new hobby

typically i'm all about the paper-related crafts, but being around so many pasadena friends who dabble in sewing projects i've become intrigued by all the things you can do with a sewing machine. my mom sewed when i was little -- yes, my sister and i often rocked matching handmade outfits as children -- but gave it up by the time i was old enough to pay attention, and because i was always in band i never had room in my schedule for typical junior high electives like home ec. there you have it -- i am a bit behind the curve in the domestic area, but i can totally bust out some john philip sousa on my flute :)

anyway, my boss came across a sewing boutique in silver lake called sew la. they offer sewing classes and private tutorials for any level of sewing expertise -- including a class specifically for beginners. this was for me! i wanted to learn the BASIC basics of sewing machines to see if this is a hobby i can pursue, and they fully delivered.

tracy, jolee and i met in silver lake on saturday for our little class. there were only eight students and one teacher, and we each got our own sewing machine and paid a little extra for some fabric and a mini sewing kit [this was helpful because prior to that day i had no idea what a bobbin was]. we learned all the basics of the sewing machine and sewing in general, then we practiced stitching some muslin -- and THEN we got to sew our own little tote bags.

i was immediately fascinated by the sewing machine. those things are amazing! it was so cool to load up the little bobbin, see how the thread ran through the machine, and watch how all the little mechanisms worked together once i pushed the foot pedal. whoever invented that thing is a genius!

i started out a little rocky -- uneven stitching, crooked lines, etc. -- but got the hang of it pretty quickly. check out that pivoted corner!



here's me, working away at my machine:



our bags turned out very cute and jolee and i decided we will use them as lunch bags for work. hers is on the left, mine's the right:



the sew la shop was super cute -- like most things in silver lake, it was super tiny but had a lot of character. i had fun browsing through the patterns and different sewing supplies. check out these cool fabrics -- so many fun possibilities!





and here we are with our finished projects. i think both tracy and jolee never imagined they'd get into sewing [i tell them mormons are naturals at crafting, but anyone can try it out! ha], but i'm really glad we could all take the class together and have fun while we're at it. i have great co workers :)



the end! i love my bag and i can't wait to make something else. my birthday is coming up in july and i plan to ask for donations for a sewing machine :)