In Need of Professional Help

So, the three hour bobbin-winding adventure led me to believe I needed some professional help.  (Hold your jokes, Dad...)  I headed to Jo-Ann Fabrics for their Sewing 101 class and had many ohhhhhhh moments throughout the three hour class.  The instructor was a sweet, middle-aged woman with two first names who makes her own clothes and seemed like she belonged on a country homestead somewhere.  She was great and very patient! :)  We stitched together a small nine-block, so I even got my first taste of quilting.  After I got over my initial bewilderment of how things are actually sewn together (I am definitely not a spatial learner), it all came together... albeit a little wonkily.

My next class was at this cute little boutique store nearby called Stitches.  My mission: sew pajama pants from a pattern.   The instructor was a young, hip, professional costumer for a theater group and he was on.top.of.us. making sure we did everything exactly -- which was a good thing, since he assured us, as "home sewers," we would take many shortcuts in the future, so we mind as well learn properly.  It made me even more nervous for a bit, but in the end I was appreciative of his guidance.  I ran out of time to purchase fabric and a pattern, so I picked them up just before class started, which meant I didn't get to pre-wash the fabric.  Oops... lesson learned!  But the instructor assured me it would be fine, especially since "the patterns you'll be able to sew at first, and... most patterns... are equivalent to shopping at Wal-mart for clothing."  Aka: big and bulky.  It ended up being true, although his attitude towards "home sewers" amused me.

The class was two nights long and I worked hard, asking questions and having to re-do things as I went along.  I was definitely glad to have guidance... and am not sure I can successfully do this again with a new pair yet (although I'm sure I could fumble my way through it).  But, I did come to a much better understanding of how pants are put together... something that truly baffled me when having to think about before.  (Have I mentioned I'm not a spatially aware person yet?).  I had to finish the pants at home... didn't quite get to the hemming part in class... and was a little disappointed by that, but it ended up being okay in the end.  Sewing properly takes patience... a good lesson for me. (Typically, I want things done NOW... in case you didn't know that about me.) (My husband will be shaking his head up and down vigorously as he reads that I'm sure.  In fact, I'm fairly certain he is getting a certain level of enjoyment out of watching me have to be exacting, neat, and careful). 

I wish I took more photos of the process!  I did rush right out to the Pacific Fabrics Outlet store with Derek in tow to pick out a fabric for his very own pajama pants, but I have yet to tackle that project.  The pants, which were an extra small size on the pattern, were big from the waist to the crotch, so I have to fold them over at the top several times, but the legs fit well.  I hope when I'm more competent and confident enough to tackle these again, I'll be able to adjust more as I go and make them fit properly.... and tackle a drawstring waist instead of an elastic one, because seriously, those are just so much cuter.  (He said we weren't ready for that yet).   Despite their slight bagginess, they're comfy (and softened up as well as thankfully shrunk a bit when I washed them) and I've been wearing them regularly.... especially since my previous pj pants split in the back and my attempts at using the machine to fix them (again... death to hand sewing!) were nowhere close to successful. :)

Here's the final product.  Yay!  Something actually wearable!  I felt so accomplished!

I wore them twice to two pajama days at school as per my kids' request.  Their faces when I showed them were super cute and heartwarming -- they were in shock and awe that I actually made that!  So, basically, I'll just keep showing my sewing projects to ten year-olds and impress them instead of actual sewers and I'll feel great about myself.  Sounds like a plan!