Best Quarantine Purchase

Since lockdown, I've watched a lot of YouTube and Tik Tok videos. One thing that kept popping up on my page was videos about sewing. At first, it just amazed me how creative people were. They transformed fabric and upcycled their old or thrifted clothes. The more I watched and learned, the more I became inspired. I wanted to buy my own sewing machine so I can attempt to copy and even make my own project. 

At first, I tried buying it online but shipping was either not available for  Guam, or it was just too expensive. I tried looking at local stores, but many were out of stock. I asked my family, and fortunately, one of them knew someone who had their own tailoring business. She also happens to have a machine she wasn't using anymore. I met with her and she sold it to me for a really cheap price. As you can tell from the picture, it looks old and some parts are broken off but I LOVE it. I think it's perfect for a beginner like me. The lady taught me how to operate it, and even gave me some threads and small fabric to practice on.

For my first upcycling project, I wanted to turn men's swimming shorts, which had a cute tropical pattern, into a matching piece (shorts and a crop top). My mission for the bottom was to trim the shorts, create a new hem, and adjust it to my size since it was very large on me.  For the top, I needed to use the scraps of fabric from the shorts and put them together to create a top that fits around my body. I also wanted to make it seem like an actual top, and not just fabrics put together, so I made the hemlines a top should have.

It was my first time using the machine on my own, and it was sooo stressful. I also didn't have a lot of the materials I needed like fabric scissors and pins. I just tried to work with what I had by using sharp scissors and hair clips. The first issue I had with the machine is that I didn't really know how to control it. I didn't know how much I had to step on the footer for the right speed, or how to use my hand to make sure the stitching was straight. The most difficult thing I had to deal with is the thread. In a sewing machine, the thread comes from the top (needle) and the bottom. For some reason, my bottom thread kept jamming. I removed and put it back together so many times. After hours of dealing with that problem, I finally fixed it. Another issue is that I wasn't familiar with the different types of fabric, so I didn't know how to properly make the top with just the fabric I had. Eventually, I just improvised it and it actually turned out well. Although my stitches aren't perfectly straight, it wasn't noticeable at all and I loved it. 

So far, I did a couple upcycling projects just to practice, but I haven't made many practical outfits since I haven't had much time because of school and work. However, I try to practice during my free time so that I can continue to learn and be better. My next goal is to be able to make clothing out of scratch and maybe even make my own unique designs. This is the best quarantine purchase for me because I love creative and crafty projects. I also love shopping, but I think that learning how to upcycle or create good quality clothes will allow me to have a more sustainable closet (instead of continuing to support fast fashion). I am nowhere near a professional, and I'm just trying to learn the basics but I'm so happy and excited about this purchase because it's now my new favorite hobby.