Home Ec

October 7th, 2008

Sophomore year of college I had to take a costume construction class as part of my theatre production curriculum. After weeks of learning to sew by machine and stitching by hand the final project was to create a bodice. If you weren’t skilled enough for the world of bodice making (boning! shiny fabrics! fasteners!) you got to end the semester with a pillow. The difference in effort between sewing together 2 pieces of fabric to make a pillow and constructing an entire bodice fit to form, as you can imagine, is enormous. For a pathetically unskilled and uninterested seamstress such as myself there was no question as to which I would be delivering. My pillow was green sweatshirt fabric with ivory trim. It was lumpy and awful. I did alright in the class due to false enthusiasm and charm but haven’t sewn anything since then, not even a repair or alteration. Tim was in that class too. HE did the bodice.

 

Fast forward to last week when I thought it was a good idea to take a sewing class at Home Ec. I don’t know why but I just really like to make stuff. I’m a piss-poor knitter, probably because I am easily frustrated and impatient. I’d rip out every imperfect stitch and it took me hours to create a few rows of a scarf. Then I’d get bored of the yarn and start something else. I was halfway decent at pottery, but again…impatient, easily frustrated, etc. So why not sewing? Yes, you need patience but I figured once you knew the basics the machine kind of does it for you. Right? Well I WAS right! All the patience-making stuff happens in the beginning but once its all cut and pinned its just sew, sew, sew.

I chose fabric, cut and sewed an entire tote bag during the class. Amazing!

The class was really well put together and interesting, and the instructor did a really great job. Highly recommended for people that have never sewn. I lo-lo-lo-loved it. Big time.

I am deciding which class to take next – probably the apron making one since I’m so domesticated now-a-days. Aaaaaand I usually just wipe stuff on my pants. *SHEEPISH GRIN*

Entry Filed under: Just for fun