Still Getting Started

I had mentioned this jacket that I made in my previous blog, so I made my daughter model it for me.  I still love it! 

I have not started the socks; too many things going on this week.


I thought it would be interesting to talk about the many resources available for anyone starting to sew.  I am a book person.  When I started to sew I went to the bookstore and spent lots of time looking for books.  Some turned out to be very pretty but completely useless.  I have been sewing for awhile now and I still pull out my books for clarification or to finish something differently.  A pattern will use a term that I have forgotten, or sometimes I know there is an easier way to do something.  There are tons of reasons to have reference books around.


Two of my favorite books that I use all the time are The Complete Book of Sewing:A Practical Step by Step Guide to Every Technique and the other is Simplicity's Simply the Best Sewing Book.  It is a great idea before you start to sew to read your pattern and look up any sewing terms you do not know.  For myself, I had no idea what understitching was and found it very difficult to follow the pattern directions.  I learned how to understitch from a book.  another great source of information is the internet.  There is a lot of information on blogs and websites on sewing.  You can l, earn almost anything from tutorials.  If you have a specific question, there are many sites devoted to sewing that can help.  If you find yourself at the fabric store, as I often do, you can ask for help from the people at or around the fabric cutting counter. People who sew are always willing to help and everyone loves to know what you are making!

Here we go!

I am excited to begin this blog.  I just might learn something about myself in this whole process.  I am a stay at home mom.  I have two great kids and a super husband.  I am busy with family, obligations and all the normal day to day things we all have going on in our lives.  I try to do things for myself and one of those things over the years has been sewing.  I started to sew after my daughter was born.  Looking back I did not know what I was doing, but kids clothes are great and very forgiving.  I don't think my daughter cared if one armhole was uneven or if the collars didn't line up evenly.  Fast forward a few years and now I can make myself a pair of pants with a zipper in them. I also realized that sewing is not to save money.  Sewing may have been economical in a past age, but not anymore.  Sewing can be expensive.  If you are going to make something, it should be something that you cannot buy. I think my most recent favorite thing I made was a toille jacket for mysef and a similar one for my daughter.  The material choice was unexpected and I put some great piping on both jackets.  They turned out so cute.  I think I may make another in a different color.
 
 For the purpose of this blog, though, I thought I would start with a project I had planned for the fall.  I bought some fleece to make sock inserts for all of our rain boots.  After purchasing a pattern, I bought fleece for myself, my daughter and my son.  Whenever I start to make something, it is usually a given that my daughter wants to know if I am making it for her. So, I usually buy extra fabric just in case I need to make something else.  The socks look pretty easy. Lets hope they are simple to make.
To get myself organized,  I always make a pocket file folder to keep the pattern in becasue I can never fold the pattern back up and get it in those small envelopes.  I never cut the pattern because most patterns are multisize patterns and if you cut it you cannot use it for a different size..  Use tracing paper and copy the pattern onto it and then cut the pattern out.  Make sure to label your pieces carefully and transfer all the markings on the pattern.  You don't want to have to get the pattern back out for a marking you forgot to transfer. I am doing socks in three sizes so I have three separate plastic bags for the patterns pieces with the fabric after everything is cut out.  I like to do patterns and then cutting and then placing everthing into a resealable plastic bag.  I have a box in my sewing room where I keep my projects and I try not to have more than four going at any time.
Everything is ready to go for the socks now, but I need to clean up my sewing room before I can get started.  I am looking forward to making some socks.  Fleece socks for everyone!