Monday, July 29, 2013

Adventures in Sewing #1 - a cushion cover

I recently decided that I needed to find a hobby that didn't involve food...or specifically eating. And whilst the Balcony Garden gets me off the couch there is really only so much I can do on a tiny balcony each weekend. After you get the planting out of the way (which takes just an hour or so) you just...wait, and water. That's it.

I've been inspired to try my hand at sewing, after reading a few sewing blogs and becoming inspired by Sew Amy Sew who is only just learning to sew herself and is already turning out some lovely garments.



So (or Sew) I took myself off to a beginners sewing class at Tessuti which was very good + covered lots of basics.  But I wanted MORE. I wanted to make something other than straight lines on bits of scrap fabrics.  After scouring the internet I found a cute little sewing workshop and creative space in Chippendale called Sew Make Create.


Before the class started I took myself off to Lincraft to try and find some fabric for my cushion cover. Holy world of ugly Batman! That place is SCARY + a total messy schamozzle! I decided to try my luck at Spotlight...I know there are plenty of nice places in Sydney selling fabric but some of them aren't cheap and most of them are not in Western Sydney and I'm too lazy to venture far on the weekend. I was in luck though and found some really nice fabric...made in Japan which is where most of the lovely fabric at Spotlight seems to come from.


At our first 2 hour beginners class at Sew Make Create we learned about the machine, what bits go where, and then spent some time sewing straight and wiggly lines on paper -- just to get the "feel of sewing". This was really useful. Then it was time to thread the machine up and practice with real thread on real fabric. I'm happy to report that nothing went too badly for me and our teacher Melissa had infinite amounts of patience and I think it helped us all that the class was small - only four or five people each time.


Next class it's time to whip out my lovely Japanese fabric under the watchful eye of shopdog, Pepper who spent a lot of time supervising us in-between naps + (loudly) snoring. Pepper has her own Instagram account and she leads a lovely life of shopdog leisure...lucky dog. I really enjoyed having Pepper in the class - patting a puppy when sewing gets a bit stressful is VERY therapeutic.


And here it is, my finished cushion. I'm so proud of this little baby! I learned how to cut out a pattern, sew straight lines, pivot the needle, sew button holes using the machine and do a zig-zag stitch to stop the fabric edges fraying (and in between patting Pepper the shopdog). Nice one Miss Piggy!



Sew, tell me dear reader (LOL, I LOVE saying that)...do you sew? Who taught you or did you teach yourself?

25 comments:

  1. my mum cant sew at all so i have never been exposed to sewing but i can hem up things without them coming undone before i walk out the door!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Love the cushion Mel - looks great. My mum and my high school attempted to teach me how to sew...not very successfully I might add. Looking forward to working out how to do it properly.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah, I want to do it "properly"...I need to get started at home though.

      Delete
  3. Your cushion is so cute, the buttons make it extra charming. Alas I don't sew very well, but luckily the husband is great at making curtains and hemming trousers.

    ReplyDelete
  4. This class was such a great idea! I haven't been to Sew Make Create yet but I've been planning a visit. Great fabric choice, I love it. So proud of you, can't wait to see what's next ;)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's a cute place - I'm sure you'll enjoy the creative space.

      Delete
  5. Wow I'm impressed, the cushion looks great! The fabric is really nice too

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aww, thanks! I love the fabric too - wish I'd bought more.

      Delete
  6. Hmmmm... I might have to try this sewing this.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's fun - and it's not eating BUT you could eat whilst sewing I guess.

      Delete
  7. HAHA love your pun :P I tend to do a bit of sewing here and there to fix things up but nothing major. The cushion looks super cute!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I can't fix things either...a bit of darning maybe, but that's it. I can sew on buttons...that's it.

      Delete
  8. Wow that looks brilliant! I need a hobby other than eating as well...

    ReplyDelete
  9. My mum made us lots of clothes as kids (including skivvy's for school!) - clever - I've dabbled in it but never made clothing - I want to learn to sew properly because I just can't find anything that I like to wear sometimes. I've got lots of ideas maybe I should look at doing a course and getting the machine out - I'm sure my mum hasn't used it for a while. Great job on the cushion. I love the buttons across the middle.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I love classes, I'm learning a lot (which is good as I don't have anyone to teach me how to sew). I like the idea of being able to make things I like that fit my body.

      Delete
  10. My mum actually sews as a profession so I've always kind of been exposed to it, though I don't do it as often as I should. I've got about 3 sorts of industrial sewing machines at home. And I have to say, because I'm short and somewhat stumpy, all the clothes that I buy need to be altered. Cue mum to the rescue :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh wow, you could learn so much from your mum! Maybe I could borrow her?

      Delete
  11. Good on you for picking up another hobby! My mum only knows how to sew a straight line on the sewing machine, so I had to learn everything on my own (ie. Youtube and online tutorials, which are a godsend!). I'm definitely no seamstress, but I've sewn a couple of projects including clothes. My favorite is definitely the circle skirt.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I've found a few circle skirt tutorials online, but I've just bought a pattern as I couldn't get my head around the circle skirt maths.

      Delete
  12. What a fun hobby to start up on and so practical! I would love to learn how to sew.. I did a couple of classes in high school but I'm afraid I've forgotten pretty much all of it haha. Love that beautiful cushion you created at the end, very nice!!

    ReplyDelete
  13. omg, i am late but i only just found out about this cushion through your latest sewing post. I LOVE IT! Really love your choice of pattern, esp the yellow contrast againt the deep navy blue! would def pay money for it!!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Umm that looks AWESOME! I want one or two. I will place orders with ya now.

    That dog is hilarious.

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for leaving your comment!

You Might Also Like:

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
Free Blog Template by June Lily