Continued Sewing for a Fashionable Home

      Just when you thought my fashion was going to be only about clothes. Sorry, I hate to disappoint you. In fact I look at fashion as so much more. 

     I do look at a big part of fashion as being a part of the clothing industry. However, we can have so much more that would be considered fashionable. How about the accessories that we adorn ourselves with, the home that we decorate to our tastes, the art work that we admire. I believe that all of it and more can be considered fashionable. Unfortunately when it comes down to fashion people stop at the first thing they thing of, clothing.

     Now I have to admit that I did pick out the curtains that I was working on last night. That was a selection that my wife made. I did however assist in making a decision about the colors of paint that we used on the walls. Once we finalize the room I will post a couple of pics looking at how all of this ties together.

     The curtains were a simple purchase that we made. We liked them but they did not conform to the size of windows that we have. The answer was to split each curtain panel down the middle and hem the raw edge that was created. This worked out well and I believe that it was a great success. We used two full curtain panels and ended up with four panels. This covers the two windows that flank either side of our fire place.

     Now the big challenge that we faced was getting a double roll on the hem that needed to be sewn. It was up to my wife to pin it up and ensure that all of the hems were straight. For the most part that worked out well. The issue is with working with this type of fabric. I has a fairly loose weave and did not like to completely stay in place while sewing. If we would have taken just a little more time we should have taken out the ironing board and pressed the hem flat. This would ensure that it stays in place when sewing. We just wanted to get the project done and relax for an hour before hopping into bed for the night.

     Now the hem ran the length of the curtain. It might have been easier if it was just on the top or bottom width. Sewing the length proved to be somewhat challenging. That is a long distance and it had to be done on all four of the panels. That means that no matter how hard I tried there were still flaws in the sewing. The biggest issue was that the stitching was not exactly straight. That however was easy to over come. Put the newly hemmed edges to the outside of the windows so that they are up against the wall. You want to put the factory hems butted up against each other in the middle of the window. That way none of the flaws in your sewing will stand out.

     This project was a simple sew though it did have its challenges. You think that great, four quick straight hems and your done. Sounds simple enough but in practice it proved to be a little more challenging that first anticipated. The total sewing time was right around 1 hour. Total time for the cutting, pinning and sewing is estimated to be right around 3 hour.

     Just because something that you like does not exactly match what you are envisioning, you can make changes, most of the time. Two curtain panels turned into four. This I believe also fits other areas of the fashion world. Just learn some simple sewing and you can customize your outfit to match your vision. I learned just a few simple sewing techniques and I am up and sewing. Each time I get in front of the sewing machine it is a learning experience. I strive to learn something new. Whether it is working with new fabric or just learning new other techniques I strive to keep learning.

     I hope that you have the most wonderful day and I will be back soon.

A Frightening First for Halloween

     A year ago I would never have dreamed that I would be participating in sewing a costume for Halloween. In all reality I did not do much but there always has to be a beginning.

     OK, there was not much for me to do. I just had to add a little stitching on the apron of my daughter outfit. Everything else was pretty much already done. The rest of the costume was purchased and ready to go.

     My wife asked me to do this simple task because, one she really does not like working on clothing... of any kind and two, she knows that I am fairly proficient with the sewing machine. This is a skill that I have worked on over the past year. When I emerged from the sewing room the only thing she said was, "your done with that already?" My answer was of course. For me mastering the sewing machine is not really a difficult process and for years, before I started sewing, I was always the one getting things set up and making the machine work for her.

     I finally figured that I know enough about the machine that I might as well start sewing. The only thing that I needed to do is learn how to sew. That is where some light reading and You Tube came into the picture. I spent a short amount of time learning the basics and practicing the basics.

     Now I am looking to expand my abilities and really enjoy the learning process. What is slowing me down now is I am a full time employee in a major health system and I am also finishing up my bachelors degree in business, which I should be done with college by the end of the year. Then I can move on to other interests.

     Will sewing be a part of these other interests. Yes. I will be doing more sewing, photography and blogging. I also am really hoping to add some videos of what I am doing. I will have a full plate to keep me busy by I am looking forward to these new ventures.

     Please follow this blog and check out wertanen.com. You can also follow me on my website for updates on everything I am doing. I can also be found on various social media sites most of which is listed on my websites homepage.

     Thank you for visiting and hope to see you back here often. Have the happiest and most wonderful holiday season.