Attempting Domesticity

I am a very organized person.  I generally keep a clean house, not crazy lick the walls clean, but clean.  However, I do not consider myself domestic.  I suck at doing laundry.  I don't know how to broil, frost a cake, bake bread, clean blinds, etc.  Now that I am currently on leave from my job I feel like I need to take advantage of this time and learn some new skills.

I have always wanted to learn how to sew. My mom sewed a little when I was younger and I have two aunts who are accomplished seamstresses (one even made my wedding dress), yet somehow the only sewing I ever learned was the blanket stitch to make a sit-upon when I was in girl scouts. I have an amazing and talented cousin, Casey, who has become my inspiration.  She is a stay at home mom and is always sewing.  She just whips stuff out as she needs it.  Kids need new pajamas? Done.  Nothing to wear to church in a few hours? Just quickly sew a new skirt.  I love how she is always re-purposing materials.

A couple of weeks ago Dave's Aunt Marti emailed all the "kids" to see if anyone was interested in an old sewing machine.  I decided to seize the opportunity and responded immediately.  I am now the proud owner of a Singer Spartan 192K.  It is old, but works fine, and comes in a beautiful console that allows me to conceal the machine or unfold the console and have a full sewing table.  It lacks fun features, but it's a start. 

As luck would have it, while attending the PhinneyWood monthly art walk Dave noticed that one of the galleries offers classes in sewing and other crafting skills.  I decided to take the plunge and sign up.  I figured that if I paid up front, it would make me learn how to sew versus just always saying "someday."  Through the wonders of Google, I also found a woman nearby who will come to your house and give you lessons.  She has her own blog, soundstitches.wordpress.com.

Last week the Sound Stitches lady came over during naptime.  She walked me through the basics of what I would need to purchase and explained some of the simpler concepts of sewing.  I went out the next night and purchased every item on the list.  This past Saturday I went to the intro to sewing class at Assemble Gallery.  I was the only one who signed up so I got a one on one lesson.  I can't believe how much fun I had or how much I learned.  It reminded me why I went into teaching--I love learning.  It's been so long since I have tried to tackle a completely new skill.

After lots of practice with learning to thread the machine, I made my very own coffee cup cozy.

Upon completing my cozy, I felt like a whole new world was opening up to me.  I felt energized.  I realized I could apply the pattern concept of the cozy to make a blanket for Linus.  I have been wanting to get him some sort of quilt to keep him warm now that the temperatures are cooling.  I just haven't seen anything I like at a price I am willing to pay. 

I decided to embrace this new energy and headed to the fabric store with kids in tow to buy materials.  I wanted to use jersey material because I wanted something flexible and cozy.  Linus saw this firetruck pattern with hydrants and fire dogs and  ladders and it was love at first sight.  It wasn't quite what I was envisioning, but oh well.

 Linus also decided he needed a mask.  Suddenly feeling crafty, I also purchased a square of felt and some elastic.  In five minutes, Linus had his own mask.  I was on a roll.  I called my sister and asked to borrow her sewing machine because I didn't think my machine would do jersey material well and it can't do a zig zag stitch.   Two and a half hours after the kids went to bed, I had made my own blanket.

It's not perfect.  There's some bunching on the side (not as bad as the picture makes it look).  I'm glad I had all that one on one instruction yesterday because it really let me problem solve as I went.  I can't wait to give the blanket to Linus when he wakes up.

On Wednesday I have another lesson with the woman from Sound Stitches.  She is going to help me make a skirt for Eileen.  I plan to make another one on my own afterwards.  Here are the fabrics I plan to use.

I am very excited to be unlocking some of the mystery of sewing.  I am already signed up to take another class at Assemble Gallery.  Once I get sewing under my belt a little more, I am hoping to take some cooking/baking classes.  If I am going to try and do this stay at home mom thing, then by golly I am going to do it well!