Spring 2023 Sewing Recap

And just like that, another session of sewing is over.  It's hard to believe that it's already been 8 weeks of sewing class... but in reality, it's actually been ten weeks due to a snowstorm and April vacation week.  These 10 weeks have flown by.  But thankfully, since we had both a morning and evening class this time, I feel like I got a ton done.

I was worried that this session of my sewing classes would be rough knowing that Nana was gone, but most weeks I actually felt a sense of calmness and assurance that she was there with me in spirit.  I feel really good that I'm still doing it, because I know how happy it made her to know that I was learning.  I know she would be impressed with all of the projects that I finished this session... so that brings me comfort too.

This session was special because it was the first time Eliot was able to join me.  He's got a bit of a love/hate relationship with is sewing skills so far, but he's definitely been learning.  He is going to join me again this fall, and he's looking forward to learning more about sewing and how to use his embroidery machine.  He also keeps talking about how he's going to practice sewing in a straight line.  I'm so glad that he enjoyed himself in class and that he's coming back with me this fall!

I think the most exciting part for me personally was all that I was able to accomplish this class.  As I told you a few weeks ago, I finished the tote bags that I've literally been working on for years.  I've done parts of them here and there, but I never finished them.  Now that they're done, I'm more excited to slowly start working on a bunch of the other bags that I started cutting main fabrics for!

I also started and finished a Rainbow Mickey tiered skirt.  It wasn't something that I was planning to make, but when I came across my fabric, I knew that I had to!  I love how it turned out.  I was pretty picky trying to match up the colors on each tier so the whole thing would be rainbow when I turned.  It came out pretty good considering that it's only my second skirt that I've made!  (Apparently, I didn't take photos of it... oops!)

After I finished that, I decided to make a red, white and blue tiered skirt.  Joann has a star pattern fabric with those colors as the background, but the pattern is the same on all of them.  I knew it would be perfect to make a skirt since it would be cohesive.  Plus, who can resist how fun a tiered red, white and blue skirt is?!?  I literally just had time to finish it during our last evening sewing class this past Tuesday, but I did it!  Woo-hoo!

I'm super excited for what's next.  A few weeks ago, I went through all of my sewing notes and I made a master idea list.  I've already highlighted a few things that I would like to work on this fall.  Now, I feel like I'm a lot more organized so I'll know what I want to work on.  It will also be easier to find another project to work on if one of the others isn't working out or I can't find the fabric that I need for it.  I see more skirts, tote bags, valances and maybe some new things in my future... and the future is bright!  °o°

Totes Adorbs Tote Bags

Well, I wasn't planning on popping by today, but I had to stop in to share some exciting news.  Yesterday during sewing class, I was able to finally finish the tote bags that I started way back in my third session in Fall of 2018.  Now, I'm in my 11th session and it's 4 and 1/2 years later, but the bags that I started are finally finished!!!

You probably remember my original tote bag, the Beauty and the Beast stained glass bag that started it all.  I loved it so much that I also started cutting out a few other bags during that class.  Ever since then, the other four bags that I started have been paused in various stages.  I've worked on them here and there throughout other classes, but this session, I really wanted to get them finished once and for all.

Three of them were very close to being done, so I started there.  Last week, I finished Ariel, Steamboat Willie and my Disney Princess bags.  I was so excited!

During last week's evening class, I switched gears to making the bag straps for the Halloween tote bag that's been in pieces for years.  I had been held up by the original straps that I cut looking awful since the black wasn't dark enough.  Now that I had better black fabric, I was able to finish them and make progress on it!

Yesterday morning, I focused on attaching the straps, making the outside of the bag, and making the lining.  During class last night, I assembled the bag, sewed both pieces together and finished everything!  Now all five of the bags are completely finished!!!

I'm so proud of them!  It's been a long time coming, and they aren't perfect.  But I'm so happy with how they came out, and they're "mine".  Here's a closer look at them:

Beauty and the Beast Tote Bag Exterior

Beauty and the Beast Tote Bag Interior

Ariel Sketch Tote Bag Exterior

Ariel Sketch Tote Bag Interior

Steamboat Willie Tote Bag Exterior

Steamboat Willie Tote Bag Interior

Disney Princess Sketch Tote Bag Exterior

Disney Princess Sketch Tote Bag Interior

Disney Halloween Tote Bag Exterior

Disney Halloween Tote Bag Interior

It feels so good to have them all finished and it's so satisfying to see them together!

Now, I can start to work on some of the other bags that I cut main fabrics for.  Over the past sessions, I've started to cut a bunch of other fabrics here and there.  I've got about 10 other main fabrics cut for the bags.  They will need coordinating fabrics for the stripes, lining and pockets, but I'm sure I'll be able to slowly get those together.  It's definitely easier to assemble a bunch of them at the same time... as long as you're motivated to actually finish them and not wait four years!  (Oie!) 

Now that my first batch of tote bags is done, I'll also have to take a look at the list I made years ago.  I've got ideas for all of the holidays, some of the Disney events and festivals, sports teams and more.  My favorite part is coordinating all of the fabrics and patterns to create something... so who knows how many of these I'll end up making.

One thing is sure, these original five bags are "totes adorbs" totes!  °o°

Spring 2023 Sewing Class So Far

Well, we're already three weeks into the spring session of sewing class, but there's plenty more to come.  This is usually when I start to panic that it's going by much too fast, but thankfully this session isn't racing by.  So far, we've only had four classes!

Last week was cancelled due to the massive snowstorm we got on Tuesday the 14th.

Usually, I'd be pretty crushed to miss a week of class, but this time, I was thrilled.  I won't lie, I was like a kid checking to see if we had "school".  In fact, I spent most of Monday evening refreshing the local news websites to see if our district had cancelled school yet.  Around 8:00 PM, I checked one last time and I saw that the kids were having a remote learning day.  A minute later, I checked my email and I had received two emails at 7:40 from the adult education office stating that both my morning and our evening class were cancelled and that they'd be rescheduled.

I was relieved since last week was a hot mess.  It's just as well that we didn't have class.  Eliot's had some "big wigs" at work last week and part of this week.  (It's been a huge deal since some are from Japan and Europe.)  He's been stuck in meetings all day, and a few days he's had to work late.  I was really worried about him being able to leave work in time to get to class.  This took the stress out of it.  Plus, he ended up having to stay over two hours extra Tuesday night, so it worked out for the best!

Another great thing about missing last week's classes was that I have had more time to figure out what projects I want to work on.  Instead of being in class last week, I took some time to look at Pinterest and go through some old notes on my computer.  I have a bunch of things that I've wanted to work on, so I went through everything and made a detailed list so I have a path forward!  And that's definitely helped!

Our first few classes have been good.  I spent most of my first morning sewing class working on my Ariel, Steamboat Willie and Princess Sketch tote bags.  I put the liners in all of them and got those all sewed together.  Then, my plan was to spend the evening class turning them out through the tiny openings that I left in the lining.

We only had one sewing machine for Eliot's first evening class.  Lori had an extra one for him to use, but I realized it didn't make sense for him to start on a machine that might be overwhelming.  My little Singer Simple machine is all he really needed.  So I helped him get all set up and started with working it.

It ended up working really well.  The evening class is full, and many of the people in class have never sewn before.  I was able to help Eliot and that meant Lori could move between the other students.  I ended up helping out where I could.  I didn't want to work on any machines, but I was able to help show the others how to put their "ugly potholders" together and assemble them.  And everyone made great progress!

I think Eliot's potholder turned out pretty good.  He was critical of himself, but I told him that he did a really good job for his first time.  Most importantly, he seemed to enjoy himself.  He was the only man in the entire class, but it didn't phase him.  On the ride home, he was talking about his project and asking me questions.  He also mentioned the fall class, so I took that as a good sign if he's already planning to join me again!

After that first class, I knew that I needed a few supplies.  I also made a list of things that we'd have to get another set of if both Eliot and I were going to be sewing at the same time.  It made sense to get more pins, another pin cushion, scissors and stuff like that so we'd both have them available to us.  I was also anxious to start looking at pillow fabrics.  We don't even do pillowcases until the last two sessions of the first class, but I was too excited to go with Eliot to pick something out! 

We went shopping at Joann for fabrics before we went to one of our Maine Mariners games.  I wanted Eliot to get an idea what they had for fabrics.  Then, if he didn't see anything that he liked, we would have plenty of time to order some online.  He ended up picking out the Sesame Street print that I had been looking at a few trips ago.  I bought Pixar Up fabric to make a pillow case.  I figured that I might as well make one too since we can use them on our pillows at Mom and Dad's house... that way we'll know which ones are ours!  Eliot and I still need to get the accent colors for the trim and cuff, but since we don't actually need the fabric until the last two sewing classes, we're well ahead of schedule!  (Which is good because I'm usually scrambling!)

Unfortunately, I hit a bit of a roadblock during both of my classes this week.  First, registration for the Wine and Dine RunDisney event was yesterday at 10:00 am... right as class was starting.  You can read all about that here, but the short story is that I stayed home to make sure Eliot was registered, so I missed the first hour and 15 minutes of class.  I did finally go, but I left all of my stuff in my car and visited more than did anything... so it was kind of a wasted class.

Then, Eliot's new sewing machine, that he ordered over a week ago, was mailed out on Monday, and it's supposed to arrive today.  So he had to use my machine again... which meant another class of no sewing for me.  I was able to get a bit of cutting done, but I literally only cut the black strap fabric for my Halloween tote, and a small section off of Eliot's Sesame Street fabric to use for a tote bag.  

In the end, I guess it didn't really matter too much though.  My sewing machine was being a butt and Eliot barely got his box made.  The stitches were all off, and no matter how many times we threaded the machine, it didn't want to cooperate.  I'll have to play around with it next class and see if I can get it all figured out.  Hopefully, I'll be able get it working properly again, and Eliot will have his machine so he can start getting used to that.  Then, we'll also both be able to sew during the evening class!

I have plenty of things that I want to get finished and work on this session.  We are already 1/4 of the way through our spring classes, so I want to start making progress!  

As you can see, our spring 2023 sewing classes are going well so far!  Eliot's learning how to use a machine.  I'm well on my way to actually finishing projects that I've spent years working on.  And we have an "extra" (make up) class in May... yay!!!  °o°

Spring 2023 Sewing Class Begins

Things have been heavy around here lately.  And today is another bittersweet day... 

Today, I had my first Spring 2023 Sewing Classes of this session.  This is always a day that I look forward to, but there was definitely a little bit of extra baggage today.  I won't lie, it was a bit emotional to go to sewing class after losing Nana.  She's the one who encouraged me to take a class to begin with.  She always said that I'd learn way more in a class than she could ever teach me.  Nana was always so proud when I showed her any of my projects that I was working on in class.  She loved my skirt, the pillow cases and valences that I made her and the tote bags that I've been working on.  She was especially impressed with my Beauty and the Beast tote bag.

So this session is going to be a little sad, but I'm still looking forward to it.

In fact, I registered all the way back on January 21st.  I usually wait until a few weeks before class, but I was afraid these classes would fill up.  That's right... classes.  No, there isn't an afternoon class this session.  But as I told you back in the fall, they're doing a night class!  As soon as registration opened, I signed up for my usual morning class.  Then, I also immediately signed both Eliot and myself up for the night class.

I'm really excited for Eliot to take the night classes with me.  He's never sewn anything before, but we've talked about getting into embroidering things.  I figure this will be a great way for him to become familiar with the machines and how they work.  Plus, he always joked about me making him a Hawaiian shirt someday... maybe we'll be able to make one together once we're both more comfortable with sewing stuff!

My morning class was good.  I think there are going to be five of us.  There were four of us today, but one lady had to leave for some reason.  All the other students are new, so hopefully a few of them will stick around.  It sounds like they're interested in learning more techniques, but that always seems to be the case, then they never come back.

Tonight, Eliot will come home from work early to meet up with me at the house before driving over to class together.  He's never actually been to the school before, so I'm excited to show him that, the small local grocery store where I get my breakfast, and the Walgreen's nearby.  My instructor Lori is excited to finally meet Eliot too.  She has certainly heard a lot about him during our classes over the past few years!

I have no idea what projects I'm going to be working on this session.  This morning, I started working on the final assembly of the bags I've been working on for years.  Now, the lining is sewn into my Ariel, Steamboat Willie and Princess bags!  During tonight's class, I'm going to work on turning them inside out.  Eliot and I weren't able to get another sewing machine yet, so I'm going to have him use mine tonight for the time being since I'm already very familiar with how it runs.  I figure that I can help him and the other students, and when I'm not doing that, I'll turn my three bags inside out!

After that, who knows what I'll work on!  If I can find the valance fabric that I already cut, I'd like to make the valences for our living room, dining room and kitchen.  I also might work on a table runner for the dining room.  (Joanns has a great new Disney snacks fabric that would be a lot of fun!)  I sent Lori some patterns for a knit skirt, knit cardigan and a knit Spirit Jersey style shirt... so we might try to tackle those at some point this spring or fall.  I've never sewn anything on a stretchy knit fabric, so that would definitely be a new challenge for us!  Whatever I end up doing, I'm sure that a I'll learn a lot and have fun doing it!  And I'm going to love having Eliot in the night class!

So, I'm one class down in my 16 morning and evening spring 2023 sewing classes.  It's probably going to be a little emotional, but I'm going to keep pushing forward and continuing to learn to honor my Nana.  I know she'd be proud of me and she would have gotten a kick out of Eliot taking class too!  This session is for you Nana!!!  °o°

Fall 2022 Sewing Recap

Wow!!!  These past few weeks have flown right by!  It's hard to believe that nine weeks ago, I was just starting my fall 2022 sewing class.  Now, it's ended and it's already been a week since I last sat in my familiar classroom... and I also already miss it.

I have to admit, I think this is the most productive class I've ever had other than the original ones when I first was learning how to sew.  I got so many projects done this session!  And as promised, I'm back now with a recap of how it went!

Back on October 4th, I started the class strong by finishing the skirt that I'd started back in the spring.  That was a great way to start this session because I was really pumped about how it came out and I was super motivated to finish more projects!

The following week, on October 11th, I finished the second rainbow placemat.  These are such a pain in the butt and super time consuming... but they're really pretty!

On October 18th, I worked on making two pillowcases for Nana's small pillows that we got her last Christmas.  She uses them to pad her elbows on her wheelchair and I've wanted to make her some pillowcases out of Cinderella Fairy Godmother fabric to make them a little more personalized and fun!  I made up the pattern based on the size of her pillows.  Thankfully, they fit and they came out really cute!

At my October 25th class, I started the full sized pillowcase that I'd selected fabrics out for last Christmas.  We showed Nana the fabrics and told her about my plans to make her some stuff at Christmas, but I hadn't gotten a chance to make the pillowcase.  I had planned to make it last spring, but we started the skirt instead.  This was one of my main goals for this session and I was actually able to do 90% of it during this one class!

On November 1st, I finished the rest of Nana's full sized pillowcase.  The Cinderella print pattern of the fabric ended up being sideways to how she'd have it on the bed, but it was really cute and took up less fabric that way. I am 100% obsessed with how good the fabrics look together.  And most importantly, Nana absolutely loved it!

November 8th, I finished Nana's valences that matched her new pillowcase!  (I had cut those and started them on the 1st.)  I gave her those over Thanksgiving along with her new full size pillowcase.  She loved these and they definitely helped brighten her room!

On November 15th, I switched gears to looking at what other projects I've started but haven't gotten to finish.  I spent a good portion of class taking out the fabrics that I had already cut to make more tote bags.  I also took photos of everything so I'd have a quick reference point when I was buying the coordinating fabrics.  (There are a lot...)

Then, I spent the second part of class cutting out fabric for my Disney Hanukkah bag.

Finally, at my last class on November 22nd, I picked up working on a few of the other tote bags that I started years ago.  I reminded myself of where I was in the process of each, and I was surprised at how close I was to getting them finished!  Hopefully, I'll find time this winter to finish them, but if not, these will be a top priority next spring!

And speaking of the spring... I've saved the best news for last.  I've been upset that they haven't been running the afternoon class because I used to get so much done at both of the classes.  They aren't bringing the afternoon class back, but instead... 

They're running a new nighttime class in the spring!!!

I was so excited when Lori officially told me the news!  I'd already put the bee in Eliot's bonnet... but once it was official, I told him to keep his Tuesday nights clear for those 8 weeks.  I'm signing both of us up for the evening class!  I'm so excited.  Eliot doesn't know how to sew, and we have been talking about getting an embroidery machine at some point.  I figure that this is the perfect way to get him used to using a sewing machine, threading needles and winding and changing bobbins.

And best of all, I'll have more time to work on projects now that I'll be taking both the morning and evening classes!  I'm not sure what my projects will be, but I'll definitely be spending some time this winter planning out what I'm going to be working on!  

As you can see, I had a wonderful fall sewing session with lots of finished projects... and now I'm even more excited about both of the spring 2023 sessions!!!  °o°

Fall 2022 Sewing Class Begins

Last Tuesday, my Fall 2022 Sewing Class began at my local adult education branch.  I usually would have written about it last Tuesday, but since it was my anniversary with Key to the World Travel, I thought it made more sense to stick to that.  Plus, up until two weeks ago, I wasn't even sure they were going to be running our class.

During the pandemic, our registration and attendance was really low.  They allowed the class to run with only 1-3 of us taking it, but they prefer 3-5 students.  I finally emailed Lori, my instructor, on September 27th checking in, and she got in contact with the school.  (She hadn't heard anything either.)  Within a few hours, she emailed me back saying that class was running and that there were five of us registered for it!  I also got a reminder email from the school that class was starting on October 4th!

So last Tuesday, I got ready and headed over the familiar roads to my sewing class.

I can't tell you how excited I was that class was running.  I had a bit of extra pep in my step as I got there early so I could claim my spot in the back row.  Speaking of my back row... Try as I might, I still take up so much space.  I was really good confining myself to two desks during our first class, but I spilled over to the third and last one in the back row today because I needed the room to cut fabric.  Oh well... I tried!

Looking ahead, I'm not exactly sure what the plan is for projects this semester.  The other students in the class are at various levels of sewing knowledge so they'll most likely be doing the beginner stuff that I did years ago.  Nowadays, Lori usually lets me do whatever I want to and we work out projects based off of my interests.  During our first class last week, I finished my skirt that I was working on this spring.

Today I worked on finishing my second rainbow placemat.  I kind of abandoned it last spring as soon as Lori said the word "skirt" so I figured that I'd get that finished now before moving onto something else.  Like the first one, it came out really cute!  But I still have to sew the place where you flip them inside out shut on both of them.  And after I flipped my second one, I found a spot where two of the fabric strips didn't fully meet so I'll have to use interfacing or something to keep them stitched together.  But overall, they came out well and they're almost done!  (Never doing that again!)

I'm not sure what project I'll be working on next.  Honestly, I'm just happy to have class period.  I already told Lori that I can sit in the back working on whatever I need to while she's helping the newcomers with their projects.  Plus, there are plenty of things for me to work on.  I want to make some stuff for Nana using the Cinderella fabric that I've bought.  (I've got pillow cases and valances on my list!)  I also wanted to make a few valances for our living room.  I cut the fabric up at the end of class a few session ago but I never started to actually sew the valences together.

And let's not even get started on the those never-ending tote bags... I think I have four that are actually in the stages of becoming tote bags.  Then, I started cutting the main fabric for at least 2-3 more of them.  I really need to get back to those!

Finally, I'm thinking about making making another skirt now that I've finished one and it fits!  Trying that skirt on a week ago during our first class was definitely one of the highlights of sewing class!  I've always wanted to make myself a skirt, and having it on to show everyone was such a proud moment for me!  Now that I've finished that one, I'm thinking about making a candy corn skirt, rainbow skirt, and maybe a Christmas skirt.  And I have to make a Mirabel skirt once I can find the right shades of teal fabric!

I'm sure that whatever I end up doing, it will be a fun session!  As usual, I'll check in again at the end of class to let you know how it goes!  Here's hoping that the next six weeks are fun, productive and that I'll learn a lot!  °o°

Spring 2022 Sewing Recap

Earlier today, I had my last Spring 2022 Sewing Class.  It always amazes me how quickly the eight weeks go by.  This spring session went by extra fast since I missed the first class due to our trip to Disneyland and California.  However, that didn't stop me from making the most of the remaining seven classes!  

My first project was to finish the rainbow placemat that I started back in the fall.  It turned out really cute and after I saw it, I wanted to make another one.  Originally, I was going to make 6-8 of them for our dining room, but it took so long to complete the first one, that I figure I'll make easier ones for the placemats.  These first two will be decorative mats instead!  I haven't quite finished the second one because we switched to another project... but I was 100% ok with that.  And I'll finish it at some point!

March 29th, when I walked into my fourth class (our 5th week), my instructor excitedly told me that she'd found a simple tutorial on how to make tiered skirts and that we would be able to make one during this class!  During my first class, I had told her how much I wanted to make a skirt like Mirabel's in Encanto.  She had gone home and done a little research.  The other lady in my class is in her first sewing session, but since this is an easy project, my instructor said she would be able to join us if she wanted to.  I left that class with a small supply list for next class and a lot of excitement!

On April 5th, I came to class with my elastic band (for the waist) and my three yards of inexpensive cotton fabric.  I chose a turquoise blue fabric with white and yellow daisies scattered on it.  I thought the pattern was cute and the fabric was on sale!  I probably spent a little more on it than I should have considering this was my first skirt, but I really wanted a fabric that I would end up wearing after the skirt was completed!

That morning, we worked out the waist measurements and how long each of our tiers needed to be.  Then, we took turns cutting our fabric down to the correct dimensions.  I spent the rest of that class sewing panels together to make them longer.

During our April 12th class, I was able to cut the long panels down to the correct sizes I needed for each tier.  The part that took the longest amount of time was folding and pressing the hem for the bottom tier of the skirt.  After I finally finished pressing it, I was able to sew it together pretty quickly.  I've never sewn something that length before and I was so happy with how even it came out!  (Look at those stitches below!!!)

I spent the remainder of that class sewing the basting stitches into the top of the tier panels.  Then, I spent a few minutes starting to gather the bottom tier of the skirt before realizing that it was going to take me forever.  Class was ending anyways, so I took it home to gather during our two week break (for the school's April vacation).  Naturally, I was doing it last night before class, but at least I didn't have to do it during class!

Or so I thought anyways... 

This morning, my goal was to finish my skirt.  Unfortunately, I didn't quite reach that goal.  Apparently, I got a little overzealous with the gathering, and I had to let a bunch of it out in order for the pieces to line up correctly.  (My instructor said she did the same thing.)  Lesson learned, but I spent more time spreading the fabric back out.

Then, the universe had a few more things to throw at me.  The basting stitch of my middle tier broke so I had to resew that.  Then I had to re-gather it.  Before I was able to finish sewing it, I ran out of bobbin thread.  Thankfully, everything (other than using the seam ripper) was quick but it still put me behind where I wanted to be.

I did stay a few minutes late to make sure that each of my tiers were correctly sewn together.  After zigzag stitching the bottom to the middle, and then the middle to the top, I at least had something that looked mostly like a skirt.  I still have to sew the seam up the back and add the elastic and the top hem, but other than that, it's done!

I'm really excited for how easy this project was and how many possibilities there are to make more in the future!  I'm thinking about making myself a bright rainbow skirt, as well as a pastel version that would be cute for the spring.  I might make a red, white and blue one for the 4th of July.  I haven't even thought much about the possibilities for Halloween and Christmas.  Plus, I'm still planning to make my Mirabel inspired skirt!

In the meantime, I'm looking forward to our fall sewing class... as long as there are at least three of us so we can run it.  They've been letting us get away with fewer people due to COVID, but I guess we really need to have at least three people.  So here's hoping we get at least two other people who sign up to join us so I can have another session of sewing projects and learning this fall!  °o°