Sewing for Beginners

Growing up in the 80s, my mother often made much of my wardrobe; frilly dresses with princess sleeves, jumpers, frocks and aprons, occasionally with matching pieces for my dolls. She tried to engage me in this, teaching me to sew pieces for my Barbies. However, I was never a patient child. As a teenager, mother was always involved with sewing my costume pieces for the many plays I was in. Occasionally I'd help out by sewing on star-shaped sequins or tassles (and always involving myself in the shopping process). She purchased a small Singer machine for me, which I promptly broke (and lost pieces to). From that point on, I abandoned sewing, utilizing my best friend for the minor repairs I needed.

One of my goals for the summer has been to improve my sewing skills, and build myself a wardrobe of comfortable, well-fitting, and personalized garments. I have a machine, a stash of fabrics and threads, and patterns. Recently I broke the bank at Jo-Ann's fabrics, with a pattern sale and mass fabric sale. I came home with two handfuls of patterns, over a dozen yards of fabric, and miscellaneous notions. Today, I finish my first skirt, a sailor-inspired chambray skirt with yellow stitching and contrast bias, along with vintage-styled wooden buttons.