Simple Sewing Project #1

For my birthday this year, my parents surprised me with a sewing machine!! I was super excited and couldn't wait to sew something fabulous!! How hard could it be, right?

I figured, since I have NO sewing experience or training, I would start off with something simple. When Lucy comes to visit, she started sleeping on a spare pillow...without a pillow case. Yuk. Hairy. Ick.

As I type this, I can't remember why I got rid of her denim dog bed...

Anywho, I thought if I made a pillowcase for Lucy's pillow, I could take it off and wash it after she leaves. Perfect. Simple.

I headed out to Joann's to pick up some fabric and a few other items I figured I would need...needles, pins, a pin cushion, a tape measure, etc. So I made what I thought would be a quick trip to the local fabric store.

Nearly 90 minutes later, I hung up with my Prettiest Sister (she was NO help) and called my mom. She was much more helpful. Soon after, I was checking out and headed home to sew Lucy a simple pillow case out of this cute fabric I found.

I used one of our pillow cases as a pattern. Simple. Done.

Next.

I ironed the fabric (my mom told me, "Lot's of ironing."). Simple. Done.

Next.

I had to put some of the green thread onto the bobbin. I got out my sewing machine's instruction manual and did EXACTLY what the instructions said. NOT Simple!! No where near DONE!!


Luckily for me, for Mike, for the fabric, the thread, the bobbin, and probably a few other items that would have ended up in the yard, my parents stopped by.

Whew...

My mom tinkered with this and with that...until she figured out what the stinkin' problem was. It was the tension...or something? The instructions did NOT say anything about tension...or something.


After we got it figured out, my dad's fun meter was pegged and off they went.


I started sewing my simple pillow case. I was pretty slow, mostly out of fear...but I think it turned out quite well. It IS slightly longer than I hoped for (or measured), but that's another problem for another Sunday afternoon with a simple, self-taught sewing lesson. I think I will be finding a sewing LESSON asap.