Sew Perfect?

A year ago, I could sew a button and that was it. When it came to hemming, the double-sided tape and safety pins were satisfactory enough for me. Luckily, my MIL saw potential in me and bought me my first sewing machine as a bridal shower gift. For the first week or so, the machine sat on my crafting desk and stared at me as I walked by it every day. To those who don't sew, that machine with thread seeming to weave in and out of it and the knobs and bobbins and intimidating needles is sometimes just too much.

In order to tackle this new craft of mine, I decided my first project should be a simple baby quilt. Those who sew often and well are most likely thinking that this was yet again a very naive notion of mine. You would think sewing several squares into rows and just attaching them is a relatively easy process, but I caution you, you are way wrong and my first few projects were no where near perfection. While I was proud in my ability to match different fabrics and patterns, my ability to simply line up the seams was severely lacking. The lesson I have learned: it is vital to make sure every square is the same size and to make the size of the hem is the same as the others as much as possible.  Here are my first two projects, and yes both went to my dog and only one was actually finished due to my need for perfection. They were good practice projects and definitely helped teach me the basics of using my new machine and sewing in general.

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Since making those two blankets, my sewing projects became making baby onesies for the baby showers of family and friends. I have to warn you, these are beyond adorable and are a very addicting project to begin due to their simplicity and ease of completing them quickly. You don't actually have to even sew them onto the onesie, but I adore the effect of the stitching around the shapes. They have turned out so well and loved by everyone and for that reason they will continue to be my go-to gift for expecting mothers. Here are a few samples: 

While these are adorable, I needed to tone down the onesie-making and prevent baby fever. I left the house motivated and headed to our local Joann Fabrics. The store in Blacksburg certainly doesn't boast a wide selection but the deals are always fabulous. Amazingly, I actually found a fabric matching pillows we had recently purchased from TJ Maxx for our living room, so I quickly developed my plan to make a blanket for the back of the couch.  I got wise this time and decided to make the blanket simpler with stripes instead of squares. Once the blanket was completed, I realized I was actually a much bigger fan of the stripes as a more modern look. This project went by really quickly and within three or four days I was done! Where I continue to need the practice is the binding around the edge of the blanket but my husband tells me the "imperfections" in the blanket are things only I would notice. This was the end result and as you can see, often ends up on our bed at night. 

So this is where I leave you for now. For the future, my sewing posts will include a better play-by-play if you will and my lessons learned throughout. Check back for more of my sewing expeditions!