I have never learnt how to sew. Whatever sewing skills I have, I had picked up from my mom, who taught Home Science and used to sew our Eid clothes. She showed me how to do that criss cross stitch that keeps that flap that form the kurung's collar in place. See, I don't even know the proper terms.
Being an engineer by training though, I love to build things, and I decided to apply that passion into sewing. I took one of Anis's old baju kurung pesak and did some reverse engineering. I drew a diagram to visualize what the seperate pieces of the dress would look like and how it would be constructed. I measured Anis, calculated and wrote down the figures on my diagram and figured out how much material I needed. I brought material, then re-drew the diagram to find out where I should cut the material to minimize wastage.
I put my education to good use after all. It may not be an aeroplane, but it's close enough for me.
So now I'm sewing. By hand.
There were moments while I'm sewing that I look at the clock and think gosh I haven't cooked yet or looked at the basket full of laundry to be washed/folded/ironed or looked at my ignored kids or thought of the cookies I haven't baked for eid or when I get poked for the umpteenth time by the needle, that I think I'm crazy to be doing this.
Sewing by hand!! Just go buy a sewing machine for gawds sakes! but I think about how I've got to get ready and go out and go look for a sewing machine and then read the manual to learn how to use it and how during all that time I could be doing actual sewing, I would tell myself, Fergeddit. I'll just keep on sewing by hand.
I am malas (lazy) but rajin (not lazy) that way.
Body and collar done, sleeves and kekek done. Now need to put them together, then on to constructing the skirt.
Wish me luck and somebody please tell taufik to buy me a sewing machine for my next birthday.
tee hee
SELAMAT HARI RAYA from Buster, Lil Cub and myself!
ReplyDeletei would love to learn to menjahit too but still couldn't find the time hehe
ReplyDeleteOh my God! You're sewing a baju kurung by hand! That's it Liza, your transformation is complete. We'll call you Mama now.
ReplyDeleteSeriously though, you should be proud of yourself. I took Home Science in school so I never want to be near a sewing machine ever again. The stitch you meant is called lilit ubi, I think. You can ask Adam, who has to learn about such things now.
tapi kan, jahit tangan tahan lasak.. mahal pulak tu kalau nak tempah.. memang it consumes lotsssss of time tapi nampak kemas sangat.. :)
ReplyDeletebravo!! keep it up.. I wish I could have that patience ;)
eh prettywoman you remind me of my own Umi who used to jahit almost ALL of our baju kurungs (hers, my baby sis and mine) BY HAND. back then, she has 4 young kids, working full time, cooked, cleaned, washed, tutored.. and yet still preferred to jahit baju kurung by hand.
ReplyDeleteeh how you super women do it lahhh???
after SPM, i got to learn menjahit in a menjait school (using machine, of course), did four baju kurung modern... and finally told Umi, "i hate hate hate jahit baju!!! PLEASE don't torture me like this, please!!!", and Umi never asked me to belajar jahit ever again, haha
and now that umur aku dah half-past 30, ALL my baju kurung still being sewn by my mom [only she knows how to make my baju kurung pesak ikut shape badan woh... cantik cangat!!!]. but this time, with machine lah. her eyesight's not quite encouraging anymore for lilit ubis or mata lalats.
eh aku buat macam blog aku la pulak, kan. haha
mwaks!
clap! clap! clap!!
ReplyDeletebravo for attempting handmade baju kurung..it's like Johorean baju kurung yang sembat pakai tangan tu..cantik dan kemas..you will feel very proud the day Anis wear that baju kurung! Trust me!!!!
p/s: once you are at it..you'll be addicted then for me came the phase of meng-hibernasikan sewing machine tu beberapa lama before the urge came back..heheheheh..
*Taufik oooo Taufik..beli la sewing machine satu kat lisa niiii...*
EID MUBARAK AND MA'AH ZAHIR BATING!
Bravo! I dont have the patience to jahit tangan anymore. Sekarang semua jahit tepi and no more sembat masuk or tikam leher with mata lalat or whatever the other one common seam that I used to do for all baju kurung, apa tah nama dia, sampai dah lupa sebab dah lama tak buat.
ReplyDeleteIf you cant justify for the full function sewing machine - get the small portable one cost less than RM100 and works ok also. I met one lady who use that machine to finish up her sewing while she's on travel (sewing in her hotel room lagi) and she said it works beautifully as well. But I tak tanya la brand apa dia pakai. Kena cuba try test tengok dulu....:-)
very ambitious; but its addictive...
ReplyDeleteterer terer.i hate sewing machines, we don't go along well. baru bilang my mum last month, why don't she just teach me sewing by hand. and you're doing it! with diagrams and all!
ReplyDeletei'd poke encik taufik in fb and suggested the machine lah ya?
-nonah-
nice one elisa! cooking all sorts of things and now sewing... wow!
ReplyDeletei am not really fond of sewing machines. they take up my computer time at home ehehehe. they share the same table.
Selamat Hari Raya. Maaf Zahir Batin
After handmade curtain (betul kan?) now baju kurung pulak. I received all the good motivation here lah. To cook...to sew...to bake...hah apa lagi?
ReplyDeleteI pun ngidam sewing machine. Mr kata " Bila masanya awak nak menjahit ni?" So tak berani nak request as present.
OMG! I looked at the photo & thought you'd done that sewing by machine! My dear, your hand sewing is divine! I have some quilts that need the binding stitched on, if you're not busy. ;) Your work is very impressive & quite beautiful!
ReplyDeletephewwiittt.. :)
ReplyDeleteFor the very first time, kita also jahit baju kurung for my girl this raya. 2 pasang pulak tu (so ambitious).. tapi pakai mesin la. dah siap dah.
The leher part tu is so teruk I kerjakan... tak pandai la buat. Boleh pinjam notes you tak? He he... Camne nak buat mata lalat, or sembat and whatsoever tu...
sungguh terer!!!
ReplyDeleteit's tulang belut! I remember now
ReplyDeleteHail the Goddess!
ReplyDeletefuyoooooooooohhh elisaaa... jahit dengan tangan?? hebatt banget!!!ckckckc... mesti jdi kenangan manis anis seumur hidup.. :P
ReplyDeleteAzura, who is siting next to me, pun tengah menjahit ni, jahit manik. But not on her or Ainaa's dress. The dress belongs to one of the Puteri UMNO girls, methinks.
ReplyDeleteSelamat Hari Raya dan Maaf Zahir Batin.
aMiR
Sungguh terrer! Untunglah Cik gu orang kedah tu yang dapat Elisa sebagai menantu! Macamtu lah menantu mammi!
ReplyDeleteMak teh tidak ada kebolehan itu. Jari jemariku yang besar agam ini hanya pandai menunjuk-nunjuk itu dan ini dan mengarah-ngarah di sana sini. Hehehe!
Selamat Hari Raya. Maaf Zahir Batin
oooooh Anis is soooOOOOOoo lucky!
ReplyDeleteI love my baju kurung handstitched too!they are the best!
i think it's jahitan silang pangkah yang orang buat untuk hemming juga kan? another type wud be sembat susup. agak nya lahhh...
and i must say, halusnya jahitan u. tahun depan i nak tempah satu bley?
wow hebatnya..the patience required!
ReplyDeletetp kan..nak tanya.. how do u keep izani away when you're sewing???
liana,
ReplyDeletewehh apa cerita? dah lama tak dengar..
Selamat hari raya to you too!! I wonder what lil cub looks like now :)
temi,
I think you, definitely kena guna mesin :)
kaklong,
eh isnt it weird, among us, *I* am the one who turned out to be the most 'domesticated' :P
neeza,
Tak tahulah whether jahitan elisa tahan lasak ke tidak.. main hentam and takde skill lansung.. :)
alin,
ReplyDeleteha.. bila I tengah kemaruk menjahit, adalah benda yang tertinggal dan tak buat, like laundry, sapu lantai.. ;) That's how I do it. :)
Onee,
Kalau jadi cantik, barulah boleh proud.. hopefully it turns out well and Anis wants to wear it!
Eid Mubarak and maaf Zahir Batin to you too :)
Sabrina,
This is not due to patience, but due to desperation. :( Itulah dia, I am seriously thinking of getting a small sewing machine...
hisham,
I think you're right lah.. It is VERY addictive.. macam2 project bermain di kepala.. ;)
nonah,
ReplyDeleteI've tried sewing by machine before, and selalu senget benget.. :P I think I have more control sewing by hand.. it's like driving as opposed to walking to the next block, you know..
mosh,
*lol* Pandai Sheena buat arrangement cam tu.
Selamat hari Raya and Maaf Zahir Batin to you too :)
BF,
Dulu handmade chair cover, bukan curtain (tak kuasa nak jahit curtain!) ... Itulah dia, that's my excuse as well (nanti tak ada masa).
Kimmi,
OMG! Coming from you, the goddess of quilting, that is such a HUGE compliment! Thankyou!! But I dont think I have your patience for quilting... :P
mrsLoke,
ReplyDeleteEh kita tak jahit mata lalat pun.. just jahit entah apanama stitching straight aje sekali lagi around the colar to hold it in place and kemaskan.
Jill,
bukan terrer, terpaksa!
Sabrina,
Tulang belut sahih I tak reti.
Lollies,
I don't have access to tailors like you, so what to do? (Plus I dont have to drive my kids around all day *wink*).
diah,
mungkin kenangan manis buat bonda nya aja.. *lol*
aMir,
ReplyDeleteIf I had known Zura pandai jahit (and pandai jahit manik summore!), I would have tempah from her haritu.
MakTeh,
Anak perempuan dia lagi terrer.. siap pegi sekolah menjahit Pin lagi. Kita amatur sahaja :)
Nazrah,
it take me for.ev.er. to siapkan one baju.. kena ada one year led time, boleh? *lol*
Aliya,
Izani ahd his older brothers and sister to distract him. Furthermore Taufik was on holiday the last 4 days (Saudi national day + weekends), so he helped me take care of Izani as well.
I wouldnt be able to sew if it were just me and him at home. That's why I started so late, I had to wait until the older ones was on holiday.
Now on to making kuih raya!
Wah... menjahit... u r multi talented...
ReplyDeleteafter i hv conquered cooking, yes after... i nk try sewing. Machine dh ada tapi masih lagi cantik in a box...