Karen wrote - Obviously you are still looking for the perfect way to provide an income for the family. I think you are being correctly advised not to go into anything that is similar to your creative projects of knitting and clothing.
I am. Thanks for the encouragement. Other people's reactions to my being a stay at home Mom are fascinating. Some have said quite clearly that they are envious and wish they had the same opportunity. Others seem to want to find me a job and typically their suggestions involve criteria that I have indicated I'm not willing to accept like a uniform, low pay, or nights and weekends hours.
My unwillingness to change my criteria has been called "you're so damn picky" by more than a few people - to the point where it's just easier to say it myself. I am being picky and I can be at the moment. We had an incident this past weekend that re-enforced my priority of putting my son first. I'm not likely to change my mind on that. He is and will be my top priority for the next few years. However, I am remaining open to opportunities that won't take away from that priority or from my creativity but will utilize my skills, pay a reasonable wage, and involve school hours. One may or may not come along. Two or three years down the road, I'll have other options.
What I think is going to be difficult is to find meaningful work that involves my skills and abilities without taking away from my creativity. The two things that I am really missing from my career are writing and teaching. This weekday blog helps me stay in touch with those just a little bit but it's not the same as putting together and then facilitating a workshop and interacting with my students and seeing their "ah ha" moments. I really miss that and the creative energy that comes with it which has me wondering if there is anything I could do with the things that interest me.
One thing that really interests me right now is developing a sense of style which in art terms is finding your voice. As with art, it's already there in the choices we have made previously. We don't need to find it as much as we need to grow it up. YEARS ago, after singing in a morning worship service, one of the women in the church came up to me and said that she just wanted to tell me how much she appreciated my style. She saw something that she enjoyed and that inspired her. How wonderful. Back then, I was heavily involved in my career. I didn't really stop to think about what she might have meant. Now, I have time to develop that expression.
There are all kinds of ways to develop our style. Some involve the inspiration and emulation of other women. Some involve snoop shopping, magazines, and collages. I've been reading Nina Garcia's The Little Black Book of Style. In it, she makes the distinction between a woman who dresses with style and one who just loads up on whatever the current trend is or on designer labels. She says (paraphrased) that there is nothing "stylish" about having the current "it" bag. That's just following the herd.
Women with true style are much harder to find. They are not typically "in style" as much as they are interesting. I know two women like this. Every time I meet them, I'm intrigued to see what elements they've put together in today's ensemble. When you see a woman with style, she has confidence, she is comfortable with her body and with herself, and she stands out from the rest of the crowd. I want to be (more) like that.
Yesterday, I did a little snoop shopping looking for a Christmas outfit - not to buy but to sew. I wanted to try on a similar look and see what I thought. My plan is to sew a skirt, about knee length, with lace and tulle showing at the bottom. Something feminine, flirty, and ever so slightly retro.
In all of Kamloops - which is not a big town mind you - I could find ONE dress with this particular hemline and even then it was not as involved as I want. That thrilled me. Unlike the other women who are going to be limited to these look-alike outfits, when I sew mine, I won't run into myself at the party. That's such a WONDERFUL aspect of sewing fashions. However...
... you may have noticed that I'm having a difficult time getting back into sewing fashions even though it's something I really want to do. After reading about the SWAP 2010 (sewing with a plan) contest at Stitcher's Guild, it seemed like the perfect project to make the transition. Here's the criteria:
Within the following options, one will be a matched print or stripe, one will feature embroidery, beads, or sashiko, and one will have buttons as a star feature OR use unusual or alternative closure(s). When complete, the group of garments should work well together and look like they belong in the same closet. The options are:
Option 1 - 6 tops, 4 bottoms, and 1 choice (not an accessory)
Option 2 - 2 dresses, 6 tops, 2 bottoms, and 1 choice (not an accessory)
Option 3 - 5 dresses, 4 tops, 1 bottom, and 1 choice (not an accessory)
Each option involves eleven garments. There are just enough guidelines to be fun without being limiting and there are some challenges that will encourage me to step outside the box - like using a print or stripe which I almost never wear and an embellished element. I prefer embossed to embellished. SO... somewhat different and what fun. I already have a GORGEOUS button that I'd like to incorporate.
I'm leaning toward Option 1 as it's the most practical for my current at home lifestyle. My personal goal would be to use fabrics and patterns from my stash and to create a cohesive wardrobe that shows my existing/emerging/developing style. The contest begins December 26th and runs until the end of April. I'd like to be done by the end of March beginning of April because I'm going on a holiday in early April to a Sandra Betzina and Ron Collins sewing workshop.
The contest gives me a focus for fashion sewing, the options provide a plan, and developing a wardrobe for my holiday gives me a goal while answering the "what's the point" question. If I aim toward fashions that are easy to wear and ones that will transition weight loss, this is a highly motivating combination. YES YES! More later.
Talk soon - Myrna
Grateful - a supportive husband
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