My Determined Skirt

My sewing machine pretty much gave up on me when I was making this sucker. The tip of the needle broke off and fell into the bottom and stitches stopped well - stitching :( I have been planning on getting it serviced for the last month or so, but do you think I have? Nope. That would be entirely too responsible of me. LOL

I can do the hand stitch projects no problem, but no machine time for me until I get my butt in gear and get it to the service shop.

The only good thing about not having my sewing machine in working order right now is that it prompts me to start other projects – jewelry, painting, cleaning, crafting that I have been wanting to start, etc… I go through phases in the year inspired by different types of crafting. My summer fabric phase was cut short due to the demise of my machine, so onto the next medium: Paint and jewelry~ We’ll see what I come up with.

So I was able to make the pleats and connect the front and the back, but when it came to the elastic, I think I went about 3 stitches on my machine then the needle broke. I was so friggin determined to finish it before the end of the day, I did it by hand. It was soooo difficult and tedious. I had to find a way to stretch the elastic to the fabric, but I needed both my hands to hand stitch. I had to fit the elastic over my knees and stretch it while stitching. It took about an hour and my hip muscles had never been used so diligently in like, forever. The next day I thought about my completed skirt every time I took a step ‘cause my butt/hip muscles were so tired from stretching the fabric. I had to use Stitch Witchery to hem it since I wasn’t about to take on another hand sewing job. I really should wear it once a week to make all the trouble worth it, but shoot, all I have to do is glance at it a couple times a month and the fabric makes me smile. Not bad for $2.50 worth of fabric and $2.50 worth of elastic. Overall I feel pretty accomplished making something that is on regular rotation in my closet.

Anyhoodle, I gotts to get on fixin’ that machine!

Just in case your day is dark - I had to include these pics of my youngest dog investigating my activities with the camera. She’s just so darn cute! My animal babies make my day EVERY day. Life would be so boring without them!