Short
answer: a lot harder than it should have been but TA-DA!!!
three finished skirts
True,
I haven't sewn for myself since the kids were babies but there were
those few years when the grandgirls wanted to learn how to sew but at
least we were using patterns!
Last
Sunday I had cut the fabric for the first skirt, two lengths, one for
the front, one for the back, and the waistband so Monday I selected a
thread color from my accumulation, wound the bobbin and sewed up the
side seams only for some reason, the thread kept slipping off the
hookey-do that goes up and down while the machine is running. Grrr.
So frustrating having to stop periodically too damn often to untangle
the mess in the bobbin and I rethreaded that machine about a million
times but I finally got the skirt gathered, the waistband on, the
elastic in,
put it aside, and got skirt #2 cut and the side seams
done thinking I would have to take my machine back to the repair
place on Wednesday.
Tuesday
morning I decided I wanted pockets in my skirts so I examined the
side pockets on a skirt I have, made a pattern, cut the fabric, tore
out part of the side seams, and wondered if the thread could possibly
be the problem and changed the thread which miraculously solved the
problem of it slipping off the hookey-do and it's been running fine
ever since. Yay! I threw the problematic spool away and then began
the days of if it could go wrong, it did. It took me three hours to
finally figure out the pockets and to get them sewn in involving
ripping out the stitching from prematurely sewing the two halves
together. Next I readied the waistband and ran the gathering stitches
on the two halves of the skirt and ran out of bobbin thread halfway
through one side. I quit for the day.
Wednesday
I finally got the gathering stitches in and started to gather the
front and for some reason there was a knot that the gathers just
would not go past. FINE. I'll just pull from the other side.
That worked so on to the back, gathers hit a knot grumble grumble,
pull from the other side and...hit a knot. Oh fer cryin' out loud!
And I quit for the day.
I
didn't sew on Thursday because other plans had been made but Friday I
finally got the skirt #2 finished after the third try
at getting the elastic in because stupidity and repeating the stupidity, and then started on skirt #3
which I
finished today with only two instances of torn out stitches.
Skirt
#1 has no pockets which I'm going to regret but am I going to take it
apart and add them? Hell, no. I'm going to add patch pockets. Tomorrow.
Honest to jehosephat, we have the same sewing machine. A Brother, with a hickey-do that goes up and down. For my variety of sewing, I wind a case full of bobbins at once. The last time I could not seat the effing bobbins properly, and rather than figure it out, I forged on. So, I have about two dozen sloppily and softly wound bobbins that cannot be gone too soon. Oh, and I saw the registration point the next day. Then, on the serger, a factory knot went by and I didn't see it and the thread broke. Fortunately, Singer has dummy proof threading schematics color coded right in the machine, and my biggest problem was finding a flash light to illuminate the eye of the needle.
ReplyDeleteYour skirts are bootiful! Don't let Maggie see them. Or August.
Haha! Yeah- don't let Maggie or August see them!
ReplyDeleteYour sewing adventures sound very much like mine. "Oh, this is going to be a breeze..."
Right. Where is that damn seam ripper?
I threw out a spool of threat after I started August's dress. And unwound the bobbin I'd wound and threw that thread away too. Thread definitely has a use-by date. It rots.
Honestly though, those skirts are lovely. They're going to be perfect for this summer. Hurray for perseverance!
Sewing the pockets in pants used to drive me crazy, but they're necessary. I'm thinking of elastic waist shorts since I don't seem to be able to buy them anymore, and most shorts are too short anyway.
ReplyDeletelast summer my grandgirl's friend wanted to learn how to sew so we made shorts with side pockets where the front was scooped out in a curve shape. even with instructions it took me forever to figure those out.
DeleteThese skirts look great and congratulations for persisting.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was struggling with a slightly different craft-realted task recently, my daughter watched me for a couple of hours and then asked in disbelief "why don't you first check if there's a youtube video expaining it all?". These young whippersnappers!
well, what's the fun in that?! besides, just makes us dumb, not using our brains to figure out a problem.
DeleteI think that is why I avoid sewing. I have a perfectly nice Huskvarna, but remember the days using my mom's old machine and dread creeps up on me. Waiting to see you model the skirts. Lengths are important and I am curious why you chose several.
ReplyDeletethe length of the skirts depended on how much fabric I had but the shortest one is about mid-calf. I prefer long skirts so I don't have to worry about showing my behind when I bend over.
DeleteI was traumatized by a skirt gathered onto a waistband in 8th grade home ec. You have my admiration.
ReplyDeleteI love your skirts! I sewed some this weekend - by hand. Just repairing a rip in a blanket. It was VERY ANNOYING & I kept stabbing my finger (oh THAT's what thimbles are for!). But satisfying.
ReplyDeletelovely to see finished. When I first saw the small pic I thought she must be making curtains LOLI don't even have thread, I came close the other day. I lent my kit to someone and it never returned
ReplyDeletewell, after all of that you have three lovely skirts that are just right! I have not sewn for a very long time, my machine hates me- I am about ready to chuck it...you have inspired me though, so maybe...I know the mess I will create...Anyway, well done, YOU!
ReplyDeleteIt can only get easier with practice but how many skirts does one woman need? I have two summer skirts, no more, and even these two I never wear. Trousers is my go-to apparel.
ReplyDeleteWell done, though, for not giving up. I’d have thrown everything out after the second mishap.
well, yes, three is more than I need but what else was I going to do with the fabric? my go-to is also pants or shorts. these are mostly for lounging around the house on hot summer days when you don't want anything touching you.
DeleteYou and I sew exactly the same way. Loudly.
ReplyDelete