Post #11 So turns out I am not particularly patient (Hobby No. 1)

So I did only a couple sewing projects over the past month. The first one being my very first circle skirt, which turned out alright for a first project. Next I tackled sewing a full dress, complete with sleeves, which also turned out alright. I have a lot of progress to make before Halloween.

My first circle skirt. 

I started by cutting out a pattern from some package wrapping paper. I chose to make my skirt 24" long to ensure that it would reach my knees. I used my pattern on the folded fabric, and cut out a half circle. I repeated that process twice, and it resulted in two half circles. The picture below was after I sewed the two pieces together. 

 After hemming all the edges on the bottom of the skirt I started to tackle to waist. I decided to put in a zipper, which I pulled from another dress that didn't fit very well. After frankenstein-ing the zipper in, I decided I needed a waistband. Using the same fabric I used for the straps on my New Years Eve dress, I made a waistband that was about two inches thick, and attached that. My last step was to add a couple eye hooks to close the waistband. And voila! My first circle skirt.

Please disregard the cat, Hatter is obsessed with the bathroom (other cat owners can commiserate, I am sure).

 

It ended up fitting better after the first wash, although I should extend my ironing skills to the pre-wear time. Heck, my ironing skills need work too, I burned myself while working on this skirt.

Amount Spent: ~$17

My first dress

To be honest, I sewed this dress last night because I knew I was going to be posting this blog today. I started by using my circle skirt pattern to cut the skirt, but this time I folded the fabric so I ended up with one piece instead of the two I cut out for the first skirt. 

I then used one of my existing dresses to cut out the bodice, and finally I used some sleeves that I had from another hack job that I used for my sleeve pattern. I am kind of impressed with myself.

When walking into Joann's to buy the fabric, I didn't realize I was going to end up with Syracuse colors, oh well (Go 'Cuse!). What was good about this project is that I got to play with different stitched and different materials. FYI: The knit fabric I chose was so slick, it was kind of hard to work with. I will have to keep that in mind for my next outfit. 

Amount Spent: ~$25

As I mentioned in my title, as I was sewing last night I realized that I am a "measure once, cut once, sew once" kind of person. I don't take extra time to make sure everything is the way it should be. This is something I need to work on. Luckily, both my hobbies are situated where I am able to practice patience. I am not sure what my next sewing project will be, probably my dress for the Third Annual Tea Party. I do know that April's post will be beach-y!

Post #7 Introduction to Sewing (Hobby No. 1)

Blog post 1.2 of 2017, my first stitch fix. 

Outline:
1) Introduction to my Sewing Machine
2) Altering my NYE dress

So this was my big Christmas gift this year. I am so excited. I am hoping to change my sporadic sewing into a real hobby. So far I have completed one project, but I am getting ahead of myself. This is the Singer Simple 3221 sewing machine. It is a simple little thing. Does about 12-15 stitched and includes a button hole foot, which is pretty awesome.

I was able to set it up pretty easily. I had two big issues when starting. 1) setting up the bottom thread, but now that I was able to get it it is easy. 2) starting to sew, turns out having the tension set at 4 is too high, I moved it down to 2 and now it's okay.

The first project I did was sew some straps for my NYE dress.





NYE Dress - Stitch Fix #1

Before - fat arms

Before - as high as I could lift my arm

So I got this dress at Francesca's on New Year's Eve eve (December 30th) because the dress I had bought from Lord & Taylor on December 27th wasn't going to be delivered in time (womp womp). But lemonade out of lemons. This dress was cute and fit me well, except for one huge issue, my arms. It was a structured off the shoulder dress, and my upper arms are fat, and did not look good at all. Not to mention I could not even lift my arms past my waist, there go my killer dance moves. But, as I stood there in the dress, knowing it wasn't going to work, and my sister saying how cute it was otherwise, I thought about what might happen if I tucked in the straps (I did that with the halter straps on my prom dress, why shouldn't I be able to do that with this one?). Well that didn't work 100% but it did give my sister and I the idea that I could alter the dress myself after purchasing it. So, I psyched myself up with a pep talk (You can do this, you are crafty enough!), and I bought it (plus another dress that I didn't have to alter).
So I got home that evening, and after doing some quick hand stitching on my sister's gala outfit, I set to work on my dress.

First Step was to take some really unflattering pictures of how bad the structured off the shoulder sleeves looked on me. I mean, if I stood a certain way and didn't move at all, it didn't look too bad, but I was going to a Gala, where I was going to dance, drink, and socialize with friends & strangers, I needed the ability to move.

Step 1.5: Setting up my sewing machine. I wanted to use my new favorite toy to help me with this project to I took the time to wind my bobbin and tread my upper and lower threads.

Second Step: I needed to psych myself up again, because the second step was the hardest. I needed to CUT the dress I just paid money for, and not thrift store money, (but not Lord & Taylor money either, it was <$40), but still. So I did it, I cut the straps.

Third Step involved me securing the remnants of the sleeves. I was going to do a quick straight stitch on the end of the cut strap with my sewing machine, but I failed miserably at my first sewing attempt (caused by having the tension set too high - see above). So instead of risking the dress I decided to hand sew the remnants into place. Repeat for all four areas that had remnants. One good thing about hand sewing this part is that I was able to keep the stitches in the black of the dress pattern so you couldn't see where I had stitched.

Step 3.5: Run to Joann's Fabrics to get fabric to make into straps because after cutting the straps off this dress it turned out that strapless was not going to work.

After - looks so much better

Fourth Step had me using my sewing machine correctly and I made straps!! Albeit they are slightly uneven, but hey, they worked.

After - right before the gala

Fifth Step, hand sew straps into place - breaking a pin in the process...

Overall I am very pleased with it:





I had a great time at the Gala, and it was a good start to my 2017.
I had planned to add a second project I am working on, but this post was already a bit wordy so I will have to save that for my February Stitch Fix post.

Let me add this; January projects -
~ My first Circle Skirt
~ lengthening a dress
~ shortening a dress