomorrow: my last class. Veins: still full of enthusiasm.



Thirteen days ago, I couldn’t figure out how to load my bobbin. It’s an older machine and the instruction booklet’s diagrams left something to be desired. Twelve days ago I walked into a local fabric store and asked if anyone could spend five minutes helping me. Two super nice women spent twenty minutes with me, and after that tutorial, I understood the machine a little more. Major victory!


At the second class, we made bags. We were asked to bring whichever fabric we wanted. I brought two pieces of fabric I’d bought sometime in the last year, without a specific project in mind. Sometimes I just buy a piece of something that inspires me, and one day I’d bought some red cotton with white polka dots, and a piece of red fabric with a Hawaiian Hibiscus print. Would I use both pieces together? Who knew? I liked that both had contrast and cheerfulness. I chose to make one side of my bag one print, and used the other fabric for other side. A few days later I fooled around with my machine again and created flower petals. Later, more fooling around with felt and rickrack (with which I am deeply obsessed!). Voila! Happy red flower (whose center is made of buttons I bought in the liquidation I wrote about last month). Here’s how my bag turned out:




Tomorrow we’re bringing our bags back to show the class, before we start on simple aprons. I’ve been looking at apron photos online for inspiration and I’m getting awesome ideas! My faves are the retro ones because they are so playful. The colors and patterns are fun, fun, fun. And why should kids have all the fun clothes? Why can’t grown-ups wear many patterns all at once? (I already do! Personally, I think grown-ups would be happier if more clothes came in cheerful, fun colors. Why do clothing makers think khaki is an uplifting color?!) I’ve already started on some of the extra pieces for the apron—a pocket and the straps. Can’t wait to get to class and work on my June Cleaver-meets-Katy Perry apron. Watch out, ‘cause there’s a tidal wave of ideas flowing!