Week 4-Where Are All Of The Sewing Machines?!

           This week, I spent my "crafting" time sewing together the quilt squares one at a time.  While this sounds relatively easy, I had some difficulties with it.  First of all, you have to make sure you're sewing the same distance from the edge of the fabric each time, or else they won't match up in the end.  My mother told me this a long time ago and won't let me forget it anytime soon.  I did my best using a ruler, but this is a flawed method.  Another problem is that all I am equipped with to sew is an emergency sewing kit my grandmother gave to me shortly before I came to IU.  The spools of thread are very small and I have only a few choices of needles and colors to work with.  I've decided the next time I go home I'll have to invest in a couple more full-sized spools of blue or green thread.  The following picture is of the progress I have made this week.  4 rows of 4 squares each.  

            I'm slightly disheartened with how insignificant my progress seems to the big picture.  Which leads me to another issue I had this week, the thought of a sewing machine.  A friend of mine majoring in Apparel Merchandising recommended the sewing machines in the basement of a building here on campus where the textiles lab is.  Her directions were sub-par, and I'm not sure I can even use them seeing as I'm an anthropology major, not a textiles major.  Because I have not had access to a sewing machine, I used my needle and thread described above.  The lines resulting, however, are uneven and not as strong as they would be if I was using a machine.  

    

         I've done the best with what I could.  I will definitely be utilizing my sewing machine at home over spring break for this project.  There's never been a doubt in my mind that "art" takes a great deal of "craft" to complete.  I know we have discussed their overlap in class, and I think this project definitely gives an interesting example.  Measuring edges, lining up fabric and so on are not just aesthetic, girly, tasks.  If one does not have some grasp of crafting, they could not do art at all in my opinion.  I will be continuing to sew these squares together by hand through this next week, hopefully I limit how many times I stab myself with the needle.