dianaschnuth

This was only the second garment I’ve ever sewn (with the first being my Kujiun cosplay skirt from back in ’05… Oh, and also not counting t-shirt surgery attempts). Even though it was very much a learning experience, I’ve gotta say that I’m damn proud of myself for having made something wearable that my son and I both love.

This project was my first attempt at sewing knits, and my first time using my walking (aka even feed) foot. After website after sewing website assured me that knits were nothing to be afraid of, I figured that I’d tackle them early on in my sewing journey, so I wouldn’t have a chance to hype it up and get all weird about it.

Materials:

• dark green knit: back of an oversized travel t-shirt I’d saved for a future t-shirt quilt
• light green knit with graphic: This shirt that I bought from Threadless back in November 2006 (Incidentally, I paid $10 for this Mens XL tee back then, plus $5.50 shipping. I could get a replacement today in Girly 2X for $22.50 plus $5.75 shipping — and that’s on sale.)
• olive green thread in the Singer Stylist 476
• white thread in the Singer Tiny Serger
• even feed/walking foot
• iron and ironing board
• parchment paper (for my DIY pattern)
• fabric pencil
• rotary cutter
• NEW self-healing cutting mat (woo!)
• lots of pins and my pincushion
• seam ripper

I learned so much this time. Yes, that means I made lots of little mistakes, but I’m not consciously trying to spin it in a positive light. I’m genuinely glad that I learned these things by doing.

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My second (non-plushie) post-pincushion sewing project was this envelope pillow with piping. I made a lot fewer mistakes on this one, and the finished product looks pretty classy — classy enough that I’m OK with the fact that my son is only kind of meh about the pillow, so it lives on the couch instead of in his bedroom.  Continue reading →

Last year, before I really got interested in sewing, my son asked me to make him a mega-mushroom stuffie. I explained to him that I really wasn’t that skilled yet, and that I didn’t have that much fabric to work with — all I really had was some leftovers from my first (and only) cosplay, plus some attempts at cute fleece anime hats and other randomness.

Instead of a giant mega-mushroom, I convinced him to let me hand-sew him a little blue mushroom — the kind that makes Mario into a little flea in New Super Mario Bros.

Connor loved his new fleece-and-felt mushroom, and named him Blue-White.

That was a year and a half ago. Now that I’ve gotten back into sewing, Connor asked me if I could finally make him that mega-mushroom he asked for so long ago. Luckily, he was OK with Mega being only a little bigger than Blue-White, so I was able to use some more fabric scraps — this time, the back half of an old yellow t-shirt and some red remnants I bought off of eBay, along with an old peach-colored woven fabric scrap — instead of taking my son on a Joann’s trip.

Of course, everything for a six-year-old has to be done NOW, so this project got done in a morning and part of an afternoon.

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After my successful pincushion project, my next venture was a pillowcase for my son’s travel-sized pillow  I’d gotten some cartoon fabric remnants at a good price on eBay, so I used one that I knew Connor would like, but that wouldn’t kill me if I ruined it: Mickey Mouse.

Luckily, The Seasoned Homemaker’s tutorial on making an envelope pillow with French seams was well-worded with helpful photos, so I only messed up a couple of times (and those were minor and easily hidden).

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Yesterday, after four long weeks, I finally got my sewing machine back from the shop. It got a long-needed tune-up, plus a few new parts and a new foot pedal. My Singer 476 is now working as good as new (I assume — it was a wedding present to my late mother-in-law in the early 1970’s).

Since I know I need some remedial sewing skills before I can make anything remotely fancy, I’ve set myself some basic projects to teach myself the easy stuff first. Today’s project: a pillow-style pincushion.

Things I learned today:

• How to thread my machine: mainly, to make sure it’s threaded properly so I can set the tension
• Which one of the bobbins in my sewing box does not, in fact, go with my machine
• Where the sweet spot on my new foot pedal is
• How and when to slow down before pivoting a corner

Yeah, I know that a teeny tiny stuffed pillow isn’t much of a project… but I’m pretty damn proud of myself, anyway.

Next project: an envelope pillowcase for my son’s old toddler-sized (aka travel-sized) pillow.

Eventually, I’m hoping to be able to tailor my clothes and my son’s — within reason, like adding pockets and darts and making shirts skinnier — and make some clothing and home decor items. I have lots of ideas for things I want to learn and to try.

I feel a little silly, being so stoked about something simple like four straight-stitched lines… but everybody’s got to start somewhere.