Look What I Can Do

I can't believe I did it, but I did...voila!  A purse!

My lesson at Make! was a blast.  The instructor was great and the atmosphere very casual, laid back and comfortable.   They provided those of us who had to rent a machine a Brother LS 2125.  It was really easy to thread and even easier to use.  There were only four of us in the class, so it felt like a private lesson.  After threading the machine and winding the bobbin, we worked on our straight stitch, to practice using both the 5/8" seam allowance line and the backstitch feature.  My practice patch:

After that, we dove right in to our main project.  We weren't able to select our fabric like I thought we would, but they did have it cut and ready for us when we arrived.  Because of the way the lining was sewn in, the bag is reversable.

I did make it down to the Bishop Arts District early and it was worth it.  It's a very crafty, artsy part of town, small though it may be.  I loved how bright and colorful some of the storefronts were, and the architecture was just pretty in general.  It was neat to explore all the shops and chat with their owners - an antique store, a children's boutique, a soda-pop shop, among others.  I brought back some Thomas Kemper's Ginger Ale and Cheerwine Cherry Soda for me and The Hubby from The Soda Gallery. I also snagged a couple of treasures from Zola's Vintage Shop:  a roll of ribbon, an old jar (each for a dollar) and a jar of vintage sewing notions.  Just some souveniers of my day that will be a great addition to my sewing room-to-be. 

Below, a mosaic of the photographs I snapped before class.

What's next?  Shopping for a machine and gathering some basic supplies like thread, a good pair of scissors and a seam ripper.  I have a feeling that will be crucial tool in my kit. 

What pattern will I start with?  I don't know - I have favorited a lot on Etsy for purchase and have acquired several free patterns and many free tutorials from my web searches over the last few weeks.  The hard part will be choosing one.  I'm itching to try them all...