Celebrating friends who sew
I sew. Obviously. And I love how a lot of you readers know what I'm talking about when I share my sewing projects. But in the real world, sewing is a bit of a lost art and not too many people I know besides my mom, who taught me, and a few of her friends consider themselves sewists.
Which is why I get really excited when friends of mine get brave and try out sewing projects! I have really happy memories of helping my good friend put together a dress she bravely made out of a Vintage Vogue pattern a few summers ago, and I am excited by the idea of helping another friend learn to use her new sewing machine!
But one very exciting story is how my oldest friend, whom I met when I was 10, has really gotten into sewing and making clothes for herself. I offered to take some pictures of her creations, so she had some good documentation!, and it was so fun seeing all the pretty things she's made (she has similar taste to mine and we both love Simplicity 2444!) and practicing blog-ish photos from a photographer's perspective.
So, without further ado... check out what my lovely friend Alyssa has been up to!
First I just have to show you what she made most recently. We talked about it before we cut it out, and now it's so cool to see how she put it together! She was inspired by this dramatic V back Urban Outfitters dress...
Source: urbanoutfitters.com
And wanted to make her own!
She used Simplicity 2444 for the bodice but seriously modified the back. She found some awesome aqua stretch lace online and the perfect double knit aqua lining at Joann. Super fun, what an accomplishment!
Simplicity 2444 bodice and gathered skirt, of a dotted nylon net over a neutral lining. Just lovely!
An elastic waist skirt she put together without a pattern...
A sheer print dress...
Another Simplicity 2444 variation (this one has a V back, too!)...
And (left) another elasticized dress without a pattern, and (right) a lovely linen print 2444 dress.
It's soooo cool to see what she's been making! Sharing the joys of sewing and creating with old friends gives me the warm fuzzies.
I'm sure you know what I mean! Have any of you had those great "shared sewing joy" moments??
I WISH I could share the sewing love but none of my friends sew so I've started to blog (unbeknown to them as they think I'm a bit weird and only old people sew!). As John Keats said I'm alone and palely loitering' and I must get 2444!!
ReplyDeleteHaha, well good for you! By blogging, you can share your creation with virtual friends who know what you're talking about! ;)
Deleteoh, i love this!! she did a great job! i also love seeing others' creations!!!
ReplyDeleteShe is just too cute! Love love love the dottie dress.
ReplyDeleteWhat a talented friend you have. I love the deep V back dress and the brown with the net, so chic! I wish I had friends that sewed, as I can do a bit of sewing but would do a lot more if I got together with friends and made a date to sew, otherwise I just procrastinate...
ReplyDeleteGood point--you can always host a sewing/craft/knit/drink tea circle, though, or get motivated to share your projects other ways!
DeleteI wish that more of my friends sewed. I love getting together to work on projects, especially when you have to hunch over a sewing machine for hours.
ReplyDeleteMeg
http://megshandmadelife.blogspot.com
Yes, it is fun when you can set up several machines together!
DeleteWow! I love altering patterns. The low V-back is gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteI'm going to be teaching a good friend of mine to sew her first project some time in the next week. Excited!
ReplyDeleteamazing!! inspiration for me to get off my butt and dust off my machine.
ReplyDeleteOh, good! =)
DeleteShe is beautiful! I love the polka dot skirt with the belt and the last red floral dress best...what fun to have a friend IRL who shares your sewing passion!
ReplyDeleteIt is very cool!
DeleteMy favorite is the brown dress with the netting, and I agree that it makes a difference to have a friend who sews. I bet you two do all sorts of fun things together like fabric shopping, pattern discussion, and helping out with different projects. You are both very talented!
ReplyDeleteThanks! We really should collaborate more... would be fun to do a sort of sew-along with the same pattern!
DeleteWhat an inspiration! I got my very first pattern this weekend and still need to figure everything out. Seeing other new "sewists" being so successful really helps me in wanting to stick with it!
ReplyDeleteOh, good! You can do it!
DeleteGosh, she is so cute! And her dresses are adorable! Hooray for a sewing friend!
ReplyDeleteTell your friend her makes are beautiful! I particularly like the aqua dress. I love being able to share with my crafty friend even though she now lives quite far away we get to chat about crafty things whenever we can!
ReplyDeleteI will! So fun to have friends who share the vocabulary! =)
DeleteShe looks fabulous and has great taste! Welcome to a sewers paradise!
ReplyDeleteMy cousin and I sew together almost every weekend. We make stuff for ourselves and each other, kids, grandkids parents and siblings. We cherish our creative time together and have learned so much from spending time on it regularly. If you and your friend share an aesthetic, an interest, plan some sewing together time! Its a blast.
ReplyDeleteWow, what a cool thing to do. Sounds really meaningful and like a great way to learn and make lots of cool things!
DeleteGlad you all like seeing Alyssa's things! I've told her to check out your sweet comments! =)
ReplyDeleteI started following you because I desperately WANT to sew, but am clueless. My Mom was a really talented seamstress, but she hasn't done it in so long she has forgotten a lot and the machines have changed so much. I bought a sewing machine, but it was delivered two weeks ago and I haven't opened the box yet because it intimidates me. I am afraid I won't be able to figure out how to thread the machine!! I look at what you and your friends do, and I feel so inadequate! I have SO (sew) much respect for the talent and time that goes into what you do, I wish more people appreciated it.
ReplyDeleteThe machine won't bite, you know...
DeleteI've always wanted to learn how to sew, but my grandmother insisted that she didn't know how to teach me. So I started to spend countless afternoons trying to become friends with her sewing machine, and it happened! I ended up buying an old Singer as my first sewing machine and I can fix and alter pretty much every little button and screw on it, because the mechanics are almost the same from Singer to Singer.
Anyway, I digress, what I wanted to say is: go open that box!
Definitely! Just open it up and test it out by sewing on a rag or something! Threading is annoying, but there are always directions, and probably even a YouTube video for your type of machine. You can do it!!!
DeleteDON'T feel inadequate! People who are good at sewing have just put more time and energy into it. You can do it, too, if you want!
BTW, I meant to tell Alssya that her items look beautiful and that she could become a model, she should be proud of herself!
ReplyDeleteI LOVE both of the blue dresses! But all of her dresses are really sweet and lovely!
ReplyDeleteSome of my friends sew, but most don't have their own sewing machines, which means if we have a sewing day, we're all trying to use the one machine. :/
Also though, a lot of the time I sew on my own, and as an introvert, not only is it how I work best, but it's how I 'refuel'. Basically, I'm still trying to find the balance between working with others creatively, and on my own!
Haha, I sometimes share sewing machine time with my mom--one of us sews while the other irons or does handsewing. Or serges. But, two machines does make it easier!
DeleteI work on my own mostly but it's fun to create at the same time, sometimes.
I LOVE those dresses! Especially the V back one. :)
ReplyDeleteUntill recently, I didn't have any friends that sewed. I have my mom, to whom i can go to when I have a question, but that's it. Now, last week, I went babysitting at one of my regular places. The mother - with whom I've got A LOT in common - recently started to sew. Aftter babysitting, we spend over 1 and a half hour talking obout sewing. I even discovered that we do have a sewing group in the neighbourhood! Something I was delighted about. We even talked about going to the 'Stoffenspektakel' (an event with loads and loads of fabricsellers and crafty people in the Netherlands and Belgium), something I wasn't able to go to before, because I just don't own a car! I'm telling you,that night, a whole new world opened it's doors for me. It feels soooooo wonderful to be able to talk with people about sewing and that they understand what you're saying!
ReplyDeleteSounds like so much fun! Congrats on finding a "support group"--will be awesome! Happy sewing!
DeleteYour friend is so talented! You simply *must* get her into the blogosphere.
ReplyDeleteI don't have any friends who sew, but lots of friends who express interest in it. Having a weekly "sewing club" has been on my to-do list for a while, but it will take a little coordination since I'll be the teacher! But the results I think, would be most gratifying. How often do you teach friends to sew? Do you have any teaching tips? This might be a good blog post for you ;)
I know, I've tried... I'd love to read her blog! =)
DeleteI would love to teach more friends to sew, and I have a few lined up, but it's hard because I don't want to pressure them or make it seem like a chore.
What I've done before is have a friend bring over her mending pile, then go through each item and show her how easy it is for me (or her?) to fix it. Sew on buttons, take in the sides of a blouse, mend a tear in a seam...
Pinterest is great for finding easy projects that friends may be interested in, too, so if they find something they want to do, you can teach them how! Dish towels with velcro, etc.
I would love to teach more people!
Hi!
ReplyDeleteI've been reading your blog for a really long time, but until now I haven't decided to leave a comment. Your work is totally fantastic! I love your creations and tutorials.
I know the feeling you describe in this entry. Sewing is something a bit old-fashioned, but it is a pleasure for me anyways. It's even more rare in people of my age since I am 18... But there is nothing like wearing the clothes you love and have no limits - we sewists can wear almost whatever we want! And my friends agree with that - I recently taught a friend how to take in one of her t-shirts, and I know that's only the beginning... ;)
(Sorry if I make any grammatical or spelling mistakes, English is not my first language so it's hard to understand me sometimes)
Hugs!
Hello and welcome! Thanks for your comment!
DeleteSo glad you like the blog. There are other young people out there who sew, but it's much easier to find them in the blog world than in real life, sometimes! You have the right idea--keep on sewing! =)