I often fantasize about all the sewing I would like to do in my lifetime. I think of the cute skirts, adorable bags, and reconstructed clothing I could make. The biggest problem? I hate sewing. Or, at least I convince myself that I hate sewing. The thing is, sewing requires the seamstress (or seamster) to be tied to that blasted machine. You can't take sewing on the plane with you. You can't throw it in your bag when you are on your way out for the day. You can't take it to the cafe with you. If you are going to sew, you are stuck at home cutting out patterns & fabric, stitching, or troubleshooting what is wrong with your machine at the moment. This attitude has resulted in several partially finished projects crowding my TV room/den/studio.
But when the sewing bug strikes, it can be quite productive. This weekend I was able to knock out four sewing projects and get close with one more. It all started out with a glam purse for cute Ms. Emily's birthday:
When I literally missed the boat to Jenica's birthday celebration on Angel Island, I decided to take the opportunity to finish my part of the book purse project we started last fall. Because it had been so long since I had worked on it I couldn't even find several of the pieces we had cut out. Thankfully, there was plenty of fabric so I cut out some more. All that remains is for the innards to be glued to the book cover. It will look something like this when it is finished:
Inspired by these victories, I dug up the pieces of some work out pants that I cut out the pieces for 14 months ago. In about 90 minutes, I sewed the pants together, inserted the elastic, and hemmed them up. I know they are crazy electric blue velour, but they cost $6 to make. Take that, Juicy Couture! I took them for a test run to the gym on Sunday morning:
I took a break to catch up on blogs and spied this cute top on SouleMama's blog. Since I didn't have the pattern, I couldn't whip one up before heading out to Emily's birthday party. Instead I took this dress that long ago became too short & too tight for a woman my age to wear:
And turned it into this:
You can see project five in the background of that shot. I was able to sew down the waist facing, but I still need to hem it. But this has taught me that unfinished sewing projects are a totally different animal from unfinished knitting projects. A critical mass of sewing UFOs presents a great opportunity for mass finishing. Now to start some more projects and leave them unfinished!
Do you remember that I got a new sewing machine for my birthday? In OCTOBER? I haven't used it yet. And I LOVE the idea of sewing, and I have so many plans for cute things, clothes, things for the house, and I'm going to take up quilting... shut up, I am too! (Sigh.)
Posted by: alison | March 21, 2006 at 10:15 PM
Ooo, you are just so damn crafty woman! I really like that dress-now-shirt. It looks very cute on you. And that bag is another great gift.
Are we ever going to knitalong again? :)
Posted by: Rachel | March 21, 2006 at 11:14 PM
This post reminds me that I really need to get around to learning how to sew.
Posted by: Alexa | March 22, 2006 at 03:00 PM
I have a machine sitting in a box somewhere. I think I need to drag it out. I'm inspired by your little sewing foray!
Posted by: Gina | March 23, 2006 at 07:49 AM
WOW!! Hey!! Like!! A stitch in time saves having a big hole in your trousers!! Dudess, I went walking down the lane the other day, with my butt hanging outta my shorts! I'd snagged them on a nail climbing on some barbed wire (escaping from a donkey that had took a shine to me) and didn't even notice until a cop pulled me over.
Thankfully, he had a sewing kit in his glove box, and we mended them together. At first I was shy and didn't want to take them off, but he told me I'd get a ticket for indecent exposure, so I hopped in the back, and whipped them off, and he sewed them there and then.
I LOVE sewing!! It stops me going to court!! Keep knitting (but try sewing)
Binky Loves You
XXXXX
Posted by: binky snootz | March 23, 2006 at 08:14 AM
That top idea is fantastic! My ass is now way too big for some things, but sadly my boobs never pulled their own weight and kept up so I have dresses where the tops fit, but the bottoms do but maybe shouldn't be worn or just flat out don't.
Posted by: Angela | March 23, 2006 at 11:52 AM
I used to sew a little (and badly) back in college, and I kind of wish I had a sewing machine now so I could make, like you said, cute skirts and bags and things. But do I really need another hobby? I haven't touched my spinning in months (partly because I'm protesting my lack of a wheel). But your projects are so cute now I want one again!!
Posted by: HibiscuitsGirl | March 29, 2006 at 10:13 AM
You are an artiste (please pronounce with a French accent) with knitting and sewing needles.
Now on to Lost......OMG!!!!! Did you see it? What is going on and who exactly is Henry Gale???
Posted by: Bonnie | March 30, 2006 at 06:07 AM