I love Simplicity

So, a few weeks ago, I decided to really sit down and learn how to sew. I have made several attempts in the past, but they never panned out. Mostly because I've had a long standing feud with my mother's sewing machine. I would try to sew with it and it would suck up my material and jam or wouldn't sew the stitches right. I would get frustrated. Then, my mother, who was trying to teach me would get frustrated, and finally we would both give up and set the machine and the project in a corner in digust.

Well, about a year or two ago now, I thought I would try it again. I would make pajama pants. I brought the machine home with me so I could work in the relative piece of my own home. I carefully read the manual and started again. It was an epic failure. I was so frustrated and thought it was just me. Actually, I blamed the sewing machine and convinced my husband that we needed a new one. He was game to buy one and we started looking.

My mom though, was actually a little hurt that we were rejecting her grandmother's machine and convinced me to just get it cleaned and tuned up instead. It cost about as much as a new machine to get the old one tuned up, but we did it. And it has worked wonderfully ever since. I am so delighted!! My husband has made a couple costume pieces with it now and I've used it for some random things that I just made up. Nothing big though.

That all changed during one of my many trips through Jo-Ann Fabrics. They got in a stock of Star Wars fabrics. What was I to do except make pajamas for my daughter for her birthday. So I picked some fabric and a pattern and went at it. I am delighted with the results!

I had a VERY rudimentary knowledge of reading patterns when I started this. My grandmother taught me to make a Halloween costume when I was 12 and I had made a couple skirts a few years ago. The Simplicity pattern instructions are SO easy to follow though. They walk you through everything nice and slowly with plenty of illustrations. There were still some things I didn't quite get, even after reading how to do it a few times, like collars, but the Youtube was a great resource when I would get completely lost.

I'm so excited now! I have a new sense of accomplishment and I'm feeling brave enough to try to make some clothes for me now. This should get interesting.