learning to fly...with a sewing machine
an awesome woman by the name of cinnamon gave me sewing lessons for a christmas present. and i’m not talking a sewing class at vogue fabrics. the woman herself, as busy as she is, offered to teach someone who has never touched a sewing machine in her life how to make a skirt. admittedly, i’m pretty crafty and enjoy working with my hands, but i was a bit daunted by the fabric cutting, zipper installation, and the seam ripper (which is now my best friend). regardless, i was up for the challenge. moreso, i was up for the possibility of becoming more adept at a new skill and having clothes construction be a viable platform for explanding my own wardrobe.
shortly after the holidays, cinnamon picked me up in sparky the hybrid, drove me to the south side for fabric shopping and a late lunch at manny’s.
the first fabric store was sterile, intimidating, and needless to say, we didn’t buy anything. then we headed over to vogue where ladies of all ages were lingering over different bolts of fabric, rooting through the piles, trying to find that perfect texture, perfect color. hell, that’s what we were doing.
vogue kept us occupied for nearly an hour, methinks. but having never shopped for fabric, i didn’t know what i wanted, what i needed, what would be best for a first-timer. cinnamon guided me through everything. the creative aspects, the details, the requirements. she was a trooper for dealing with my novice ass.
the process of skirt-making is pretty boring in written terms, but the actuality of it fascinates me. something about the minutiae of anything triggers a portion of my brain that should be tapped more often. the time flew by, and i could physically see a wearable object start to form.
i’m neglecting to report fully on the zipper wrangling and the ripping of said seams three times. all of which were a result of not putting the foot down on the sewing machine. tangled thread, stitches not completed—you better believe i’ll never forget that step again. nor will i sew the pattern panels together backwards. another simple oversight.
so skirt #1 is finished and ready to wear. skirt #2 has begun and it will have some other features. i’m ready to learn pocket installation and perhaps trimming. and skirt #3 is probably a ways off yet, but that one will be equally cute. because i can only get better, right?
project runway, here i come…er, not…