Sew What?

Sew What?, a photo by Zanalee on Flickr.

This weekend, I hemmed a dress I bought on the street last week for ten bucks about a week ago. This may not seem a big deal to those of you who know how to sew in circles but for me it's kinda huge. Ever since I was a girl, raised in house with a huge iron Singer machine, piles of fabric, thread needles and notions that belonged to my momI have been intimidated by the intricacies of pattern sewing.

My mom who graduated from the Paris School of Fashion when she was in her twenties sewed dresses and little outfits for me from when I was a baby to a young girl.
I designed my own prom dress for my High School Prom which she sewed as well. I found the fabric, a green velvet in the garment district and it was at that time raciest thing she had ever let me wear in public, that she knew of anyway. LOL! I designed it to have a long slit, backlessness and heartshaped cleavage going on but it was tasteful.

I never wanted to sew myself though. Just the thought of guiding fabric through that loud rough looking metal foot and keeping it straight until the thread ripped or some bobbin malfunction occurred just stressed me out. The few times my mom tried to show me how to put my foot down gently on the peddle I was just too freaked out. I think it's also the same thing that makes me nervous about driving. I feel like the motor is going to get away from me and drive off with me in it, that I will lose control. When that sewing machine started up, I just got tense. It seemed too big for me.

But being so engrossed in the Blythe world and having always loved fashion and DIY the way I do, I constantly run up against this wall. Can I learn to sew? I bought this sweet little yellow hand sewing machine from Urban Outfittters so many months ago and all it's done is sit under my living room table until recently when I hemmed this dress. And It wasn't the straightest most even job but it worked! It was easy and smooth going and I achieved the perfect length that I was going for after pinning and adjusting, laying it flat and trying it on a few times. So now I have that sewing bug again.

The mystery of sewing to me seems very similar to what knitting was like before I learned. It's a mystery I like to probe occasionally but I always hit a wall and stop again. I know the levels of complication vary depending on what patterns you're using but even the simple patterns tend to escape my understanding and ultimately frustrate me.

I think if I could grasp one simple basic pattern it might throw open a door to other more complicated stuff. Why do i feel like doll dress making is even harder than people's clothes?

Anyway, I just know the leftovers of this gorgeous fabric would look fabulous on Hendrix and she has, perhaps foolishly commissioned a dress from me so I'm going to have to hit Pucci Collective again this week and see what I can find! Wish me luck!
: )