Me and my....Cameo

So, me and my Cameo have been getting better acquainted in the last few weeks, and albeit not as much craft time as I would like I have definitely had some fun. I've downloaded more files than I think I will ever use, and I am already starting to rethink that monthly subscription... but you know, what's a crafter to do if she can't hoard a little?

I am in love with the fast paced and efficient way I am able to get cards and scrapbook pages done, especially when I get to use shapes which I would have had to hand cut or punch (please note that I only have two border punches) before.

I made a batch of note cards a while back, to keep in my stash for when the need arises, I utilised one particular shape in my silhouette program and cut a multitude of pieces of paper with my industrial paper trimmer (thanks hubby! still using this gift to within an inch of its life!). Although I could have cut the paper pieces with the silhouette as well, it was just uneconomical for me to waste my cutting mat, blade and time, constantly changing out pieces of paper to be trimmed down. I was cutting squares you see and nothing too fancy.

A couple of trusty stamps (mostly Angel company and Kaiserkraft branded) from my stash and a LOT of scrap paper later, I have quite a few pretties to place into my stash box. Thanks Silhouette! and trusty paper trimmer (of course)

 

xoxo

Quite possibly the worst outfit ... like... ever...

So, my venture into the world of sewing began this weekend... sort of. I finally pulled the monster out of it's box and onto my workstation (read decorative bar area).

But before I relay my experience, let me show you my first ever (sewing related) haberdashery purchase. Hubby was with me on this momentous occasion and offered to pay for my purchase that included a washout fabric pen, safety pins, pins, elastic, buttons, fabric and cotton. All for a tidy sum of One hundred and Ninety Seven South African Rands.

I really felt lost inside the store, and I was not as confident as I usually am when walking into a craft store, for instance. I did not know where to find anything, in fact, I did not know what I was even looking for. I knew I needed fabric and elastic and cotton. Full stop. Only once I got there did I realise I needed pins, possibly a fabric pen and some 'nice to haves'. I didn't bother with scissors as my in-laws have two and I plan to borrow until I can get my own. They cost an arm and a leg.

My new sewing machine truly is an art piece waiting to be admired, I really love it. I took the photo just before I tried to thread the needle. An easier task than I had imagined, due to the handy 'auto-threader'. More on this in another post though.

I took some advice from my MIL and washed the fabric before I got underway. Once washed and dried, I ironed it. Where to next? The video online for the one-hour skirt, by Brett Bara. I said I was going to make this my first project didn't I?

I'm not going to go into details, but I followed the tutorial pretty much one hundred percent. I am pretty happy with my methodology and straight lines on my first sewing attempt, and I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know my machine. Without sounding too chuffed with myself, I do think that my seams and waistband were pretty well worked.

What I did not enjoy, was the realisation that I had completely chosen and bought the WRONG type of material for this skirt. It was face palm moment of massive proportions when I pulled the thing on and realised the material was way too stiff. I did not even bother to hem it... I think I will be unpicking the stitches and turning the material into clever pen holders for my craft friends....

It sucks that I couldn't get it entirely right with my first attempt, but, I guess it just goes to show that everything you blog about is not always going to come out looking peachy. And just to prove that I'm not scared of admitting my mistakes, here's a nice big photo of the finished product (minus the hem).

Laughed enough? Here's hoping my next attempt will not be so 'green' and that I can choose the RIGHT material!

xoxo