So I taught myself to Sew.

Growing up, I so vividly remember excitedly perusing through countless McCall's catalogs at JoAnn Fabrics, looking for the perfect dress.  I've always been a dress wearer, so much so that there is video record of a five year old me bawling my eyes out when I saw my mom had laid out jeans for me to wear. Jeans. for ME.to.wear.   I held my head in my hands an you could hear a muffled "but I'll look like a boooooyyyyyy".

Five children, not to mention five girls - each just a year apart, well, it can get pretty spendy clothing us; so these JoAnn trips were like Disney World to me.  I got to pick my dress AND several different fabric patterns I wanted the dress in.  I could care less that I wore a different variation of the same dress all summer, it was incredible.  I felt like I had my own custom clothing designer, no one wore what I wore; while other kids made fun of my 'home made' clothes, I felt privileged, and proud.

Needless to say, it was pretty destined I would end up sewing for myself one day.  It all happened one day my freshman year of high school.  I missed the bus, and my dad was long gone on his way to work.. I had no ride, and have never been a huge television junkie; so somehow I ended up cutting up a few towels and hand sewing a beach bag.  I was abundantly proud of what I had made. From nothing.  I had no sewing supplies, but I found a small sewing kit in my dads things and went to work.  I showed my grandma that night, and she was so impressed we went straight to Wal-Mart to get my very first sewing machine.

Now, from far away it may seem I know what I am doing, but don't be fooled.  I most certainly don't.  A favorite saying of mine, "fake it til you make it".  If you just have the balls to go for it, it will sometimes just work.  So here are some of my creations!

This is one of my favorites.  It fits perfect. It is simple, but the pattern is appealing.  I am a sucker for brown, and a lover of empire waists.

I was so pleased with the outcome I made it in red too!

Sometimes, it just works out the way I want it, but don't be discouraged when it most definitely does not.

<-- Case in point. This fabric is the same as the above brown but in light blue. I don't know if it is solely the change in color, or the fact I made it in to a dress with pleats, but this looks like it should be hanging on a window... not my body. Needless to say, I believe this has ended up at Goodwill.

And then there is this -->

While it doesn't look horrendous in this photo, I mistakenly used a shiny leopard fabric, which in combination with  the wide sleeves and loose fit of the dress, it looked like I was parading around this horse town in my bathrobe. 

You win some, you lose some!

Sometimes I just really get in the mood to do some sewing.  I'll go blow a hundred dollars at JoAnn's, knock a few out, then don't look at the machine again for a while.  I have a pile of dresses waiting to be made, and I keep making the excuse that my machine is at my friends house (another exciting project, homemade headboard, pillows, curtains, and ottoman cover!!). Ahh well, at least the sewing patterns are pretty to look at: