I’ve been trying to teach myself to sew (again), for a couple of years. This version of teaching myself is really more like getting “YouTube Certified.” It’s a LOT easier to figure things out when there is a searchable medium of help.
This is at least my third real attempt across a few decades. In my 20s, I made a few small/medium things, but most of them didn’t really take/last. In my 30s, I tried to make a simple top to wear to our Gayla; I ended up in the floor of the living room–surrounded by fabric scraps and pattern pieces–in a bawling fit of frustration. I later sold my Walmart Singer machine and all but the most essential/expensive tools that were easy to store.
The second winter we were up here, I was tired of being cold when we’d walk places. I wanted a “jacket for my legs.” I bought a new Brother machine, and the Skanket™ was born. It’s part skirt and part blanket. It’s a buffalo-check, fleece-lined flannel that I doubled over to be extra warm. I gave it a very stretchy elastic waist and velcro closures so it would still work with bulky winter sweaters. It’s 100% ridiculous and I 100% love it. I only wear it a few times a year, but it’s practically–if not aesthetically–wonderful; there is even a giant pocket for my phone.
There were stages:
- Idea: A wrap skirt with a detachable ruffle so I could make several and trade out the ruffle for whatever color I needed for that outfit.
- Alpha: Learning to make a wrap skirt. Learning to add pockets to the side seams
- Beta: Figuring out how to finish the ties and correct a mistake. Figuring out the best way to attach the inside part. Giving up on the idea of a detachable ruffle
- v1.0: I’m going to wear it like this for a little while. We won’t really have a winter this year, so I’ll enjoy the shorter version for a few months.
- (v2.0): Next fall or so, I’ll add the ruffle. That part is already done and only needs to be attached.
It makes me wish I could have spent more time with my dad’s mom. She could take one look at a photo of any garment and make it. She made some of the clothes I wore as a kid. She sewed every dress for at least one wedding. She was also my resource when I was a young child learning to crochet. And when she and her sister learned to knit, I got to jump on that bandwagon with them one summer. Her handmade xmas gifts were usually among my favorite ones. My machine is a lot quieter than hers was–and it runs with a lot less frequency, even when I’m actively sewing–but it sure conjures the fond memories I have of her.
