I taught myself how to sew too and what I learned was to use a figure 8 way of stitching. I start from the inside of one side, to hide the knot, then cross over to the inside of the other piece, and on and on, always going from inside to out. That way when you finish up you can hide the ending knot easier. This is also a good way to join two pieces side by side to make a larger piece or to add a piece to cover a hole or something. When you pull tight, a bit, you can see just how far you want to pull the material together. I learned long ago to always use Dental Floss, non wax, especially on Blue Jean Material or Upholstery Thread, regardless of stitch, if any color is desired. Regular thread just does not work well with me as I tend to pull it too hard and break it constantly... Nice project....

skye2171, you may be able to get nursing bra pads to make it more water friendly.