The Crazy JOY of Sewing!!!



Hello friends!!  Sorry I missed out on the always fun "Miscellany Monday" linky party, but I have a great excuse.  I spent about a day and a half having the most GLORIOUS time with my grandma, receiving the ultimate, "how to sew on the machine I gave you a month ago" lesson!!!  Seriously, it was like Christmas!  JOY.  We had so much fun, laughing and learning.  My lovely and beautiful grandma did of course resist the ongoing photographing and recording, but I would not relent. (Love those memories Grandma!!!)  We spent all afternoon and evening Sunday cutting, creating, and correcting, taking a break only to eat.  I couldn't even sleep that night because I was thinking about patterns and pondering so deeply about my next project.  Of course our visit ended with a quick trip to JoAnn Fabrics yesterday to purchase materials for just that.  LOVE IT.



I told her it was the greatest gift ever.  It's like my whole world has opened up and now I can be a part of all those fun projects out there!  SO exciting.  Family and friends, or those who live within driving distance, make your requests now...something handmade by me is definitely in your future!!  (A girl has got to practice, right???)

So what did we make???

Well,  my grandma for sure wanted me to take my time and practice sewing a piece of fabric and getting to know the machine.  Unfortunately I am known to be a bit over-zealous when it comes to something new that I'm super excited about, so I thought jumping into a cute little project was a better idea.  Turns out we were both right.  I needed LOTS of help and we ran into a few hiccups but in the end, learning by doing was definitely the way to go for me.  And my grandma's inspiration and passion for a hobby that she is so gifted at was renewed. This process even allowed me to learn how to change a sewing machine needle, after the tip of one flew off!  I loved it all.

The project we made was called an "Artsy Clutch," which can be found in my new favorite sewing book, (okay, first favorite!), Bend-the-Rules Sewing by Amy Carol.  It is actually the project shown on the cover.  We used what we had, including a bag of fabric I brought with me, and whatever my grandma had on hand.  She was definitely the source for beautiful vintage buttons!  (I contributed my ponytail holder, used for the elastic loop!)  Unfortunatey we did not have lining or interfacing on hand, so we made do...with fleece.  Definitely the poofiest version you could make of this clutch.  We basically made fun of ourselves and made up all the different things we could use it for...(potholder, mitten, etc.)  The joy was definitely in the process, though I am loving the outcome.



As for materials, for each clutch we used (2) 8in. by 9 1/2 in. pieces (each) of outer fabric, lining fabric, and facing fabric, though I think it would be fun in different sizes as well.  So there you have it.  My very first sewing project...and joyfully, not my last!  I'm already thinking about getting up super early to start working on my next thing.  (I know, pace yourself Page!)  Thanks for celebrating with me!  I'm linking to whatever crafty parties I can find today to commemorate this special event. :)

Thank you Grandma, for the most beautiful, wonderful time, and for teaching me the art of sewing.  I look forward to many more lessons and projects with you!!!  You are amazingly gifted and generous, both patient and kind...I love you!