Today I've set aside some time for: sewing.
My plan is to whip myself up some simple summer-ish tops, dresses and skirts on Ye Olde Sewing Machine. This is the machine I rarely touch anymore, save for an occasional mending job or to sew up straight seams for curtains or pillows.
Once upon a time I sewed all my clothes, all my mom's dresses, dress shirts for the husband, blouses and dresses for both my DollinkDaughters. I even tackled a very complicated pair of men's slacks designed by Calvin Klein for Vogue patterns. It turned out near-perfect. HubbyDear even wore it.
I made slipcovers for our sofas, pillows, curtains, tablecloths, placemats, napkins galore. Quilts. Dolls and dollclothes. Stuffed animals. Tote bags. Hats. Et cetera.
If it could be sewn, I sewed it. The more intricate the pattern, the better.
Then came a time when I had more disposable income and less leisure hours available for sewing. Storebought clothing was a quicker wardrobe fix and oftentimes cheaper (think Ross Stores) than sewing my own.
Years have passed.
Leisure time has returned to my lifestyle, and saving a few pence on clothes is again preferable to shopping readymade. Truth be known, I have also come to dread shopping for and trying on clothes in those cramped, brightly lit store dressing rooms - with the show-all the-flaws mirrors. Shades of the SaggyBaggyElephant. Ahem.
In the past, sewing was a fun activity for me. Then I reached the point when I tired of it, even got to hating it, to which a friend of mine once quipped, 'Hatin' every stitch'.
That was then and this is now.
I says to myself, I says - before my abilities as a seamstress falls completely by the wayside, why not get going again with the sewing by whipping up some quick n' easy garments for summer wear. A practical move - tap into my dormant sewing skills, use up some stashed fabric and utilize those sewing supplies. Or move them on to someone who is might be more keen on the craft.
In addtion, what with all the knitting completed in the last year or so, I have a plethora of knitted accessories with nothing in the closet to 'go with' - another sound reason to pull out the machine, give it a dusting off and start seaming again.
At this writing, I've chosen a pattern, and am now trying to determine my new pattern size (differs from readymade clothing size, it seems). Some yardage remains from my old fabric stash which will be used for the first test garments. If these first tries are successful, it MAY re-new my once upon a time passion for sewing. The operative word in that sentence is MAY.
At this time, it's looking like I MAY go back to 'Hatin' Every Stitch'.
For I am already NOT enjoying the steps it takes to set up a sewing project:
the laying out of the pattern and fabric, the pressing of same, the pinning, the cutting, the looking for matching thread, zipper, fasteners, elastic. The realization that I need to run out and buy more interfacing before proceeding. Setting up the machine, threading the bobbin, the constant bumping into the ironing board in the middle of the kitchen. Even with some preliminary measurements, the hope upon hope that the finished item will actually fit....and that I will wear it...
All this before the physical act of sitting down to the machine to make the first stitches...
Egads. I will keep you posted.
4 comments:
Cam so totally relate to this. I used to sew my own clothes. Vests, short dresses, jackets, etc.
Now, I do valances. Yep, all those valances in the house were done by me.
Even did Chloe's bedroom curtains, crib bumper pads and semi quilt.
I even sprank $25 for a serger. Oh my god what a difference and what a deal I ran into. The elderly couple who sold it to me, never did figure out how to thread the machine and that is why they sold it. Felt bad after Ron and I figured it out but they said go ahead and keep it.
So if you ever want to use the serger let me know and you can come on over and use it. It is a 5 thread serger. You can use 2, 3, 4 or 5 your choice.
You're on. I would love to try out serging someday (soon?). Thanks.
I have a new sewing machine.
I avoid it like the plague.
I don't understand how to thread the needle so I have to have T by my side. He's a mechanic, he know's how a machine works. He even went with me to the "Intro to your NEW machine" class.
But, I always thought it was:
Hate IN every stritch!
Almost 25 years later, and I find that it's Hate IN every stitch. That, my dear - is prettydangfunny.
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