Lessons Learned While Sewing

Today I had a brilliant idea and decided to give sew-in interfacing a try.  (Don’t ask me why-I bought six yards of good quality fusible interfacing last week.)

I had some ivory damask fabric (a chair cover that my mom gave me) and decided to make a child’s purse out of it.

So I cut my pieces (four of the damask print and four of the sew-in interfacing).  I had thread that matched perfectly.  I made the strap and decided to use a hook and loop closure (little hands don’t always know how to use snaps or buttons!).   I sewed the lining and outer pieces of the purse together.  I found out I like the sew-in interfacing.  It gave this purse a very soft feel and wasn’t as rigid as fusible interfacing (although I will continue to use fusible interfacing for item I sell-this really was, in hindsight, a practice purse).

Finally, everything was sewn together.  I was about to turn everything right side out when I realized the ends were fraying.  So I pulled out my overcast stitch foot (a Christmas present) and went to work.  When I finished, I had neat edges.

I turned the purse right sides out and to my dismay, I immediately saw a couple of mistakes.

First, the purse isn’t straight!  I didn’t cut the pattern out right.  Second, the hook and loop closure was placed too close to the top of the purse-so close, in fact, that it was partially sewn into the top seam.  And on top of that, I didn’t have a large enough seam allowance and instead of being completely closed, the seam was popping out of the top.

So, I’ve learned a few things:

1. I need to take my time cutting out pattern pieces.  In fact, the pattern has been used so much that I think it should be transferred to wax paper.
2. Place the hook and loop closure (or snaps) a little lower than the pattern allows for.
3. Don’t trim the seam allowance all the way down.  I didn’t mean to-really.  But I did.

Needless to say, my two and half-year old daughter has acquired another purse.  I’m sure she doesn’t mind (she likes to play dress-up), but I had planned on listing this item.  Now I’m back to square one.  And with these lessons behind me, I ask:  What sewing lessons have you learned?  Really, leave a comment.  I love to read them!