**Sew With Jamie-Beginners Sewing Project, Part 1**
Hello Steemians! Welcome to today's blog about my first beginners sewing project. I would like to start this blog off by mentioning that I am not an expert in sewing, in fact in today's blog I won't be teaching you anything. Rather I will be taking you on my journey as a beginner in this craft. If you read my last blog I shared my new sewing set up in my new home with my husband @rakkasan84. Since then I have stocked my desk with all my sewing and crafting gear and I'm getting ready to rock with getting this project started.
This is my Kenmore 15202 model sewing machine. This particular sewing machine is very special to me because it once belonged to my grandfather, and now I finally have the opportunity to use it. This model is a great machine for me because it has everything I need to complete my projects but is still basic enough for a beginner like myself.
Growing up I watched my grandmother sewing all of the time. There was nothing she couldn't make and even though I never showed much interest at the time, I always admired that about her. Such a skill and talent that isn't heavily seen in my generation. I would like to change that, because one thing that is important to us is sustainability. Which leads me into my first project. Around our house we have cut out our consumption of paper towels in exchange for washable reusable cloth towels. I'd like to see that start snowballing into other things. In my experience in swapping for sustainable alternatives for personal hygiene and home care it has saved us so much money and time in the long run. However I know that with a little bit of effort and creativity I can create these things at home myself and gain a greater sense of satisfaction.
I'm armed with my crafting bible for this sewing mission. Better known as the Encyclopedia of Sewing and Fabric Crafts by none other than Martha Stewart. Yes that's right! No shame in my game, I love that woman. In the book it comes with 150 projects from A-Z, and I have marked a dozen projects to get started with. This book is loaded with a ton of information and comes with a CD to print at home patterns and templates.
My first project is selfishly inspired, though I do get to make my hubby something with the spare fabric so over all its a win win. We stopped by Hobby Lobby and picked up the fabric for my project since I'm confident I have everything else I need to get going. Because we want the best for our skin and our health we do our best to make cotton our fabric of choice for all of our needs, so we grabbed four and half yards of cotton flannel and cotton jersey. For my personal use I plan to make washable reusable cotton rounds to remove makeup, nail polish, etc. and with the remaining fabric I will be making handkerchiefs for my husband. These are easy beginners projects and I am looking forward to sharing the final outcome in my Part 2.
Before I get started I have the fabric washing. It is a good practice to wash and dry your fabric before you start cutting and sewing. You want the fabric to go through its shrinking process prior starting (machine or hand wash and dry) so long as you do it. Once the fabric is clean of any residues and debris press it with an iron to get out any wrinkles for precision. Cotton is a simple fabric to care for, but if you are using another type of fabric it is best to wash it according to washing instructions so be on the look out for that. Don't worry about the shrinkage as it is minimal and any frayed edges will be cut away in the process.
If this is a project you may be interested in yourself and aren't quite sure how to start, I will link the blog where I found my inspiration from to create this. In this project you will only need six tools and should only take about 15-20 minutes with step by step instructions. I'm excited to see how many of you will want to try this for yourself and I hope that you share your results with me and the rest of the steemit family in the comments below.
If you enjoyed today's blog and are inspired to make your own sustainable goods please give it an up vote, and don't forget to hit the follow button to stay tuned for part 2 where I show you my end results and introduce you to my next project. Please be sure to leave a comment if you are a seasoned veteran to sewing, as any and all advice is welcome and appreciated. Until next time steemit family, take care!
DIY – Reusable Cotton Rounds
https://mabewithlove.wordpress.com/2013/11/13/diy-reusable-cotton-rounds/
I'm very excited for you to start your sewing projects! We found some really nice fabric at Hobby Lobby :) @originalworks
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I just have the basic sewing skills from Home Economics classes. I still remember most of the the stuff they taught. Any and all tips or hints will be much appreciated!
Thanks for your comment. Any helpful information I come across in my practice I will be happy to share :-) take care!
I am looking forward to your posts. I have not sat down to a sewing machine in almost 40 years. I am sure that there are a lot of new shortcuts and ideas out there now. I feel that I need to do some more sewing here on the homestead.
It has been a good minute since I have used one too, but I'm telling myself it's just like riding a bike lol I'm glad to see you feel the need to do some sewing yourself. Thanks for stopping by, I'll be sure to keep you updated.
Thanks.
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Ohh, I can't wait to see your posts. I'm a novice as well. I have the best of intentions. We'll see how it ends up. I'm off-grid, so I have to run a generator to use my machine and a light bright enough to see by. I use that as an excuse to keep pushing my projects further down the list.
I can understand your need to conserve energy. How long have you been off the grid for? Glad to know you have a machine, you never know ;-) it could happen. Thanks for stopping by and commenting.
Just six years. I love it. There are trade offs to any chosen lifestyle, but I really would do it all over again.
How wonderful, I am very jealous. We hope to be completely off grid some day. Would love to have solar power, and an hand pump for the water. Glad to know that it was worth it.
It the dead of Summer, solar is no issue, as there are so many hours of sunlight (I an even run a full size frig). As the days get shorter, so does my energy. I live in the middle of the woods, so I have an even shorter window of sunlight before the shade over takes the panels. There are always solutions, they just usually involve money, haha.
I love this idea! I quilt but I've never thought of making reusable items really. We have some that we use around the house, like cloth napkins, but I didn't make them. Making makeup removers is a great idea. I'm going to keep watching your posts for part 2!
Awesome! Quilting is one of my many goals. I'm so glad to read your comment :-) please feel free to drop any advise my way as you see fit
I took a class to learn how to sew. I have been sharing my quilts on Mondays on my blog. Before taking the class, I didn't really know how to sew at all and to quilt, you really only need to be able to sew a straight line at first. :) We just moved yesterday, and once I get settled, I'm going to start back up on my sewing. Can't wait. I don't have much time to do it, but it's fun!
That is wonderful! I made sure to follow you so I can check it out. Thank you for sharing your craft with all of us.
That reminds me. I clicked on yours yesterday because it was about sewing. Do you know if there is a group or discord group about crafting or sewing? I have seen quite a few things that would work well in it... I know there is steemiteducation, etc. but didn't know if you've heard of one or crafting/sewing.
I just started the other day on the discord chat. I am unsure if they have such a category at this time but I am most happy to find out. If they don't they most certainly should :-) I think we can do something about that
I just started the other day as well. I can't really figure out how to find other groups in there and I have asked around some but no one really knows. :) Would love to help get one going!
Cool, next time you are on there send me a message. My husband is on there and knows a lot about it so far. I've been told that if you have any questions that the bots are very helpful. It would be a really fun project and two minds are better than one.
it's so cool that you can do this, as a fashion enthusiast i adore people that can sew
I do too! In fact it was Project Runway that really ignited the spark for me to take sewing seriously, I am so excited to get started. thanks for your comment, Welcome to the family!
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@crosheille has made an initiative here on Steemit to spread needlework art and get it displayed. Sewing, knitting and crocheting seems to have become a lost art, that is until Steemit. There are quite a few crafters that still love these arts. A group of us share our needlework creations every Monday using the tag #NeedleworkMonday. We share ideas, tips, patterns and techniques while encouraging and inspiring one another. Any art involving a needle is welcome! You can post new projects that you are working on or archived projects that you have pictures of. We would love for you to join us on Mondays and post under the tag so everyone can find your work. It has gotten pretty popular these past few months and more crafters are starting to share. We hope you check it out :) Thanks for your time~
Thank you for the information and invitation. I have followed both of you and look forward to checking it out. It sounds like the motivation I need to get back on track with projects.
Fanatastic, @jamiekensell! We look forward to your posts on #NeedleworkMonday. If I could trouble you with a favor, I'd appreciate it..we are running an art contest for the group, and artists are actively posting their group logo samples. May I please ask you to look at their art and vote for your favorite #NeedleworkMonday logo? (Not asking for a post upvote, just the one artist you like the best. Thanks for considering! https://steemit.com/contest/@crystalize/contest-create-a-group-logo-win-4-sbd