Beginner Sewing: Class 4 & 5 & 6!

Hello again!

This is my final Beginner Sewing Class post. The last classes were a lot more hands on, and I learned a lot. The class was a success, I made a beautiful pencil skirt that I wear regularly and get complimented on a lot. My most interesting discovery of the class was the size difference between my waist and hips. It made me super excited to continue sewing and making more clothing. Here is a summary of the more interesting things that I learned in the final 3 classes, where I inserted the zipper, had a fitting to adjust the skirt size, inserted the lining, added a waistband with interfacing and hemmed the skirt:

1. Having a perfect waistband requires precision that I just do not have the patience for, but people don't seem to notice imperfection on that level. You need to cut the waistband and the interfacing straight, then fold and iron, and if you were a little off, then you miss part of the fabric when sewing the waistband down and you end up with a gap and visible stitching on the outside (instead of stitching in the ditch). That being said, if you have a close enough thread colour to the fabric, it's not really noticeable. 
   
2. Adding a lining was an excellent decision, it means that I have a nicer material than wool next to my skin when I am not wearing fleece-lined tights (which is rare, my office is cold). I also find that it means that the skirt is less likely to ride up because the crepe seems to stick to my afore-mentioned tights. Next time I want a real lining with some more weight.
3. Having an invisible zipper foot makes putting in a zipper a cinch, I cannot believe how easy it is. I discovered that I actually have an invisible zipper foot, so now I only want to use invisible zippers. 
   
4. I really want a rotary cutter and mat (The teacher let me borrow one, it's so easy!) 

   

   One day....

5. Interfacing is not as straightforward as you would think. There are different kinds, different price points, and different ways they can be used. I used fusible interfacing, but someone else in the class used sewn-in interfacing. I expected it to be stiffer, so when I use it in the future I might spend a bit more money to get the nice stuff. 
   
6. Blind hems require some amount of precision and even-ness, which I ran out of before I got to the hem. Since it is blind (mostly), no one has commented on it yet. 

Ignore the face.

All in all, a major takeaway is that a piece does not have to be perfect to look good, the fit is more important than tiny details (at least for a basic piece with no pattern on the fabric).

Definitely worth $1/metre

Since finishing the class I have finished the maxi skirt for my sister, a shiny holiday skirt for myself, and made envelope pillow cases. I have also started the process of making another pencil skirt with plaid fabric I got at Value Village for less than $5, with which I have already made a blanket scarf (and by that I mean I cut a piece to approximately the size I wanted and I wear it like a blanket scarf). I have also added more inexpensive fabric to my collection because clearly I have a problem - which is that I have more money than time and sense. Since I don't have a lot of money, that's saying something.

That's it for my beginner sewing class. I have yet to decide what direction I would like to take my blog, so sit tight!