My Sewing Projects--So Far

So I'm finally doing a post on all my sewing projects! Yay! Yes, I'm still addicted--the excitement of it has not yet faded. It's something I can do without a lot of walking around--and right now, walking around pretty much sucks.

I remember the first time I tried to sew something. I was a kid and wanted to make Barbie clothes. I found a needle and thread (my sister Nicki showed me how to thread it) and would basically wrap the material around the doll and sew it on every which way. At some point, my mom noticed that I was interested in sewing. So she took me aside and showed me a few things--how to do a hem, how to gather, basically, how to make a skirt. I still remember the little pink skirt we made together with the pink ruffle on the bottom.

After that I'd make other Barbie clothes, but of course they sucked. But then, making Barbie clothes, especially the top, isn't really easy. I was so excited in 7th grade when we took Home Ec, and I already knew how to do a few things on the sewing machine. I don't think I took a sewing class again until my Senior year, and then I remember making a dress and some rice frogs and stuff. After that, I only used the sewing machine to make rice frogs occasionally--I remember making one for my husband when we first met. And one time Trevor and I made a cloak for his Halloween costume. I also made the skirts for my ballroom team the first year I taught it--they were simple circle skirts and easy to make, but a pain to cut out. But someone else made the boys' shirts and the sashes.

Why I never persued sewing more, when clearly I was interested at such a young age, is beyond me. I remember telling people "I don't sew because it makes me swear." But I've now realized that, although it still might make me swear occasionally, it helps to use a good sewing machine. My mom's machine is 40 years old and totally thrashed.

So now, if you've been following my blog, you know that I got together with my sister Nicki in April and made the bedding for my twins. That just got me going. So we bought me a sewing machine for my birthday. We made the quilts for our twins, and I made a valance and a table cloth as well--you can see that on my earlier post. From there, I've done a few other projects as well--and that's what I want to share in this post!

The first project I tackled really highlights how very little I knew about sewing. I still have a ton to learn, but now I can look at the pattern of this little baby dress and understand that I was WAY over my head with this one. Still, I DID finish it. But whether little Ripley will ever wear it remains to be seen. It has SO many problems. I wanted to use the leftover material from their bedding, and I used most of it to make this dress. But I sure which I'd waited until I had a firmer grasp on what I was doing! I don't think I can get more of this material--I bought it online. Anyway, I am going to make a similar one for Scarlett using HER leftover material, and it will be interesting to see how much easier it is the second time around. But I just haven't done it yet.

My next project was quite a bit easier, and I should have started with it! I chose a pattern that didn't have sleeves or collar but was very simple. I liked the first one I made so much that I made a second one! Only--I forgot the lesson I learned to ALWAYS prewash the fabric, so the second one (black) shrunk a little and doesn't fit her as well. Afton wears these two outfits all the time! Once you get to her size, it's a lot harder to find stuff for her at Kid to Kid, and I HATE buying new stuff too much--so expensive! (not that making her these two outfits was ANY cheaper, but at least I got to pick the fabric!) Anyway, I'm glad I have a couple of summer outfits for her to wear!

Next, I made this little yellow dress, from the same pattern that I used above. It was quite a bit harder than the first two. I love that about sewing though--each pattern I do teaches me something new that I didn't know how to do. And reading and understanding a pattern is the HARDEST part! But I've also learned to utilize Youtube. If there's something I don't get--like this pattern called for bias tape and I wasn't sure what it was for--I just type it into youtube and watch a video of how to do it. Very helpful! Trevor picked the material for this. I was afraid it was too bright but now I just love it! She looks so cute running around in it, though I wish I'd used this cute sunflower ribbon I found instead of rick-rack. Rick-rack always looks so--70's. And homemade. I mean, have you EVER seen an outfit in a store that uses rick-rack?

Trevor and I collaborated once again and decided to make drapes for Afton's room, in an attempt to get her to sleep longer in the mornings, instead of getting up at 6:30. This, by the way, TOTALLY WORKED. She sleeps till 9:00  most of the time now! Anyway, I must say I'm not overly thrilled with how this one turned out. I mean, they are sturdy and well made, and we used blackout material on the back so it really does block the sun very well. But it's just WAY too much green. The material is leftover from the twins room, and there IS a green highlight in Afton's room, but it's just too much. But I don't really care. They work.

Next, I decided to sew some curtains for the french doors in my kitchen. These french doors lead out to the TUMOR. The Tumor is an "add-on" room that a previous owner built--and built very badly.  If you don't believe me, observe Exhibit A:

Anyway, we haven't removed it because we are afraid the state of the siding underneath is really bad, so we aren't going to attempt it until we are prepared to replace the siding. The door that leads to the tumor has these large glass windows, and since we store pretty much all our crap in the tumor, people can see this the minute they walk in the front door. For 2 1/2 years I've been wanting to buy or make some curtains for those doors, but never have. Now I found it ridiculously easy! We bought the material at Joanne's on sale for about $30, and then the rods at Wal-mart. I managed to finish them in only a few hours, and only needed Trevor's help to cut the material. (Crawling around on the floor is NOT my forte in my present overly-pregnant state.) And of course, he installed the rods.
I think they turned out quite nice, and the effect on the room is quite startling. It's amazing how different a room can feel with new curtains!

And now my latest project. This I finished today. I love this little dress! But unfortunately Afton can't wear it yet because it's way too big. She's in that weird size right now where some 2T's are too small, and some 3T's are too big. I made this as a 3T and it drowns her. So we'll have to wait to see it on her!

Ok, this was a WAY long post with WAY too much detail that you don't really care about. But oh well. I'm pregnant, ornery, and totally bored. So there.