new things

Most of you probably know that my mom is a super talented seamstress.  And while I've made a few things, they've mostly contained straight lines.  And no pattern.  But I told Dustin that this was going to be the year that I learn to sew some form of clothing.

So I found the easiest pattern I could.  Patterns are supposed to make everything easier, did you know that?  It took me almost 3 hours to make a dress - 1 to cut everything out, 2ish to sew everything together.  For a first attempt, I'm totally happy.  But these are the things I forgot/learned:

• It turns out that all those years I spent watching my mom, I was just watching her hands.  I wasn't actually paying any attention to what she was doing
• I forgot to keep the fabric folded, therefore doubling my cutting time
• I was totally intimidated by piecing/interfacing a neck together, and since I didn't pay attention and doubled all my torso pieces (only needed one of each), I decided to skip the neck and just line the torso - this is actually better, in my opinion
• I saw all those triangles on the pattern, but couldn't remember if they meant to cut in or out...so I skipped them...turns out they're for lining pieces up together.  And you cut them out.  Always.
• I didn't cut nearly enough ticks in the neckline/arm holes, so while it worked out, the dress doesn't look really good unless I iron it.  Pfft.
• I had no idea how to baste the skirt to gather it, and after reading my 60yr old sewing machine manual, I totally fixed my tension problem!  It was super simple, I should be embarrassed that I didn't figure it out myself
• I'm still not so great with the straight lines.

So here it is.  I told my mom that it was very Sound of Music.  There was a pause and she ventured a guess...You're making it out of curtains?  Nope.  Out of a sheet, though!  I didn't think a first attempt warranted an actual fabric purchase.  And these colors are perfectly P.  Recycling/upcycling at its finest.

It's too big.  Better than too small.  Maybe I'll take up the sides.  But it twirls very nicely.

As for other new things, we got a new table!  Ever since Baby A took over a booster, one of us (Dustin or myself) has been using a folding chair for meals.  But I found this table, along with 6 chairs and a leaf.  Whew.  We all fit now.