Sew, a needle pulling thread

I randomly decided a few weeks ago that I wanted to learn how to sew.  Actually, that I wanted to teach myself how to sew.  My house is populated by people who will always need everything hemmed due to their shortness, and I didn't even know how to sew a button back on, let alone hem a pair of pants.  So I borrowed a sewing machine from my mother-in-law, went to Wal-Mart and got a couple yards of fabric off the $1.50/yd. clearance table, and got some sort of skirt pattern that claimed it was an easy, learn-to-sew pattern (this turned out to be a lie).

Things started off well - from years of experience watching/helping my mom sew stuff (she is an extremely talented seamstress), I knew a few basics and was able to get the fabric cut.  Then after much time puzzling over the user manual for the sewing machine (who writes these things, anyway?) I got the machine threaded.  I started by sewing the side seams of the skirt.  That was easy and went surprisingly well.

Then it was time to do the separate piece elastic waistband.  (Remember how I said the pattern people lied about the level of difficulty?)  The way the instructions suggested I complete this task made absolutely no sense to me so I ended up calling my mom and we hashed out a few ideas and then came up with a method of our own which worked way better.

Then it was time for the hem.  Well, since I had followed the instructions and pulled the elastic waist in and saved the hem for last, there was too much excess material at the bottom of the skirt and so the material kept bunching up and pulling.  Grr.  I called my mom again and we brainstormed a few more ideas.  We settled on one, and I began sewing again.  I was about halfway through the hem thinking that things were going really well again when I noticed that my bobbin had completely run out of thread and I was not actually stitching the hem but instead just poking a line of holes into the fabric.  Grr.  Then of course, I could not for the life of me get the stupid sewing machine threaded correctly again.  I still don't know what the deal is but eventually I got it sort of working and just finished up the hem not really caring at this point what it looked like. 

In the end, I finished the skirt, though it is too big and the stitching is not great so I doubt I will probably wear it but the point was sewing practice and not cutting-edge fashion anyway:

I have gotten several other very cute fabrics and am planning to try a bag next (with a Sewing For Dummies pattern this time - hopefully that will be easier than whatever nonsensical pattern I used for that skirt!):

If I ever feel brave enough, I'd love to make something cute for Gemma out of the pink cowgirl fabric and this green owl fabric: