My First Day Sewing, or, How to Twist the Neck Binding of a Box Shirt and Render it Unfixable

Last night, I learned how to thread my blue Janome, thread the bobbin, pick up the bobbin thread, and sew a straight line. 

Today, I put it into practice. 

I traced a pattern from the book How to Sew Clothes by Amelia Greenhall and Amy Bornman in my size and cut it out NOT using the fabric scissor – a personal win. Then, I ironed the muslin, a fabric which sewists recommend using as sort of first draft fabric of choice. 

I traced a pattern with pink tailor’s chalk and cut along the lines using a rotary cutter. Importantly, I did it on a folded piece of cloth (the second time around). Because I messed up. And cut a folded piece of muslin again for the back side. 

I realized I had cut the muslin cloth too short and had to go with the cropped box top version. That was okay, though! I kept going.

I got to straight stitching, ironing seams, seam ripping, zig-zagging, and hemming for about two hours. The neck binding came out, how you say, horrific. The shirt was not perfect. It was not even good. But it was mine, and my first try at machine-sewing a garment. And that is good enough for me!

I have wanted to try sewing for months. I kept thinking about the romance and rush of not just making what I wear with my own hands, but the ethics of participating in fast fashion at all. All clothes are by and large still handmade, even with the assistance of industrial sewing machines. And I am starting to appreciate the time, skill, and effort it takes to make garments , bags, and other fabric-based things.

I would love to get to the point where my whole wardrobe is sewn by me. But for now, I’ll settle for mending store-bought clothes and this boxy muslin shirt.