Never Stop Learning

As immersed as I've been in the fiber arts for all of my adult life, I'm sorry to admit that my sewing skills are few. I never had any home economics classes in high school or before. The little I know has been cobbled together on my own, with the result that I've never made a garment with which I was really pleased. My confidence in my sewing was nil. So I felt considerable trepidation this past Saturday when I walked into Daryl Lancaster's Jumpstart Vest workshop, my handwoven cloth in my basket. Thanks to our local Guild, Daryl spent the weekend teaching eleven of us how to create a vest that fits well using our handwoven yardage.

Here's a detail of my fabric which I wrote about in my last post. Originally this fabric had been destined for other things, not a garment. But I ran out of time to weave something simpler, less patterned for my vest.



Using Daryl's master patterns, we each made our personal pattern that suited our own bodies and tastes. We spent Saturday making our patterns, marking and cutting the pieces in our yardage using tailor's tacks, and fusing interfacing to the neck and armhole bands. On Sunday we fired up our sewing machines and began assembling our vests. Daryl is a very knowledgeable seamstress, fashion designer, and a superb teacher. She helped each of us over any obstacles, and for those of us with slim sewing skills, there were many. I was nervous cutting into my fabric, wondering if I was dooming a nice piece of yardage to a dark dresser drawer forever. On Sunday I was still nervous as I began putting everything together. Now it's true, there were a few areas where I had to redo and redo yet again, but by Sunday evening, I left with my vest complete except for the hand sewing.

We all learned so many useful tips as we worked on our vests. Learning how to put in a lining was completely new to me. This armhole treatment was tricky but the finished edge is well worth the effort and ripping out a few times.



Daryl demonstrated how to make bias tape from the lining material. We then used it for a Hong Kong seam finish on the hem and for the ends of the armhole bands. I really liked the neat, unifying look of this technique, all raw edges nicely tucked inside the hem.



Hand hemming towels, runners, etc. is always relaxing for me, so Monday I finished up all the edges. After one last pressing, I tried it on. It fits great and I like it so well! At last night's Guild meeting many of us from the workshop wore our finished (or nearly finished) vests. There were big smiles all around. Each of us had a garment made from our own hands that fits and makes us happy to be wearing it. For myself, I have new confidence in my sewing skills and a renewed desire to drive my sewing machine again. The lesson here - it is never too late to learn. Never.