First Sewing Venture

Well, I finally did it.  I dug out the sewing machine and cleaned it up and got it working again!  I'm actually kind of proud of myself.  It's been so long since I've touched the machine, that I had to do Spring Cleaning on my brain!  Dust up the cobwebs, so to say.  But, sewing is in my blood.  My Nan was a Seamstress for Singer, and she made all of my clothes when I was a kid, and I feel somehow obligated to carry on that tradition somehow. 

Now, I'm NOWHERE as good as she ever was.  Granted. But, I'm determined not to give up.  Little projects here and there, and I will be on my way to not being so rusty, and not being so "afraid" of the machine.  Not that I'm afraid of the machine itself, but lets face it, it is a tad bit intimidating. My Mom wouldn't even go anywhere near it, unless it was to help fix it.  But, I have to say, I actually got her behind the wheel, so to say.  She actually used the machine to sew!  HA!  Ok, so it was only a small table cloth, but it was great!  And it was actually semi-straight, so props to her.  Isn't it great?

I have to honest and say, I wasn't exactly planning on a sewing project any time soon.  But, we were in JoAnn Fabric and Craft Stores, one day looking for yarn to match a project that was already in progress at the time, and they just so happened to have a lot of fabric half price.  There were so many adorable prints that we just loved!  I wanted to get some of them just for the heck of it, that's how cute they were, but that was just not going to happen.  Then my Mom pops out with oh I'd love some new shorts!  Of course, the dummy that I am replied, "OH? Well, I do have a pattern at home I could use.  And now would be a good time to get the fabric."  HA!  

Well, I got myself into it this time.  It wasn't so much they sewing that caused all of the nightmares, and the headaches, but the machine itself.  I'm telling you, if there was something to go wrong, it did.  Ok, I deserve it.  Really, I do.  I mean, I did let the poor thing sit, neglected, for well over a decade.  So, yes... it is my fault.  I am quite lucky she works at all.  We cleaned her up, gave her a bit of oil and a spray of air, and she was as good as new.  Well, a tab bit slow, but she worked all the same.

Once I got the machine itself going, then I had all of the smaller problems.  The nesting, where the thread was  gathering up in a ball when it sewed.  Or where the fabric getting stuck on the Feed Dogs.  Or the Needle getting stuck inside the bobbin.  Then I was having the issue with hemming.  Its one thing to have the person try them on so you can pin them up in the right place, but then you have to make sure they are straight and even.  Well... what a nightmare.  Yes, I know... I haven't done it in a long time.  I shouldn't let it get to me.  But, it did.  I think it took me like two whole days just on this part LOL.  After I finally got them straight, folding the fabric over to get the 1 inch hem was fairly easy.  It was sewing them up that I had some issues with.  I was completely fine then entire way around, until I got to the end, where I was going to join the stitches together where the fabric decides that its going to pucker up on me.  Go figure.  Right at the end.  

Oh well, the shorts hem got a bit of a dart in them LOL, but they are finished.  I think it was just the fabric.

I was even clever enough to make a tag for the back of the shorts, so you know which way to put them on, hehehheeee.  I'm good like that.  What do you think?  Did I do a good job?  Now I just need to figure out what to do for my next project!!

Happy Crafting, (and Sewing) from Homespun by Design,

Melisa