“Learn To Sew”

“Learn to Sew”, this pattern boasts. While it was simple enough I often wonder how a true beginner would do with patterns like this. Patterns like this make me think about my beginning days of sewing clothes.

It actually has some things that I would think would be difficult for the person trying to learn to sew. At least they would have been to me back then. What I can say is the directions are pretty thorough, so perhaps they’d be alright but, let’s get to the sew!

The pieces are simple and few. Elizabeth said she would like this skirt so I picked out this purple polka dot fabric for it. Purple is her favorite color.

Working on the pockets.

The pattern front boasts that this pattern will teach you how to “apply trim”. So of course I had to add some to the pockets, and rick-rack is an all time favorite trim of mine!

Sewing on the waist band. Once the waist band was attached I ran elastic through it. After a quick hem the skirt was complete. I always use a seam gauge when I hem, then iron it in place, then sew.

Going back to thinking about my beginning days of sewing, there are some projects that I distinctly remember struggling on. I remember the first time I put darts into a dress, and how I had to read the directions over and over to make sure I was doing it right. Putting in a zipper seemed nearly impossible to get right! Shoot, I remember sitting in front of my first machine, while baby Mia took a nap, and trying to figure out how to thread the bobbin!

I was so intimidated by the thought of making clothes. I thought that everything I made looked terrible and obviously home made, and not in a good way. I kept at it though. Now, I would rather wear home made clothes. I know that the seams are going to hold, and things are going to be the right size and fit. How many times have you bought something only to discover that it has a hole in the seam, or that it is cut crooked so it twists. This has happened to me, a lot!

No twists or unfinished seams for this skirt!

Here is Elizabeth out shopping in her new purple skirt! She does love an outfit with pockets, who doesn’t!

Out and about with her niece, Alice, and of course, Alice’s teddy bear.

Alice didn’t care that her Auntie was trying to take a picture, she had something to investigate on that sidewalk!

Years ago I had a little fabric store. Blink and you missed it. It didn’t do well, and I had to close it, but it was a great experience and lots of fun while it lasted. Elizabeth would go to my store every weekend to sort and arrange my fabric. She couldn’t sew but she loved coordinating fabrics and seeing what could be made with my scraps. I quilted a lot back then.

I had an extra sewing machine, showed her how to use it, and she’s been sewing ever since! If I’m the person who sews the most in the family, Elizabeth is a close second!

Elizabeth likes to make quilts, but more specifically, she likes to paper piece. She made this amazing “Alice In Wonderland” quilt. She likes to use up scrap and make something out of nothing.

Her skirt held up all day, of course, while shopping and site seeing.

And more importantly, it held up while chasing Alice down the pier!

Nobody knows what they’re doing when they start trying to learn something new. The difference between people who become good at something, and people who aren’t is that the people who are good at it kept at it. Whatever it is in life that you want to do, you have to be determined enough to keep at it, especially when it gets hard. It’s during the hard part that you learn.

So whatever you do today, and whatever level you’re on, keep at it! A little bit at a time is better than giving up!

As for me, onto the next!