Lesson 3: A Well Written Pattern is REALLY Valuable

I made a few purchases over the next couple months of 2010 as I expanded my repertoire.  One of those purchases was Amy Butler's Little Stitches.  I also purchased One Yard Wonders an Oliver + S pattern and a couple Butterick/Simplicity patterns from JoAnn's.  By far my favorite was the Oliver + S pattern.  The pattern had pictures at all of the crucial steps the instructions were clear and detailed and the details were meticulous, by the time you were done the garment was polished and beautiful, they looked like they were production level quality.  


I've abandoned projects halfway through a pattern because the instructions weren't clear.  I've stared at the pieces I've sewn, read the instructions 32 times over and said "What?!!?" every time and then I give up on it.  I've realized that the reason I like sewing is that it's a challenge but that when I stop enjoying it, when the enjoyment I'll get out of a project is less than the frustration I'll get from it I can give up on it without regret.  Some of those projects I've come back to and completed others still remain in my sewing room and a small few have been discarded.

This is a snuggly blanket from Amy Butler's Little Stiches which I think is adorable

The instructions were confusing and I wound up with some mismatched corners

This is just a flaw in my capabilities at the point, TERRIBLE buttonhole skills