Sew...I Have a New Hobby

Man, I hate puns, but even I couldn’t resist that one, for some reason. A little less than a week ago, I bought a sewing machine!

I’ve never sewn with a sewing machine before. My mom never had a sewing machine, and the only time I’ve actually seen a sewing machine in use was when a tailor was making a blouse for my sari. Really, I don’t know anything about sewing.

However, I am in love with the idea of being able to make random things, and maybe someday, even clothes, exactly the way I want them to be. I nearly always have the design for the exact dress or shirt that I want floating around in my mind, but it’s a rare joy when I actually find what I’ve been dreaming of in a real store. I had been mulling over the idea of taking up sewing for a while, and finally decided that I would get a sewing machine as a graduation gift.

 Still, it will be a very long time before I get up to sewing anything quite as exciting as dresses. This week I’ve been reading the owner’s manual for my sewing machine and studying books I got from the library to learn what I can about basic sewing. Learning from others' mistakes, I decided to pick a first project that would be nearly impossible to mess up. I also wanted something that I would actually use, so that my effort and excitement in using my new toy wouldn’t be wasted, so I decided to make square pillows for my couch.

They turned out great! After that I was a little more adventurous, and using a bunch of fabric I already had from hand-sewn clothing alterations, I made a scarf based on the tutorial found here at Tea Rose Home. This was a little harder because there were more pieces to sew together, but it was still just a lot of straight lines to stitch.

 

I don’t actually wear scarves, and it’s the wrong season for them, but I love the colors and the mixing of patterns in this one, so I might actually be wearing this come Fall.

So far, I’ve learned that it’s a good thing I have a lot of experience at ironing because apparently you have to use your iron all the time in sewing. I’ve also learned that the rotary cutter I have is not my friend. That’s been my most challenging tool to work with so far. I may have to be a little more gentle with it and see if I can win its love during the course of many projects to come!