Learning To Sew

Part of the ten year plan is learning some independence skills. For example, I want to be able to repair and create cushion covers and sail covers. This means learning some basic sewing skills and learning to work on a gear driven sewing machine.

Enter my beautiful Singer 15-91. What a wonderful machine! I bought it from a sewing machine expert, the-treasure-cellar on ebay, and couldn’t be more pleased. From 1952, this single-stitch machine is smooth and wonderful to work with.

I also have another Singer, a 4432, that I purchased on amazon.

It is a nice all purpose machine, but not terribly strong. I’ve easily sewn through half a dozen layers of denim with the 15-91, but the 4432 gets cranky much sooner.

The 15-91 will be my sailboat sewer. It easily handles layers of canvas and leather.

To learn, I’ve been doing some basic projects. First was a nice cozy for my sewing machine. It’s made of a nice oil cloth and has a bias binding.

I also made a couple of nice composition notebook covers, one using the oil cloth, and the other using a medium weight denim.

I figured it was time to try a shirt pattern. Using the Kwik Sew K3422 pattern for mens shirts, I started on shirt version 1.

Version 1 wasn’t a success. However, I learned a ton.

Version 2 actually turned out well. It’s a very wearable shirt. Well, it will be. I need to loose a few more pounds, but I’m getting there. 🙂

For no reason other than my entertainment, I’ve included a gallery of the steps along the way.

Enjoy!