Hi! My name is Jackson and I am currently a soon-to-be college graduate. I am from Ohio and I am so ready to get out of here! I spend a lot of my time working at my part-time job, and when I am not working, I spend my time practicing different crafts and hobbies that make me happy. Sewing happens to be one of those things, and I can see sewing being a part of my life forever. I have been wanting to start a blog type website where I can document my progress and hopefully reach a point where I can help other people with their sewing!
I got my first machine near the end of 2023, and I was so obsessed as soon as I brought it home. It was a Singer, which is a brand I had recognized prior to my hunt. It was very old but I was determined to take it home, do my research, and have fun! The first half of the battle was learning what each part was and what it did. Then, I spent time trying to examine the machine and see if there were any faulty parts! I ran my first piece of fabric through with the thought, “you gotta start somewhere, right?” but it quickly came to me that there is not much direction after trying without some sort of guidance. I spent the next two weeks, with all of my free time, trying to really understand each part. I ran a few more pieces through and BAM! It got stuck. No biggie, I’ll just rethread the machine. Wrong. Alright, I will replace the needle? Wrong. So then I sat there for the next few weeks thinking, “All of that for nothing.” Well, a few weeks pass and I am craving to push some fabric through, I want to do what I had a vision for, MAKING GARMENTS!
I decided then that it was time for me to take this seriously if I would like to make progress and really be good. I took online to find the most basic, reliable, beginner-friendly sewing machine there is: SINGER Heavy Duty 4411. It looked reliable online and I had also watched a couple episodes of Rupaul’s Drag Race and noticed that they use these machines as well. The machine was a guilt-free purchase. I had been thinking about this so long at this point that I had so much built-up in my mind! If I can even do a hobby longer than a week it is a miracle, let alone just thinking about it for two months. I got home, immediately opened it, cropped a t-shirt for my friend, and finished the hem. I was so proud of myself. After about two weeks of initial frustration, just trying to get the first machine to work, and then the months following when all I could do was educate myself, it was all worth it to me.
After this first “project” with the new and improved household sewing machine, I had to scratch the itch harder. I deconstructed two shirts and sewed the front panel of one shirt to the back of the other, cut in into a tube-top, and I drove to my friend’s house immediately after to have her try it on. Another success, I feel like it was only getting better from there! I learned how to make a tote bag next, then a scrunchie (new application: elastic), then I mustered up the courage to purchase a pattern on Pinterest. It was honestly very easy to follow, and I made my friend a pretty dress out of an old sheet that I found at GoodWill.
Since then, my sewing has slowed down tremendously. I recently sewed my own vampire cape for Halloween, free hand, and it actually turned out quite nice. I decided that this may not only be the start of something I have been wanting to do (a blog) and a continuation and motivator of my craft (sewing).
I plan to keep up with this blog, as I learn more from others and share my progress, as well as making videos and tutorials for after I learn. I will make them super simple because when I watched other tutorials, I felt left out of the sewing verbiage as a beginner.
I hope that anyone will follow my journey to becoming a better sewer.