Just like after a car wreck when your driving mojo goes out the window, the same thing happens with sewing mojo.
Last week I made a wearable muslin for oldest daughter based on her height in an Ottobre pattern. It doesn’t fit. Not even close. After all that tracing, sewing – nothing.
While making it, I tried to replace the blade in my serger so I could use it for the seams, and couldn’t quite get it lined up right, so I took her in for a tune up and to have the blade aligned.
I got her back in 5 days. I was excited. I went shopping. Found Olfa and Gutermann for 40% off. Got 4 yards of linen. I bought an easy pattern – which I realized I got the wrong size, but that’s ok, I can grade an easy pattern!
I had planned upon the serger’s return the simplest of all patterns, that one I just bought in the wrong size: lounge pants for the man. In the linen. While linen is soooo buttah, it frays like a mothahfuckah. So…, duh, serger.
My serger just eats up the linen, drops the second needle thread….I’m a mess. If I knew this, I would have planned French seams. I try and try, but it’s just making a my fabric and me into a huge fucked up mess.
I tried and tried to fix it. I rethreaded, I changed needles – if you have a serger, you know that sometimes even when it doesn’t seem like the fix, it will fix, but she does this:
That’s the inside needle thread right there. The tension gear is really loose. No matter what I do, it won’t tighten.
I can overlock on my Viking, but who on this earth wants to spend the time using the overlock stitch on a sewing machine? YAWN. But I did it.
I was set into such a funk, I actually sewed the wrong pant legs together, then sewed the back to the back, and I could not get a button hole to start at the correct point for the LIFE of me….and holy shit I did NOT grade that pattern down enough…
I put the linen pants in the throat of my machine (choke on it!) and walked away after staying with it far too long.
I painted my nails. Wet paint on nails helps prevent the urge from starting up again too soon.
At least I can still do that right.
Hi Becky 🙂
New to your site — just starting to get interested in learning to sew — love your posts. I’ll admit that in my life experience, people who know a lot about sewing tended to be very wholesome (read super religious) and sickeningly sweet (yes, I am describing my sewing teacher). Not to mention they’re usually pretty and talented with nary a bad mood or temper tantrum — and shiny hair, always the shiny hair. Anyway, it’s very refreshing (especially for a very beginner) to feel like there’s a place (even if it’s only online) that I can visit where someone gets it. I guess by “it” I mean the frustration, sarcasm, and curse words to make me feel right at home in learning this new skill. As a full fledged adult I decided enough with thinking “now I could do that, if I only knew how” anytime I needed pants hemmed or saw a cute over priced pencil skirt. Fuck that shit — time to learn to sew! If it were just that easy! That’s why I thought I should write and say that I think you have great sense of humor — keeps me motivated so that I might make my own clothing one day — not just wear it to work, but wear a great piece into Anthropologie in a very “I’m Rick James bitch — fuck yo’ couch” kinda fashion. Here’s hoping!
Have a happy day,
Nicole
best comment in the history of comments ever. THANK YOU. And that is exactly the reason behind ALL my makes. You got it. From my own lip balm to crockpot chicken verde to quilts to clothes – it’s ALL ABOUT “I’m Rick James, Bitch.” lol