I'm back at my evening sewing workshop. I love this time in the week when I focus on nothing, but the sewing project at hand. No household distractions for a full two hours. An opportunity to try out all sorts of new things with guidance at hand. Its a weekly treat.
I am gate-crashing a beginners class. The beginners are sitting at one end of the room and I am at the other. I like being in my own little world working on my project, but keeping half an ear trained on the class in progress and having lovely chats with the girls who are learning how to make a skirt.
My plan was to use these two hours a week to tweak my trousers toile then make up the real deal, but last night I decided to finish off Velvet Butterick 3597 instead. My sister, who lives in a rural town, is visiting the big smoke this week and I wanted to finally present her with her birthday gift (I won't tell you how many months late).
Sadly the two hours involved stitch, unpick, stitch, unpick ... well I'm sure you get the picture. Some days are just like that ... and I should imagine almost all days are like this when working with velvet. Slippery little sucker. By the end of the evening I couldn't find any way to artfully arrange the skirt (pictured above) so as to feign completion.
The solitary highlight in the evening was using my new Janome walking foot. It really helped with tricky tasks like sewing Sunsilky lining and velvet together. It obediently kept all layers of fabric very nicely lined up (I'll try and write a little more about the walking foot soon).
Anyway I can't say I will be sewing with this textile again in a hurry. This garment has had all the hallmarks of a great drama: love; innocence; high hopes; an foreseen accident; betrayal; tears. But unlike other dramas, I don't see this one having any sequels. No Velvet Skirt II or Butterick 3597 Strikes Back.
I'm hoping to get started on my trousers shortly. They are being sewn up in a fabulous black velveteen. Some call it the "poor man's velvet". I call it the sane woman's choice.
Absolutely agree with you on the velvet front.... I think anyone who's "been there" with velvet is a bit hesitant to go back for a second helping.
ReplyDeleteVery jealous of your walking foot.
Sounds like the walking foot might just be a winner!
ReplyDeleteI've just tagged you....play along if you would like to!
I am so impressed with your perseverance - I would have have ditched it all long ago. Glad you are getting along with your walking foot!
ReplyDeleteSome days are truly "just like that". I am a bit jealous of your sewing time at class - what an absolute treat for you. I took a course very similar to that when i was pregnant and loved it. I so want to do that again but babysitters are a bit thin on the ground at the moment....one day hopefully. Meanwhile the fantastic blog world are my teachers.
ReplyDeleteLucky you! I'd love to join in a sewing class and have a set time to sew each week.
ReplyDeleteHaha! I love the possible titles of the sequels all the same.
ReplyDeleteHmm... interested to hear more about this walking foot. And I do miss going to a regular class, but not for the solid 2 hours of stitch, unpick (which seemed to be just about every class for me!!)