Sewing Lessons

Hello!  I've been up to my ears in cleaning, organizing, and teaching.  Woo!  You would think that my house would be completely organized and cleaned after all the time I've spent on Pinterest in those areas, but alas, pinning does not complete the job.  In real life, however, I have managed to purge some things, and I am hopeful that in our next move in the way far off future will not involve an over packed 26 foot truck and then some.  But who am I kidding?!  For every item that goes out, we probably replace it with two more.  Isn't that how it goes?

Bella has started sewing lessons.  I should have taken a picture yesterday when she was actually bathed, dressed, and had her hair done!  That has become a struggle with my girls in these lingering wintery/springish days, getting them out of pajamas.  Because if they aren't leaving the house, what is the point?!  How can I argue with that when it really boils down to less laundry for me?  Truly, I do make them get dressed most days, though.

Back to sewing lessons....  I have searched high and low in the world of internet, and finally found some children's sewing lessons, all laid out, that tell me exactly what to teach her.  My favorite, and what we are generally following, can be found at A Jennuine Life. We are both enjoying the pace and the ease of her lessons in a series called "Tiny Sewists."  We have only just begun, but I foresee both of us learning much from this series, since I can only sew a straight line!

Have any of you picked up your sewing lately?  I am contemplating trying a pattern for a summer tank dress.  It doesn't seem too complicated, and there are no frilly stitches, so we shall see! 

So Scary!

This thing scares me.

I've had this exact machine for 11 years.  I've made a set of curtain panels, a pillow, less than 5 baby blankets, and repaired the velcro and elastic on a dozen cloth diapers.  In 11 years. 

ELEVEN years!

I'm not sure what I was thinking, but I thought it might be a good idea last week to try to find someone who could give me a couple lessons.  Apparently, sewing is becoming a lost art, because I could find only one person, whom I know, in the metro area who would consider it, and our time schedules did not work out.  My friend over at A Romantic Porch volunteered to help as much as possible, but our geographical locations do not lend themselves to making that possibility easy, seeing as how she is in Indiana, and I, in Kansas.

(I realize that there are classes offered at nearly every local craft store.  That involves actually finding a sitter, of whom my list is VERY short, and paying money that I don't have for both the class and the sitter!)

And so I then thought it would be a super idea to announce to everyone in Facebook and Instagram worlds that I would be teaching myself to sew.  Using a book.  On a machine that I've been scared of for 11 years.

Here is the book I've had for about 4 of those years....

The Sew Everything Workshop

This is one of the many books out there now that teach step by step, everything you need to know, from material type to working your machine, and then walks you through using patterns.

My first project is pretty simple, it doesn't even have a pattern!  I'm attempting to make making a reversible bag with a pocket.

I worked on it most of the day yesterday.  I got SO much done on it!  All I have left to do is to use the sewing machine!  LOL