You are Driving me Sew Crazy!

I was once told that sewing is just common sense.  God, I hope not.  If that's the case, then I am much more of an idiot than I originally thought.  Not only am I terrified by patterns (in all honesty, it's because I have no idea how to use them....  and they us a LOT of numbers.  Math scares me more than patterns), but sewing machines escape my grasp of reason.  I understand their purpose and I am sure that for most people they are a sewing blessing.  I, on the other hand, have found that ALL sewing machines bare a hidden contempt for me.  They refuse to work properly bunching the thread, the fabric, or the bobbin.  Most times, it's all three.  I received a sewing machine as gift years and years ago.  I sewed a baby rattle (horrible) and hemmed my ex husbands uniform pants (but not with the invisible stitch that is a function on my machine.  That was too complicated). The machine was then packed into it's box and stored in the nether regions of The Shed of No Return.  My awesome hubby dug it out for me for Christmas.  I told him I wanted my sewing machine, so he rearranged the whole shed just to find it.  What an awesome sweet Christmas present.  No money, just love.  I'd have been better off asking for the clothes I thought I was going to make.

I had delusions of starched, white pinafores down the fronts of amazingly ruffled dresses with tons of eyelet lace and smocking.  BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHd;lsdjgpekiykr;tj,u oirp6........   Sorry.  I fell over laughing there.  I live in my own little world sometimes and apparently reality doesn't agree with my little world's views.  My theory, if you can do it, so can I.  Someone has to make our clothes.  If you buy from mass retailers, chances are it's a 10 yr old in Hunan.  Apparently, I am not as smart as a 5 grader.  At least not a Chinese one.  I think it's a lot like the computer (oh, I'm afraid of those too), I don't know how it works, one mistake can destroy an expensive piece of equipment, and when it comes to the inner workings I have no clue.  They both have their own secret language that only the initiated are allowed to speak, but if you can't speak it, you aren't apt to get much help (ie: asking what makes the thread all loopy and thready will illicit a response more suitable for a brain damaged zombie.  *blink blink stare* *face palm*).  They are tricky and finicky and much more high demand than one would imagine.  After 2 days and all I got was this mess, I was ready to quit!!!

That my friends (loopy and thready...  seems accurate to me) is technically called Birds nesting.  Who the heck would've thought?  That's the underside of my seam.  Awesome right?  Totally rad.  But from every failure comes a lesson.  I now consider myself an expert at ripping seams and pulling threads.  EXPERT!  I went through two full bobbins and 95% of a spool of thread.  I'm simply trying to upcycle.  Baby Booter LOVES Hello Kitty and I found an old pair of her favorite shorts with Hello Kitty on them.  I was trying to turn them into a pocket book for her.  Cute idea.  Apparently my sewing machine does NOT want my Booter to have this as a pocket book.  At least not a lined one.  I finally got that blasted contraption of craft making spite to work to the point that I have the whole "bag" assembled, but it will not let me put in the liner or the straps.  I don't know.  I put that project aside, hoping it was just the fabric, and will come back to it when I am denim ready.

Am I glad I did.  I was right! (Holy Crap!)  It was the fabric.... and the machine.  It's always part fault of the machine.  I did all I was supposed to do.  Thread machine, catch bottom thread, pull thread out back of machine, place fabric, lower foot, press pedal, try to sew in straight line.  Done, simple, not so much (My mom's machine did the same thing to me growing up, so I am truly pretty sure it's a mass conspiracy between the machines).  But I was going to sew SOMETHING!  Booters pocket book was supposed to be my easy project to break me into actual clothes.  That didn't work.  So clothes will will have to break me in themselves.

I decided to make a skirt as a gift for a dear friend's daughter.  She's turning 7 and her birthday party is this Saturday.  I am in one of those dilemmas where if we go, we can't afford to buy a gift.  If we buy a gift we can't go.  Like needing to sell your car for gas money.  So I decided to make her some gifts (and pop a few bucks on some awesome goo balloons (the ones where you put goo on the end of a straw and blow them up!) from when we were kids.  I purchased some for my 2 and they were a hit... and CHEAP!).  One project I'm making is no sew and really a cheat.  All I have to do is cut out some fabric.  That's it.  I wanted to present more than goo balloons and strips of fabric.  So I was going to have to make that damned machine work (or else I was going to bring cereal...  and what 7 yr old wants cereal for their birthday?).  

I had elastic, fabric, and thread (I have a LOT of sewing stuff from sewing by hand, but it takes forever).  I knew with those three ingredients and the stubbornness of a mule I would be able to make something.  I decided the easiest thing would be a skirt.  It's not the fanciest skirt, but it's cute and practical.  I used my kiddos and their old clothes for the measurements and I can only hope it fits.  If not, I guess she'll grow into it.  :)  I only needed one side seam, a double hem, and a folded casing for the elastic waist band.  I made it out of vintage Popples (remember them?) material.  It truly is not the cutest skirt in the world.  I am sure I will get better with time.  But both of my girls want one of these skirts now (Good thing I have exactly enough fabric left to do so (mom thinks ahead)), so I am sure Little Miss Birthday Girl will like it.  At least I hope so.

 Finished skirt

And a random bit of helpful information.  Tweezers are a sewing kit must have when using a machine.  I untangled thread from my tension arm thingy, saved having to re-thread my bobbin and machine about a million times, and it helps to pull out sewn in end threads.  I used my tweezers as much as my scissors last night.  Who'd have known.  Best part though, I made this whole skirt (including ironing EVERYTHING (Did you know you had to iron to sew?  I didn't)) in a little less than an hour.

With all this accomplishment (and failure) under my belt today's baby step is more of a challenge.  Not to sew (necessarily), but to find something that intimidates you and that you have tried and failed at repeatedly, something you want to do but are apprehensive to do so, and do it again.  Try it anyway.  Not only are you giving yourself the benefit of hard work and determination, you are showing it to those around you.  We're teaching by example.  And we're learning and showing adaptability.  Willingness to change and compromise.  Wonderful lessons in and of themselves.  Sometimes we have to change our approach to succeed.  It may not be the success we thought we would have, but most of the time it's actually better than we imagined.  And trust me, even a small success like a skirt is so much more satisfying when it's been so very challenging.  And so what if this isn't some rocking turn of the century pinafore emblazoned mass of ruffles..... it is a thoughtful gift made with love and hard work given from the heart.  I also now know that I can clothe me and my kiddos (from the waist down...  and hubby either has to go naked or be a cross dresser.  I think I'll work on pants next.  LOL) and that this is the first small step in a huge line off successes to come.  Who knows, maybe I'll be able to sew those fancy shmancy dresses by the time I have grand kids.  ;)

Today I wish you perseverance.