Sewing really, really relaxes me. And it helps me deal with the winter blues. Thankfully the days are getting longer and warmer, but I won’t be sewing any less with the season change. I’m determined to maybe, BIG MAYBE, make my dress for the Royal Ascot race. I will be joining a group of ladies for the event in June. I plan on sporting a beautiful fascinator and, hopefully, a dress made by me. The goal is a hefty one and I may just end up buying myself a dress but I still think it’s worth a try.
But since I’m still quite the beginner I will be working on a series of projects. I did a tote bag, and this week I did some double-sided napkins. I wish I could say that overcasting the edges was easy, but it wasn’t. The zig-zag stitches were all over the place. I didn’t get a nice looking napkin until the very last one. And even that one I messed up at the very end. But I am really looking forward to see how much I improve after I do the next set of napkins*, especially now that I have a feel as to what to do. Regardless of funky stitches I am loving my new napkins. I will be breaking them out for a dinner with friends.
I am loving these…a lot.
*Will be making loads more sets of napkins after buying 3.5 yards of fabric for a fiver by King’s Cross.
Mela, I’m so impressed by these! I’m *also* impressed that you have set yourself on a mission to learn something in baby steps. I usually get so excited about a new idea *so* quickly that I wear myself out *and* realize I don’t have what it takes To Be An Expert NOW, and it deflates me.
I have a funny feeling you’re going to make that dress …
Just for that you win a set of napkins with miltered corners! That’s my next project. I’ll work on them this week and send you a set. How’s blue? Or green?
OMG. I love your napkins…seriously. Super cute.
Thank you! I am just taking a break from sewing more ‘grown up’ ones. But I think I prefer the funky prints.
Those are so beautiful!! Well done! The only advice I have with machine sewing is to use lots and lots of pins (one every half-inch) and go really slowly. I really miss the hand-driven machines we used to use at school.
You can seek patterns for dresses by difficulty and choose an easier one (or were you hoping to design it yourself too?)
Thanks! I have been stingy with the pins. Might have to up my pin usage. I had some crooked corners on another set of napkins and I bet extra pins would have helped.
I did manage to find two vintage patterns that I will be trying…eventually. The seller said they were ‘easy’. So I’ll find out.