First attempt at sewing.

Not all my fabrics arrived before the weekend, but I had two to start with, so I decided to spend some of Sunday making stuff.

I had a bumpy start: it turned out I didn’t remember that well how to operate the sewing machine, so I used a mixture of my sister’s precious advice and some YouTube tutorials to figure things out. After an hour or so of struggling, I was ready to go.

My first project was a cushion cover. I chose a beautiful skull and rose print cotton fabric by Michael Miller, and if you’re anything like me and into all sorts of dark and spooky stuff, you should check out his stuff, as some of it is incredible.

I’d made a cushion cover before, but this one was more of a challenge, as it featured a zipper. This was undoubtedly the hardest part, and it took me a while to figure out where to pin the blasted thing, as well as three attempts to get the hang of the actual sewing, but I finally managed to fix it in place. Shame I didn’t know the zipper should be a bit shorter than the edge of the cushion cover. Oh well, you live and learn.

If you want to make one, too, this tutorial is a good place to start. Overall, I’m quite pleased with the end result and I’m planning to make more covers like this one to give my living room a bit of a fresh look.

Pretty, isn’t it?

The second thing I made today was a folding tote bag, made of another piece of Michael Miller quilting cotton, with a lovely bat print. I spotted it on this blog (which, BTW, is amazing) and, although it looked quite complicated for a total beginner, the instructions are very clear and if you follow them, you’ll end up with a great bag which folds into a neat little package, very handy for any unexpected shopping you pick up on your way home. I haven’t had the chance to test it yet, but it seems pretty strong and sturdy, so it should last you a while.

Love the gravestone button, too!

I’m thinking of making a makeup bag soon, and I’ll be using the leftovers of any fabrics I use to make a patchwork bedspread. I never thought I’d say that, but I’m starting to like this whole sewing thing!

My new toy

So, as of Sunday, I am a proud owner of a sewing machine, inherited from my sister. Incredible as she is, she spent some time with me teaching me the basics, and it turned out I’m not a completely hopeless case. I managed to sew my first ever cushion case and I must say I’m very proud of myself. Until very recently, I didn’t know I had it in me.

Sometimes, I like to be wrong.

I went a bit crazy on eBay and bought some fabrics with spooky prints, as well as zippers and snaps and all. I hope to get it all delivered before the weekend so I can practice my new skills.

And speaking of skills, check out Sew Crafty Designs, my sister’s newly opened Etsy store, selling unique, hand-made clothes for kids (and, on special request, for adults, too). The fabrics she uses are super soft, and the styles really, really comfy. I hope I can be as good as her one day!