I started reading Love At First Stitch (LAFS) the night it arrived.  My goal is to work through the book and I hope by the end I’ll feel more comfortable with garment sewing.  I have no plans to do more at the moment but I hope to be able to make myself dresses, skirts and tops that fit appropriately.  I have a short torso and I often have to take dresses in for alterations.

The first project is the Brigitte Scarf.  Immediately I hit a snag.  The fabric requirement was 60 inches in length.  That’s a bit under 2 yards.  I’ve got a pretty large fabric stash (as compared to myself really).  I consider it large only because I have no more room to have more.  All my bins are stuffed full and I need to use it before I can buy more. 🙁  AND I can’t buy more bins because I would have no place to put it.  🙁  I say this because I should be able to find something in my stash but I don’t have a lot of fabric that’s over a yard.  When I go to my LQS I generally buy one yard of something if I don’t already have a project in mind.  So, that’s my first dilemma.  I know I have fabric that’s 2+ yards but that could be anywhere in the bins.  I wanted to use fabric I loved but I didn’t want to hunt through my bins wasting valuable sewing time.  I went through a stack of fabric that I had recently washed and placed aside (remember no room in the bins) and found an older piece of fabric that seemed thicker than a yard when folded up.  I unfolded it, and it was enough!  I didn’t love the fabric.  It wasn’t one I bought.  If you remember, I was gifted quite a few yards of fabric from a lady in my mini group whose mother passed away recently.  It was one of those.  I decided to use it.  I may never use this scarf but the goal of this project is to start and learn the techniques so I can move on to the next project.  I do not want to get stuck in my sewing room with piles of bins around me looking for the right piece of fabric.

Fabric chosen for Brigitte Scarf
5/13/17

Dillema #2 – the instructions have me cut a paper pattern that is 25 1/2 inches in length.  I do not have paper that is that long.  I ended up using freezer paper that I had on hand.  Sidenote – I’ve used the same roll of freezer paper for the last 10 years! Those things go a long way!  And it worked fine!

Mistake #1 – I was supposed to cut 25 1/2 inches.  I actually cut 25 inches.  I’m pretty sure in garment making that 1/2 inch would matter but in scarf making, I didn’t think so.  However, I’m reminded that that’s why we check twice, thrice and sometimes 4 times because once cut, you can’t do anything about it but find another piece of fabric and cut again.  Since I’m making a scarf, I’m going to leave it. 🙂

Note – step #3 has us put right sides together long wise but the instructions are a little confusing.  I think it’s because I’m a quilter and had I not been a quilter but a real beginner the long instruction given would have made more sense.  In addition I think I could have skipped the step of cutting the paper pattern.  I have the tools (ruler, rotary cutter, cutting mat) to figure out how to cut the fabric without the paper pattern.  However I never know when I can skip a step or not so I will continue to do all the steps as I learn.  I love how the writing is geared towards the beginner sewist because a lot of times these kinds of books assume the reader knows things that they may not necessarily know and cause confusion and heartache.

LAFS: Brigitte Scarf

I would call this a headband than a scarf but the book is written by a UK sewist so they must call it a scarf there.  I love it and even though I don’t love the fabric so much as a scarf – I prefer brighter colors for a scarf- I think I would still wear this.

~ Happy sewing!

~Melanie