Once upon a time ago, I was a seventh grader. A trying-to-be-rebellious-but-not-quite-able-to-do-it-under-the-watchful-eye-of-Daddy teenager. You decided it might be "good" for me to take some sewing lessons. Every Saturday morning for I-don't-know-how-many-weeks, we woke up early and you drove me into Westfield to Mrs. Farnham and Farnham Fabrics. She was old. And her breath smelled like coffee. And her fabric was "ugly". ***teenage harumph*** I remember sewing a kelly green pair of pants, which I wore well into high school (with my navy blue and kelly green whale sweater!) and I remember sewing a golden pair of velour shorts. I also remember totally loving Mrs. Farnham (and her sweet old husband who used to hang around the shop, puttering about and whistling under his breath!) and the smell of her coffee breath but there was NO WAY I was ever going to let you know that. Mrs. Farnham was gentle and kind and probably used to many trying-to-be-rebellious-but-not-quite-able-to-do-it-under-the-watchful-eye-of-Daddy teenagers! She did indeed teach me how to sew and she let me pick out ugly patterns and fabrics without a word, judgmental or otherwise! She taught me that I should never be afraid to cut out a pattern or sew in zippers and to always! always! always! press open my seams! It has been thirty-more years since I've seen Mrs. Farnham but every time I smell someone's coffee breath, I always think of her.
I don't sew very often but every time I sew something, I LOVE it! Every time I sew something, I wonder, "Why don't I sew more often?!" I really do love to sew! I'm not super great at reading patterns but I have knit enough to know how things are put together and that I can cheat my way through the pattern! So I found a darling pants pattern that I wanted to try for Pipsqueak. The pattern is called "the Bella pants" by Pink Fig Patterns. The pants are absolutely adorable but the pattern . . . well . . . . let's just say I did a LOT of cheating!!
I did a single ruffle with no pockets.
For the expert seamstress, this project will take maybe an hour; for someone like me, with sewing experience but struggles with reading patterns, a weekend. I LOVED sewing these pants and have another pair all ready to go! I also took great care in pressing open all of my seams! Mrs. Farnham would be so proud!
Love,
Wendy
1 comment:
She looks adorable. (Don't tell her I said that word.) Does she like them? When our oldest daughter was in middle school and had a growth spurt, she used to love it when I'd cut the hem off her jeans and sew a long ruffle on them, then make a matching top. Too bad we couldn't do it with her brother's.
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