My First Project

I’ve been absent from the blogosphere.  Sorry ‘bout that.  No excuses.  I’m just stating the obvious.

While I was gone, I attempted my first ‘real’ sewing project.  I say “real” because, in my opinion, cloth napkins should be considered practice and not a real project.

I found this project over at A Girl and a Glue Gun.  I’m not sure how I found it, but it looked like it was easy enough for a beginner to try, and I’ve been looking for an easy apron pattern.  Thanks to my friend Beth, I now have an actual pattern for 6 different styles of aprons.  I’ve not attempted those yet.  Baby steps to sewing projects!

Here is my first real project…..

I had some old jeans that I can’t wear anymore.  We won’t discuss WHY I can’t wear them!!  And I picked out some cute fabric from the store.

Cut off a pant leg, NOT like this, and then cut it up the middle so you can open it up.

Cut a crescent-like shape out of the pants (not sure which end works best here). 

 

Now you have something that looks like it could become an apron very easily!

Next, pin the strips of fabric along all the edges, using SAFETY PINS, since you may not own any straight pins. 

    

Spend 2-3 hours sewing, removing stitches, sewing, untangling the bobbin, sewing, removing stitches, and sewing until you the strips of fabric don’t fall off the denim. I watched some Hulu TV while I sewed into the night.

This is what my final product looks like from afar. 

Not bad….

Let’s take a closer look, shall we?

This is what I’m most proud of.  The square 'reinforcements’.  My sewing savvy friend Beth told me about this, and I think it looks great.

At first glance, that pocket looks good.  But at closer inspection, you see that I sewed so far inside the pocket, that the edges all stick up.  I didn’t know if my machine would sew through the edge of the pocket or not.  I didn’t want to mess with the ‘oops, I broke the needle’ scenario at midnight last night.

Now for my edges and corners.  HUH???  How do you finish these things???  This is the part I have to learn about yet.  I’m not sure how to make my edges and corners look finished. 

This was my first one.  Oh, it’s so bad!

I would say, overall this project was fun, and I like the end result.  I have a lot of learning to do, but at least now I know what questions to ask.  I’ll be having sewing parties* at my place this summer – bring your machine and let’s make something!!

    

*ok, so I’m not REALLY scheduling any sewing parties, but if you’re close by and like to help struggling beginners learn how to sew, come on over! I’ll provide the entertainment (my 1 year old) and you provide the knowledge.