#learntosew Project No. 3 & 4

This is going up a couple weeks late, I know.  The past few weeks have been extremely hectic at work.  And when I mean extremely, I mean I've been working every single day, including several hours on the weekends.  I racked up a little over 92 hours last pay period.  Yeah.

I figured I might as well post my projects anyway, especially since a lot of you have expressed your interest in sewing so hopefully these posts inspire you to start learning how to sew as well!

Week 3's lesson was Turning and Top Stitching.  Basically, it's when you sew something inside out and then turn it the right way and go over the edges with a straight stitch.  Top stitching really makes a world of difference in the appearance of your finished product, trust me.

For the project, I decided to sew this linen bucket bag but used an old belt as the strap, since I couldn't find any leather supplies nearby.  Love how well it turned out and how simple it was to make.

Week 4 was How to Insert Elastic.  It's basically creating a hem and stringing your elastic through and then closing the hem.  I've used elastic in several projects already so this one was pretty simple for me.

I had more of the pineapple print fabric from the bucket bag so I made myself a pair of cute little tulip-style pom-pom shorts.  I made up the pattern myself so I ran into several bumps along the way and had to whip out my seam ripper a few times, but it turned out okay.  And I'm glad that I attempted it so I know what NOT to do for the next pair I make.

Oh, and here's another project I whipped together in the last couple weeks.  Figured I might as well give leggings and a sports bra a shot, especially since I'll be working out more this month.  It turned out pretty okay, my machine's tension was acting up so it was a bit wonky as the fabric started gathering a bit, but it really isn't noticeable at all so whatevs.

What have you been creating?  Have you decided to start sewing yet?  What are you waiting for?!