My Sewing Corner

So how many garments have I made so far in 2014?  None.  I have been busy.  Plus, I have been putting together my sewing corner, with the help of my sweet husband.  With my new interest and love of sewing, I wanted to have a dedicated sewing space, that wasn't the dining room table.

So I searched the internet far and wide to find a sewing table that suited my needs.  We don't have enough rooms in the house for me to have a sewing room.  But we found a sweet corner in the playroom/bonus room that will serve me very well.  And I found a perfect table that can open and shut to protect my sewing items from current and future small children alike.

I will still be using the dining room table for cutting out patterns, at least for now.  My plan is to get a folding table and bed risers, which will then become my cutting table.  Space is an issue so finding space saving solutions (like a cutting table that can be stored in the playroom closet) is essential.

So, here is the evolution of my Sewing Corner, complete with artwork created by Chris as a Christmas gift.

My sewing table - put together by Chris with hardware assistance provided by yours truly.

Oscar helped too.

As you can see, it is a totally awesome table!  I bought the little lamp from Walmart because I really liked the pop of color that it added to the corner.  Which is what inspired my next two design choices.

My Sewing Corner!

The art Chris created was perfect, colorful and really inspired the entire design. (I watch A LOT of HGTV.)  I decided to boost up the color value by spray painting the frame.  I also purchased a spool rack at Walmart to hang on the wall.  I decided to spray paint that too in an effort to make the whole corner stand out.  I have to say I am really proud of how great the whole space looks.  In a sea of toddler toys, this little corner is devoted to me and my creative pursuits.

After the remaining decorative elements were added. 

Sewing machine ready to go!

One thing I plan to add very soon is a soft sewing machine cover. I will either make it myself or purchase one from Etsy.

So stay tuned.  Now that my sewing corner is ready, I plan to tackle another winter skirt.  Hopefully it will be done by the end of next week.

An Exciting Announcement for 2014

Happy New Year! Raise your hand if you thought this post was my big announcement telling you about Susan's upcoming brother or sister? I bet it was a least half of you, maybe more.

No, no guys.  That is not the big news for 2014.  Susan's future bro or sis will not be arriving in 2014 unless something very unplanned happens.

The big news?  I know you must be on pins and needles at this point so I will tell you.  Remember when I posted that I had learned to sew?  Well, I recently started following a blog called Goodbye Valentino.  In 2011, this lady decided she would make her own clothes for a year.  And she did it! 

So on December 1, 2013, she issued an invitation - the Ready-to-Wear Fast 2014.  This means everyone who signs up must commit to no store-bought clothes for a year and will agree to make all their own clothes.

Guess who one of the 200 participants is?  ME!  I am so excited.  A lot of the participants have discussed being nervous but I'm not.  Do you know how many clothes I bought for myself in 2013 prior to signing up for the Fast?  None.  Zip.  Zero.  So, I figure everything that I make in 2014 will be exciting, new and a bonus to my wardrobe.  Now, I did go shopping on December 27.  I bought a few new tops and shirts, including a few things for spring.  So maybe I am a little nervous. 

I am really excited about the challenge.  I can't wait to see how my sewing skills improve over the next year.  There is no garment amount requirement, which I like, because then there is no pressure.  I am not very fast yet, so if there was a requirement to make a certain amount of clothes by the end of next year, I am not sure I could do it.  My goal is to make two new garments a month.  Which is actually a lot when you consider the labor that goes into it.  Plus, I am planning to sew a few things for Susan, so some months I may not make as much for me as I would like.

So I hope you will all encourage me as I do this.  I am not really afraid of dresses, skirts or blouses.  But I am currently very afraid of pants and anything that involves buttons.  So I resolve to make a few garments that include those things by the end of the year.

WTPD

Soon, I will share a post detailing what exactly it is I do for a living - Appellate Defending.  I am not a public defender, although we are closely related and our clients are the same people, just at different stages in their case.  But I don't feel like writing that post today.  Instead, I will share one of my favorite Tumblr blogs with you so that you can enjoy a good laugh today.  And maybe learn a little bit about those of us on this side of justice.

So here is What the Public Defender - the life of a 20-something PD trying to navigate the justice system without killing anyone.

Enjoy and Happy Friday!

Learning to Sew

So if any of you follow me on Pinterest (which I know a lot of you do), you have probably noticed that while most of you are pinning adorable Christmas decorations, recipes and crafts, I have been pinning sewing tips, sewing blogs, sewing tutorials and sewing pattern wish lists.

I have always wanted to sew.  My mom can sew.  She learned in the 7th grade and then re-taught herself when she was living the fabulous single gal life in D.C. after grad school.  Sometimes we would sew together as a I got older.  In middle school, I really wanted some new skirts. We went to Hancocks, picked out a pattern, fabrics and other tools.  When we got home, we sat in the basement and cut out the pattern size and sewed together.  It was a lot of fun.  

So fast forward a few years, and I asked for a sewing machine for my birthday.  Its a basic machine but it does everything I want it to do.  

 

The Brother LX2500 and my newest best friend!

 And I signed up for a Basic Sewing course at the local community college.  And I LOVE IT!  I am having a so much fun.  Our instructor, Ms. Edna, is so old-school.  We learned about pattern selection, pattern layout, pattern alterations.  It's an 8 week class and we are making a dress.  This dress to be exact.  I am making the scoop neck with quarter length sleeves.  Stay tuned for its debut in a few weeks.

 

 But I wanted to go ahead and get started.  I am having so much fun but I didn't have the patience to wait until the end of of my class to spread my wings and sew on my own.

So, on Veterans Day, I bought a Sew Simple Apron pattern, fabric from the remnant bin and went to work.  I was pretty pleased with the results.   Before I did anything, I watched a ton of videos from Professor Pincushion to work up my confidence.  I had never even thread my bobbin before.  But I did it, from start to finish.  

I learned valuable lessons.  I am happy with the way my first project turned out.  I messed up on the rick rack a lot bit but overall, it was great.  And fun.

Ta Da!

Now I am working on this skirt.  I love the shape of it.  I think it is a great winter skirt.  I hope to finish it by Friday.

I really love the design!

 I want to keep sewing.  The biggest challenge is making it affordable and economical.  To do that, you have to buy your fabric when its on sale, and a build up a stash.  You might not use it right away, but just wait for it.  Its also important to buy your other supplies while on sale. And never overlook Walmart.

So stay tuned. I'll be sharing a lot of projects.

A New Day...

You all know that I blogged with Chris on A Thin Red Line.  But I have decided to step back and share this blog instead.  There are a lot of things that interest me beyond being one of Susan’s parents.  Like my new adventures in sewing.  Or working as a lawyer on behalf of convicted felons.  And if you know me at all, you’ll understand the title of the blog as another main interest of mine. I wear many hats all day long and this is my new space to share.  Enjoy!