Sew Many Projects, Sew Little Time

I sew.
And Mamaw didn't live to see it.

Yes, I have one of those "grew up watching my grandmother sew, and later became hooked myself ..." stories. (it's ubiquitous, same as, "I've been taking ballet since I was 5 years old ...")

I haunt all the blogs; "The Sewing Divas", "Gorgeous Things", "BeSewStylish", "Pattern Review" and other sites that post wonderful examples of their 'art' - because even making a nice fitting blouse IS an art. Great sources of inspiration.

So for my first picture post of my own projects, I'll post what I made today;




It's the top in Simplicity Pattern # 4273


(the hem isn't that messy - it's the way it's hanging. No, really.)

It was fairly easy to make. I say "fairly" because I'm a beginner and everything is difficult at this point. Mamaw could've made it in a couple of hours. It took me most of this Sunday.

Here's a tote bag I made my cousin a couple of weeks ago;


It's the LazyGirl "With Love" pattern - free on the lazygirl.com website.

I have a ton of that dragonfly fabric. It's also going on a rocking chair I'm re-upholstering.
When I figure out how to re-upholster.

Here's a shawl I made myself out of some of that super cuddly fleece;


It was a 'no-sew' project. Fleece it great that way. I just marked out the dimensions and cut.

I love the peach color. I also made a fringed scarf from the left over fabric.

Mamaw always had a designated 'sewing room' in the house. She'd set up her sewing machine, her cutting table, hang thread boards, - and plug in a TV set so she could watch her 'stories' while she sewed.

In the house on the Bay, the sewing room was in the lowest level of their big split level house. Papaw called it the 'basement' - but it had windows at ground level and Mamaw could look out over the Bay -and the canal at the side of the house. It was a pretty, cluttered, messy, sunny room and I loved it. She did too except when one hurricane pushed the Bay up so high it flooded the 'basement' and ruined just about everything in the room.

As I got older, she'd insist that I keep her company while she worked, showing me how to lay out the pattern on the fabric, how to cut it properly. Then as I got older it was my job to cut out the pattern, arrange it on the fabric, pin it, and cut the fabric. (that's how I got hooked for a while on 'All my Children' and 'General Hospital'). I don't remember that she ever insisted that I sew a garment to completion. I'd sew a straight seam, maybe.

Now I wish she had, and I wish I'd spent more time with her in that sewing room.
Isn't that always the case? Another ubiquitous story.