Construction

 

Sorry for the lack of updates this week! The weather here, like most of the country, has been pretty gross all week, so I haven't had much inspiration or opportunities for more photos. Instead, I've taken to the indoors and have decided to revel in my inheritance.

As some of you might know, my grandmother passed away suddenly early last fall. It was quite a shock, and we're still going through many of her things. She grew up during the Great Depression, and like many people from that generation, she had boxes upon boxes of just, stuff, packed away in her house. As you can imagine, it takes a while to sort all of it. My parents even found some tin type photos from the late 1800s in her basement! Pretty amazing, huh? Anyway, my grandfather generously passed on all of her sewing supplies to my mother, who then passed them on to me (since my old room is full of her own sewing supplies!!). 

When I was little, my mom used to sew a lot. In fact, she made a living sewing dresses for entire wedding parties, including the bride's gown. She even made mine! Naturally, when I was a kid, I helped her a lot...mostly by staying out of her way and not sticking myself with the pins, I suspect, but I know the basics of sewing from those years. It's been quite a while since I last had my hands on a machine (awhile = 9-10 years! eek!), but I'm hoping it's like riding a bicycle.

  

So, I borrowed some patterns from my mom and bought some fabric and sat down to sew. Now, my apartment is teeny tiny, so I don't have room for a sewing table. Above is my current setup-- all my crafty supplies on a low table with folding legs, straight from my undergraduate days. It's not bad so far, but it's a bit tricky to use the foot pedal this way!

When I bought the fabric, I also invested in a pair of left-handed scissors. I'm not sure if I've ever had a proper pair of lefty scissors. I've always had a huge problem using scissors, and my teachers in elementary school didn't really know what to do and of course didn't have lefty scissors, so they would usually just do any necessary cutting for me. It was the same way at home. So, I was really excited the other day when I found some lefty scissors made just for sewing! I came home and started cutting out a pattern, and realized.....

...I can't really use scissors. Talk about embarrassing. I guess all those scissor skill development years were lost on me! It took soooo long to cut out the darn thing, but it was really pretty funny. I'll just have to practice, I guess!

  

This thread was the bulk of the inheritance. Some of these guys are tiny wooden spools from the 1950s (in the right side of the picture). 

  

 Here are some of the fabrics I bought. Aren't they gorgeous? Prints have really come a long way from the cheesy ones I remember from the early 1990s. I'm planning to turn these into dresses and skirts. Providing I can maneuver the scissors well enough, that is! Do any of you make your own clothes? Any tips or tricks for a novice?

Lastly, I'd like to send a huge thank-you to Tieka of Selective Potential, who recently included me & K in her "Guy Behind the Camera" series. I'm flattered to be in such good company! I'm sure you've all seen her blog, but if for some reason you haven't, go pay her a visit! She is so sweet and stylish. Thanks, lady!! :)