Learning to sew is something I never anticipated in my life. Work left very little room for creative pursuits and for the many years I did work outside of the home, I was a type A workaholic.
Since the birth of my son, I’ve felt my brain deteriorating–literally melting within my skull. Something about those many months of vomiting and not being able to take the prenatal vitamins…basically, he ate my brain.
I’ve decided now that he is two, it’s time for me to reopen some synapse pathways. This blog is one way I’m doing that, cooking odd desserts another, exercising twice a week and taking vitamins–because, why not?– and finally, for two months now I’ve been trying to learn to sew.
I say “trying to learn to sew” because my attempts have been both hilarious and cringe inducing.
Today’s blog will introduce you to my latest victim:Â Franken-sweats.
These sweats were actually intended for my brother in law as a Christmas gift, but after two full months of planning and working on them in my “free” time, I’ve conceded defeat. They are done, but absolutely cannot be given as a gift. Instead, my husband has graciously accepted them into his pajama drawer.
What went wrong? EVERYTHING.
One important issue that I learned about thanks to these sweats is thread. All thread is NOT created equal. That thread I bought at the charity shop for 50 pence? There is a reason it was 50 pence. That thread I bought at an alleyway sidewalk vendor for 79 pence? There is a reason it was 79 pence. That one glorious thread that I bought online for $2.99 in the US and had my husband pick up from a friend while he was on a business trip? Worth it’s weight in gold!!!
There are several different thread spools in these sweatpants. In fact, there are four. Two are glorious and two made me tear at my hair and bemoan the fates for allowing me to cheap out not once, but twice. Lesson learned.
Another lesson learned? Measure twice, cut once. This is a valuable lesson and I wish I would absorb it for once…and I thought I did…apparently I need to measure thrice.
The last lesson, and valuable above all the rest, is how to thread a bobbin. How many hours have I spent attempting this feat? You don’t need to know. Suffice to say, I’m still working on it. Subject closed.
Wait, did I say that was the last lesson? I was clearly confused. The most valuable lesson came a week after completion of Franken-sweats. I needed some pants and grabbed them from hubby’s dresser. What a shock! These are literally the most comfortable sweats I’ve ever worn! Sure, the tie is on the hip and one le is two inches shorter than the other, still so comfy! Much like my cooking, while my sewing projects may be ugly, using superior ingredients (in this case materials) leads to a cozy final product.
I plan to share more of my sewing tragedies and hopefully one day triumphs as this blog continues. What do you think of Sewing Sunday? That can be a thing, right? Keep me honest people, keep me honest.
Enjoy these glamorous shots of Franken-sweats in action.