Sewing Class 101 (The Blind Leading the Blind)

Tonight, Marissa came to me and tells me she's bored.  I give her a few options including learning to use the sewing machine and she jumped at the chance.

I gave her a scrap of fabric, and explained the basics (not that I really know that much) and let her have fun. Once she got the hang of it, I gave her a jar of ribbon scraps and told her to have fun.

Eventually she moved up to a few larger pieces of fabric and really went to town.  She asked a few questions about the different stitches and played with them all.  She got creative with the ribbons too.  Not just randomly stitching them anywhere, she patterned them around the fabric. 

She stitched so much that she emptied the bobbin!  I told her we could take a ride this week to the nearest Jo-Ann's and look for fabric and maybe a sewing pattern to try out.  She's excited!  Maybe she'll learn enough to teach me!  LOL! 

I have a not so secret desire to make a basic quilt one day but I have a feeling it wouldn't be a project I would finish.  One day. Who knows??

My First Sewing Project

Ever since I figured out my sewing machine, I realized I need wanted a pin cushion. I mentally made a note to buy one next time I went out.

I had promised Gianna we could go buy some more fabric for her to "design" some outfits for her American Girl dolls, so we went to Walmart. Ugh!! Hate that place, but it's the closest place that has any fabric. While I was there, I checked out the pin cushions only to find ugly ones. I decided to try Michaels the next time I went but found they have the same ugly pin cushions!

So after some Pinterest "research", I decided to make my own. I snuck some of the fabric Gianna and I bought and got to work.

It's by no means perfect but for my first fabric project I'm happy with it! And, ummm, of course it was going to be purple! ;)

Maybe I'll make curtains for my craft room yet!!

Stitch By Stitch

Last year for my birthday, two of my sisters got me a seeing machine after hearing me talk about one for a loooong time. I guess they got the hint....or just wanted to shut me up!

I tried it out a few times but never had any luck threading the darn thing. I thought I followed the directions but I would always have problems when I sewed something. I think the bobbin was a problem...I couldn't get it to work for the life of me. So I just stashed the machine away.

I would think about things I'd like to try with it from time to time, but never had it in me to try. Last night I was working on Project Life and needed to walk away to get a better perspective. Something made me pull out the machine and pull up some tutorials on you tube. I finally figured out what was wrong, and got it to stitch right! I had a scrap of fabric that I stitched to bits to make sure it was ok. Then I got down to business!

I trimmed down a page protector to 3x4, then stitched 3 sides together. I filled it with sequins, micro beads, tiny hearts and glitter then stitched the top closed. Success!!! I was so happy to finally get it to work and be able to use it!

I must admit to getting a little crazy (it was early morning hours by now) and I took a bunch of wash cloths from the girls bathroom and stitched them together...just 'cause I could. I can't wait to give it a try on paper! Nothing is safe from my machine now!! ;)