Skip to main content

Throwback Thursday: My First Sewing Project

In the past five years, I have really embraced garment sewing. I learned to sew a young age and began by sewing simple garments. They weren't that great, but I applaud myself for at least trying. In high school and college I took a break from garment sewing and did a lot of quilting. I was also a fibers major in college, so I was doing a lot of weaving at that time in my life. It wasn't until I started working at Fabric Mart in 2008, that I really embraced garment sewing again. Seeing so many beautiful fabrics was really inspiring.

But you know what I remember most about sewing? My first project! It was the summer I was going to 2nd grade. My aunt would watch my brother and I every other tuesday. One week I made nautical print shorts for my brother. The next week I made denim shorts for myself! The fabric was from my grandmother's fabric stash. I cut it strictly from the pattern. No alterations or anything. The top band had elastic. How much easier can it get? My aunt guided me through the process and I have to say I didn't do too bad!

When I was cleaning my sewing room a few weeks ago, I found the shorts!


I was always on the bigger side than everyone else growing up, so the shorts are actually large enough that I could probably still wear them. I will never get rid of these shorts, it's a huge memory in my life and one that I can share with my children and grandchildren. Plus I have something to prove it!

Do you still have your first sewing project? What was it? How old were you when you made it?

Tell us your story! If you would like to share your first sewing project with our readers, email fabricmartblog@gmail.com with photos and a description and/or story behind the project. We'd love to share your story!

Comments

  1. That is a nice memory and an impressive pair of shorts for a little girl to make!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I don't have my first project, but I remember it well. A skirt in "Home Ec" in some brown fabric that frayed very badly. By high school I was making a lot of my own garments including Betsy Johnson "Alley Cat" designs. I have since obtained the Alley Cat patterns I once sewed (from Ebay mostly) and it brings back very happy memories..........

    ReplyDelete
  3. That's amazing that you accomplished that at such a young age. Kudos to your aunt for her guidance.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Thanks for leaving a comment! All comments are reviewed before posting to help us eliminate spam. Your comment will be posted within 24 hours.

Recent Posts You Might Like

A Yard And Change

Do you have a fabric that you love and has been hanging around but is too small to use? Maybe you found a wonderful fabric with a super cute print but there's only a yard left.  I've got a few projects I worked on all with roughly a yard of fabric. And I have a few tips for making that yard and change go further! Cutting Layout: You can get a lot more mileage out of a yard of fabric if you can get creative with how you lay out your fabric. Cutting things single layer will give you the most control. My favorite thing to do is unfold the fabric and fold the selvages in to meet in the middle. That gives me two folded edges to work with. I had to overlap these to get enough width for the tank top. Just make sure that your pattern pieces don't also overlap!  This one was especially fun for me because I really loved the print on this swimwear knit but am not yet up to sewing swimwear. But a nice flowy hiking tank is perfect for this! In the future I'd love to experiment with...

Help Our Buyers Shop!

  Comment on this post with what you are looking for right now and our buyers will seek it out!  I am craving wool gabardines and ponte knits in fun autumn colors. What about you?

Sewing Vintage for Summer

Hello sewing friends!  I was highly motivated to try another one of the vintage Polynesian Pattern dresses I’ve collected during our hot weather. The patterns are all dramatic and fashionable and really apropos for summer styling. This one is number 204, the Pilialoha Dress.  The gown includes a wide boatneck that many of them feature, plus a very beautiful back gathering and wraparound closure. I always find that the special details on the back are such a chic surprise compared to the simple front.  I chose a lemon covered cotton lawn . I am really delighted with the quality of this cotton, it’s luxuriously soft and smooth. The scale of the lemons and blossoms are just right and not overwhelming, and the soft yellow background is beautiful. This could not be more charming and summery!  I also chose some excellent lightweight interfacing for my facings, and the real highlight is these Dritz Floral Sew-On Snaps that I’ve had my eye on for months! Finally, the perfect ...

Athletic Wear Refresh: A Bold New Gym Set

There’s something especially motivating about refreshing your workout wardrobe with pieces that feel like you. As part of my ongoing athletic wear refresh, I’m adding another handmade set to my gym wardrobe—and this one might be the boldest yet. Lately, I’ve been taking a closer look at my handmade wardrobe and thinking more intentionally about what I actually wear in this season of my life. Athletic wear has become a big part of that. Instead of treating workout clothes as an afterthought, I want my gym wardrobe to have the same personality, color, and style as everything else I make. And this fabric made that very easy.  The Fabric That Started It All   The moment I saw this vibrant multicolored paisley, I was immediately drawn to it. The mix of warm reds, oranges, greens, turquoise, and golden yellow against the light background feels bold, energetic, and a little unexpected for athletic wear . There’s something about the print that reminds me of Etro and other higher-end f...