Sunday 28 February 2010
Friday 26 February 2010
I Wouldn't Buy That
Take two on the cardigan and my reaction is still I wouldn't buy that! That's how one of my online friends and I decide if we've made a winner or a wadder. Would we have bought it? NO!
I thought it was a little ho hum the first time but wanted to test my sizing theory by sewing the exact same pattern. That part worked. This one fits much better. I even eliminated some of the bulk issues however, it wasn't enough to move it up from Wadderville.
A significant change was to sew the yoke as a unit and then attach it to the body of the sweater as opposed to stitching half of the yoke on, adding the facing, turning the facing, and hand stitching it in place.
The yoke looked a lot better and lay much flatter around the neckline then in the previous version however, the center front edge did not. With this version, it has a "bump" right at the edge. What's particularly interesting about this is that I also eliminated the double fold over along center front. On the previous version - seamed and hemmed - there were five layers of fabric at the yoke seam, three through the front facing, and six at the hem, which was quite bulky. The hem is MUCH nicer now with only four layers. The yoke seam is not. Too bad one solution created another problem. Oh well... learning.
I do like the way the inside looks with the nicely serged and pressed seams. I LOVE MY SERGER! It's a new one bought last July, a Janome 1110 DX. Before that, I had an ancient White that had developed a tendency to make a loud ping and snap the thread, always when you were serging along a critical edge.
Last July, my husband took the boys on their annual boy bonding trip and I had a week of fashion sewing lined up. The serger had been in for servicing and I thought - hoped - it would work. I sat down, it pinged, threads broke, I stood up, went to the store, and bought a new one. Enough of that! Apparently one of the gears is worn out. Luckily, I had some pennies put aside.
Another invaluable tool is a walking foot. I'm very familiar with them for quilting but I'd never used one for fashion sewing. They're fabulous with knits, stitching the layers together evenly instead of stretching one forward.
LOOK at the hem. Straight on the dressform and straight on me. YES YES YES YES YES YES YES! Goal accomplished. The fact that the sweater is blah is mostly - well actually all - my fault. Apparently, yokes aren't my thing. I feel prissy in them. I seem to use that phrase - prissy - a lot. It's not one I want to describe me. It's all part of the journey to me finding my new sense of style after a return to fashion sewing. Some things have clicked right away. Others are taking time. This is the second yoked garment that I've rejected. The other one felt prissy too - so prissy I didn't even finish it. I'll be passing on yokes in the future.
Sal at Already Pretty wrote a really interesting posting yesterday about Style For The Lost. Some of it's basic information. All of it is work. It takes work to figure out the idiosyncrasies of what makes a perfect match between me (or anyone) and my (their) style. There are styles that have travelled the years with me and others that have fallen off along the journey and still others that are just beginning to appear but after twenty years in mostly jeans and a black t-shirt, everything is a new adventure although my basic preferences have remained the same - lots of black, touches of color, clean lines, details and - LOL - a great haircut. I just might do a fashion collage this weekend. We'll see how the time goes. First, I want to sew a skirt.
I've started on Vogue 8603. Isn't this fun? Even after widening center back to a 1 1/8" seam (better for serge finishing and then inserting a zipper), all the pieces fit in a row across the fabric. YEAH... AND... there's enough left to make a pair of jeans. All good.
Have a fabulous weekend - Myrna
Grateful - My husband transferred the laundry. He put four of my favourite sweaters in the dryer. They shrunk to a size much smaller than me. I still love him.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Personal Growth - My goal for 2010 is to BMOBF - be my own best friend - and with that thought in mind I did NOT apply for two jobs this week. I've been watching the job postings at a local business that I would really like to work for. It meets all my requirements - interesting work, great hours, options, ongoing learning, good pay, and the ability to get dressed up. Two positions came up that I qualified for and I debated applying.
The pit in my stomach at the thought of starting work was a good clue to not go there. I didn't want to get the job and then lose it emotionally. It's the accumulation of little things that does you in and not the big boulder event. When I go out to work, I want to feel excited, capable, and ready. I'm not there yet so I'm staying home a while longer.
We'll see what God brings my way. This place of employment wouldn't utilize my accumulated knowledge in the areas of design, textile art, and fashion. It's perfect in many ways but not that one. The really perfect job would. Perhaps God has something different in mind a little further down the road. I know he has a plan. Time will tell what it is.
I thought it was a little ho hum the first time but wanted to test my sizing theory by sewing the exact same pattern. That part worked. This one fits much better. I even eliminated some of the bulk issues however, it wasn't enough to move it up from Wadderville.
A significant change was to sew the yoke as a unit and then attach it to the body of the sweater as opposed to stitching half of the yoke on, adding the facing, turning the facing, and hand stitching it in place.
The yoke looked a lot better and lay much flatter around the neckline then in the previous version however, the center front edge did not. With this version, it has a "bump" right at the edge. What's particularly interesting about this is that I also eliminated the double fold over along center front. On the previous version - seamed and hemmed - there were five layers of fabric at the yoke seam, three through the front facing, and six at the hem, which was quite bulky. The hem is MUCH nicer now with only four layers. The yoke seam is not. Too bad one solution created another problem. Oh well... learning.
I do like the way the inside looks with the nicely serged and pressed seams. I LOVE MY SERGER! It's a new one bought last July, a Janome 1110 DX. Before that, I had an ancient White that had developed a tendency to make a loud ping and snap the thread, always when you were serging along a critical edge.
Last July, my husband took the boys on their annual boy bonding trip and I had a week of fashion sewing lined up. The serger had been in for servicing and I thought - hoped - it would work. I sat down, it pinged, threads broke, I stood up, went to the store, and bought a new one. Enough of that! Apparently one of the gears is worn out. Luckily, I had some pennies put aside.
Another invaluable tool is a walking foot. I'm very familiar with them for quilting but I'd never used one for fashion sewing. They're fabulous with knits, stitching the layers together evenly instead of stretching one forward.
LOOK at the hem. Straight on the dressform and straight on me. YES YES YES YES YES YES YES! Goal accomplished. The fact that the sweater is blah is mostly - well actually all - my fault. Apparently, yokes aren't my thing. I feel prissy in them. I seem to use that phrase - prissy - a lot. It's not one I want to describe me. It's all part of the journey to me finding my new sense of style after a return to fashion sewing. Some things have clicked right away. Others are taking time. This is the second yoked garment that I've rejected. The other one felt prissy too - so prissy I didn't even finish it. I'll be passing on yokes in the future.
Sal at Already Pretty wrote a really interesting posting yesterday about Style For The Lost. Some of it's basic information. All of it is work. It takes work to figure out the idiosyncrasies of what makes a perfect match between me (or anyone) and my (their) style. There are styles that have travelled the years with me and others that have fallen off along the journey and still others that are just beginning to appear but after twenty years in mostly jeans and a black t-shirt, everything is a new adventure although my basic preferences have remained the same - lots of black, touches of color, clean lines, details and - LOL - a great haircut. I just might do a fashion collage this weekend. We'll see how the time goes. First, I want to sew a skirt.
I've started on Vogue 8603. Isn't this fun? Even after widening center back to a 1 1/8" seam (better for serge finishing and then inserting a zipper), all the pieces fit in a row across the fabric. YEAH... AND... there's enough left to make a pair of jeans. All good.
Have a fabulous weekend - Myrna
Grateful - My husband transferred the laundry. He put four of my favourite sweaters in the dryer. They shrunk to a size much smaller than me. I still love him.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Personal Growth - My goal for 2010 is to BMOBF - be my own best friend - and with that thought in mind I did NOT apply for two jobs this week. I've been watching the job postings at a local business that I would really like to work for. It meets all my requirements - interesting work, great hours, options, ongoing learning, good pay, and the ability to get dressed up. Two positions came up that I qualified for and I debated applying.
The pit in my stomach at the thought of starting work was a good clue to not go there. I didn't want to get the job and then lose it emotionally. It's the accumulation of little things that does you in and not the big boulder event. When I go out to work, I want to feel excited, capable, and ready. I'm not there yet so I'm staying home a while longer.
We'll see what God brings my way. This place of employment wouldn't utilize my accumulated knowledge in the areas of design, textile art, and fashion. It's perfect in many ways but not that one. The really perfect job would. Perhaps God has something different in mind a little further down the road. I know he has a plan. Time will tell what it is.
Thursday 25 February 2010
2nd Blue S-2892
Sewing this week seems to be a repeat of last week. Yesterday, I re-sewed the corrected version of Simplicity 2892 in the indigo blue fabric that went so well with the SWAP. I was wrong. It was less expensive entertainment than I thought - only 1.5 meters and 3.5 hours so $0.65 an hour. I forgot that the fabric was 60" wide.
This time, I made a tie belt and lengthened the pattern by two inches. We took this picture in our guest room and obviously it's not bright enough there but I hope you can see how well it fits through the upper back. Removing that 3/4" makes a big difference AND the hem is level too. YES YES!
Last night, I started on a re-do of the grey cardigan. Hopefully I'll have it finished to show you tomorrow. With the remnants from the last one and another half meter of fabric, it worked. I've put the first version in my re-fashioning basket while I think about what to do with it. If nothing else, it can be cut smaller into a little girl's sweater... or even a little boy's as it's grey.
I was invited out for coffee yesterday. My friend LOVES to bake. It's her thing just like sewing is mine. My eyes glaze over and roll back when she gets talking. I have no idea what those words mean - LOL - but I knew that she'd be stressed not baking for me so I arrived with my biscuit mix and asked want to do a craft? She thought that was great fun and I got to see/taste these biscuits cooked in a properly heated oven. They looked more like giant cookies than biscuits however, they tasted great. We spread apple butter on them. I have two left for today.
Whenever possible, Thursdays are my sew all day day. I need to pop out to Costco and pick up some more coffee for tomorrow morning but other than that, should be a great play day in the studio. My plan is to finish the grey cardigan and depending on how that works, decide if I'm wearing it to church on Sunday and what with and do I need to sew something else. I'm debating a denim skirt.
Talk soon - Myrna
Grateful - ongoing learning
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Personal Growth - Beth H wrote - If it interests you, there's an article on PatternReview with some useful information on photographing your garments. Your photos are always good, and I get lots of inspiration from them. Thanks for taking the time to share with us.
Thanks Beth. I'll take all the help I can get. I assume I just use the search box to look it up?
Sal at Already Pretty wrote a post on Photogenocity. In it, she links to three previous postings that talk about how to photograph yourself . They contain some really good info. The whole discussion of am I or am I not photogenic was intriguing. It appears to be tied up in acceptability and self worth. There are very few photos of myself that I really like and most were taken when I wasn't expecting them. Otherwise, a photo never seems to look like I feel or think I actually look. It doesn't seem to be me so I feel cheated and misrepresented.
Because I look very much like my aunt who is extremely photogenic, I think the lack of photogenicity has a lot to do with emotions versus body or facial features. Apparently, I'm not as confident when a lens is pointed at me as I am otherwise and in some way find the camera judgemental. I say apparently because while I'm aware of a certain awkwardness, I am not aware of those specific feelings although I'm not surprised that they might exist.
I think - hope - assume - that more practice will be helpful. Sal talks about that - about getting comfortable in front of the camera. When I think about taking my tripod and my latest fashion out to the front yard when the flowers finally begin to bud and the grass is green and then setting it up and moving around in front of the lens trying to get a good image with the neighbours watching ... hmm... that will be hard. It'll definitely require practice. Too bad our back yard is not nearly as pretty - VBG.
I'm constantly amazed at how many areas of difficulty in our life can be traced back to fear of some kind - rejection, loss, judgment, hunger, inadequacy, worthlessness, and so on. Fear is THE most debilitating emotion. Feel The Fear And Do It Anyway by Susan Jeffers is a renowned book on the topic. In it, she talks about her own story of moving forward. We all have a story. We all have areas in which to move forward. It's nice to know that progress can be made.
This time, I made a tie belt and lengthened the pattern by two inches. We took this picture in our guest room and obviously it's not bright enough there but I hope you can see how well it fits through the upper back. Removing that 3/4" makes a big difference AND the hem is level too. YES YES!
Last night, I started on a re-do of the grey cardigan. Hopefully I'll have it finished to show you tomorrow. With the remnants from the last one and another half meter of fabric, it worked. I've put the first version in my re-fashioning basket while I think about what to do with it. If nothing else, it can be cut smaller into a little girl's sweater... or even a little boy's as it's grey.
I was invited out for coffee yesterday. My friend LOVES to bake. It's her thing just like sewing is mine. My eyes glaze over and roll back when she gets talking. I have no idea what those words mean - LOL - but I knew that she'd be stressed not baking for me so I arrived with my biscuit mix and asked want to do a craft? She thought that was great fun and I got to see/taste these biscuits cooked in a properly heated oven. They looked more like giant cookies than biscuits however, they tasted great. We spread apple butter on them. I have two left for today.
Whenever possible, Thursdays are my sew all day day. I need to pop out to Costco and pick up some more coffee for tomorrow morning but other than that, should be a great play day in the studio. My plan is to finish the grey cardigan and depending on how that works, decide if I'm wearing it to church on Sunday and what with and do I need to sew something else. I'm debating a denim skirt.
Talk soon - Myrna
Grateful - ongoing learning
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Personal Growth - Beth H wrote - If it interests you, there's an article on PatternReview with some useful information on photographing your garments. Your photos are always good, and I get lots of inspiration from them. Thanks for taking the time to share with us.
Thanks Beth. I'll take all the help I can get. I assume I just use the search box to look it up?
Sal at Already Pretty wrote a post on Photogenocity. In it, she links to three previous postings that talk about how to photograph yourself . They contain some really good info. The whole discussion of am I or am I not photogenic was intriguing. It appears to be tied up in acceptability and self worth. There are very few photos of myself that I really like and most were taken when I wasn't expecting them. Otherwise, a photo never seems to look like I feel or think I actually look. It doesn't seem to be me so I feel cheated and misrepresented.
Because I look very much like my aunt who is extremely photogenic, I think the lack of photogenicity has a lot to do with emotions versus body or facial features. Apparently, I'm not as confident when a lens is pointed at me as I am otherwise and in some way find the camera judgemental. I say apparently because while I'm aware of a certain awkwardness, I am not aware of those specific feelings although I'm not surprised that they might exist.
I think - hope - assume - that more practice will be helpful. Sal talks about that - about getting comfortable in front of the camera. When I think about taking my tripod and my latest fashion out to the front yard when the flowers finally begin to bud and the grass is green and then setting it up and moving around in front of the lens trying to get a good image with the neighbours watching ... hmm... that will be hard. It'll definitely require practice. Too bad our back yard is not nearly as pretty - VBG.
I'm constantly amazed at how many areas of difficulty in our life can be traced back to fear of some kind - rejection, loss, judgment, hunger, inadequacy, worthlessness, and so on. Fear is THE most debilitating emotion. Feel The Fear And Do It Anyway by Susan Jeffers is a renowned book on the topic. In it, she talks about her own story of moving forward. We all have a story. We all have areas in which to move forward. It's nice to know that progress can be made.
Wednesday 24 February 2010
Being Creative Is Costly
sdBev wrote - I have 2 motivations for my plans. One is to save money on serger thread. The other is to save SPACE. I don't have enough space to collect 4-5 spools of thread for sewing a garment. Thing is, I'm not commercially sewing. My creations are seen only by myself and the few that I sew for. It is in my own best interests to stock and sew with threads whose costs fit easily within my budget.
Thanks for this comment Bev. It got my mind thinking about all kinds of things in my studio and prompted today's posting. You have a plan. I think that's fabulous. When I was teaching Studio Makeover, far too many of my students didn't have a plan of any kind and ended up in studios stuffed to overflowing with things they didn't want or need. Not that this doesn't happen with a plan but it sure happens less often and usually only in a few areas rather than an entire studio. That eliminates a lot of guilt and frustration to say nothing of over spending.
Above is my thread shelf in full. It's a wonderful space for storing thread and those large canning jars work fabulously. It's tucked into the work island with the yarn shelf to the left and the pattern cupboard on the back - neat, contained, accessible.
I have a thing about oozing. I want all of the ingredients of my creativity to remain within my studio and not spread out all over my house. For that reason, my studio is set up with space limitations for each ingredient. I have a designated amount of space for books, patterns, fashion fabric, art fabric, thread, yarn and so on. Having limitations helps me to maintain a clutter free working environment and to think through purchases and avoid over spending. It works for me!
Because I have a large studio, I'm able to have this much space for thread although it was delegated that way because - for twenty years - thread - and a good variety of it - was a key ingredient of my textile work and part of my business. Stitched to death is one aspect of my signature look. I LOVE thread.
Those jars on the top shelf aren't getting much of a work out right now. I haven't created a textile piece since the end of August last year. I'm debating how to add some of them to my choice garment for the SWAP. While I'm glad to have a collection for when I need it, overspending or stocking up items I don't and won't use are nowhere on my goal list. Being creative is costly.
Above is a selection of PolyNeon threads bought at a closing out sale. They were HUGELY discounted. These are fabulous threads for my textile art work. When I'm creating a piece for resale, the cost of the thread is one factor of the selling price. A higher price can limit sales. Along with the perfect color, I really had to consider the cost.
My thread collection consists of polyester, silk finish, rayon, and a selected few speciality threads. While I was working, not having access to specialty threads in town was both an advantage and a disadvantage. It forced me to use what I had and frustrated me when what I needed wasn't here.
Mail ordering thread isn't the easiest way to solve a color problem which is why I tended to stock up when I was away on a business trip. I kept a list of specific colors and brands to buy. Lists can be helpful whether you're in business or not. I started making them after I'd arrive at a sale (more than once) and completely forget what I needed - obvious things like batting and backing fabrics or interfacing. Without a list, I'd be seduced away from the practicalities by the pretty colors of the fabric.
Way up there on the list were the really large spools of Mettler polyester thread. I used them for piecing both textile art works and garments. Up until a few years ago, I could buy these in town - on sale - 50% off - and stock up on whatever colors had dwindled since the last sale. 50% off is the same as wholesale. Our one and only local fabric store has since stopped carrying them and now carries a brand "we" dislike. My machines are fussy. That has been really frustrating.
The serger threads in yesterday's posting were bought in Washington, USA when I was down in the fall of 2008. I was looking for the large Mettler spools and couldn't find them there either so I picked up these spools at a Joanne's for $1.99 each. GREAT price. I was only just returning to fashion sewing after a really long break and wasn't too sure which colors I'd need. Although I knew that I wore a lot of black, it was still a surprise how much of the black I've used in contrast to the other colors - a lot compared to nothing.
There have been a few times when I could have shifted to the burgundy or purple or dark brown and it just wasn't worth the work since I'm only interested in blending. Occasionally, I'll change the needle color and sometimes, I'll deliberately use different colors like black on pink to create a little fun inside the garment. I love the look of beautifully done, Hong Kong seam finishes but not the work. Instead, I get my fun from color.
After I finished up the books from last year and closing the business, I started an excel spread sheet for my studio spending just so I'd know exactly how much I was spending and be able to stay on track. It's been very helpful not only for the total but for the percentages - how much I've spent for patterns, books, fabric, notions and so on. That way I can compare the amount spent to whether I actually used it which provides some shopping guidance. Perhaps it's a little OCD but that's okay. Better that than debt.
I'm a huge SALE shopper. I have to be madly in love or desperately in need of something to purchase it full price. That doesn't happen too often. I have a LOT - some would even say an excessive amount - of fabric, about 500 meters. However, most of it was bought in the bargain section when it was on sale 50% off meaning that most of of my fabric was bought for a cost somewhere between $0.50 and $2.50 a meter.
When I buy fabric outside of the bargain center, it has to be at least 50% off or net under $10.00 a meter with the more under the better OR... be an amazing sale for that particular item. The boiled wool I bought a few weeks ago was 70% off of $40.00 per meter. At $12.00 a meter, that's a REALLY expensive fabric for me. However, it was worth the wait - about six months - as I never would have bought it earlier and I love it. Now, I'll be really picky what pattern I use to sew it so I don't waste it. Definitely a muslin first.
There are a few were you crazy purchases in my fabric stash but for the most part, these are fabrics that I like and enjoy. As time has passed and I've gotten to know myself better, I have a much clearer awareness of the information I need, the pattern styles to buy, and what I'll sew and what I won't.
The "oops" purchases are used for sampling ideas like the white blouse in yesterday's posting that I made to test my sizing theory. Since it worked out so well, I'll now try over-dyeing it and if that doesn't work, it's not a great loss. That fabric was less expensive that broadcloth. It worked for making a muslin.
There's a cost to learning while the learning itself is invaluable. I'm about to re-make the blouse in that blue fabric from a week ago that goes so well with my SWAP. That might seem silly since I'll then give away the first blouse but... I bought the fabric for 1.50 a meter and the second one is going to fit MUCH better and be worn far more often and I don't need a lot of clothing. This is good AND, sewing is pretty cheap entertainment.
Over the years - and after an illuminating conversation with my daughter - one thing I've come to realize is that of all the things I love to do, sewing is my least expensive form of entertainment. Because of the way I shop, when I break down the cost per hour, even with my textile art work, that hourly amount is quite low compared to other activities I enjoy doing. Take this top. It will take $3.75 in fabric and about four hours. That's less than $1.00 an hour. That makes me happy, in part because it shows a huge amount of maturity and growing up on my part since at one time, I was severely in debt. Now, this is a wonderful way of being and one that I've transferred to knitting so even it is cost conscious. LOVE sales.
How do you manage the space requirements and cost of your creativity?
Talk soon - Myrna
Grateful - recovering from debt and finding a new way of being and wanting - still - to improve.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Personal Growth - Here's what I'm saying: ask and you'll get; seek and you'll find; knock and the door will open. Don't bargain with God. Be direct. Ask for what you need. - Luke 11:9-10
There are several issues in my life that I am exceedingly tired of dealing with. I often wish God would speak louder into the mike so I'd get it and get it over with. LOL - it just occurred to me that maybe he has been doing that, that with each re-occurrence he's been speaking louder only I'm still not listening, not getting it, not doing what needs to be done. Just maybe, I've been my own worse enemy. Hmm...?
Either way, I'm all for being done with it. In part, I think being done is a choice and in part, I think I need to stop avoiding and do some of work that will help me manage better, work like getting out of the house for regular exercise and work like being more outgoing in social situations without expectations. Exercise - yucky. Expectations - darn - real killers and so difficult to manage. Giving this some thought. Asking for help. God will provide a way. He promised that he would and he keeps his promises.
Thanks for this comment Bev. It got my mind thinking about all kinds of things in my studio and prompted today's posting. You have a plan. I think that's fabulous. When I was teaching Studio Makeover, far too many of my students didn't have a plan of any kind and ended up in studios stuffed to overflowing with things they didn't want or need. Not that this doesn't happen with a plan but it sure happens less often and usually only in a few areas rather than an entire studio. That eliminates a lot of guilt and frustration to say nothing of over spending.
Above is my thread shelf in full. It's a wonderful space for storing thread and those large canning jars work fabulously. It's tucked into the work island with the yarn shelf to the left and the pattern cupboard on the back - neat, contained, accessible.
I have a thing about oozing. I want all of the ingredients of my creativity to remain within my studio and not spread out all over my house. For that reason, my studio is set up with space limitations for each ingredient. I have a designated amount of space for books, patterns, fashion fabric, art fabric, thread, yarn and so on. Having limitations helps me to maintain a clutter free working environment and to think through purchases and avoid over spending. It works for me!
Because I have a large studio, I'm able to have this much space for thread although it was delegated that way because - for twenty years - thread - and a good variety of it - was a key ingredient of my textile work and part of my business. Stitched to death is one aspect of my signature look. I LOVE thread.
Those jars on the top shelf aren't getting much of a work out right now. I haven't created a textile piece since the end of August last year. I'm debating how to add some of them to my choice garment for the SWAP. While I'm glad to have a collection for when I need it, overspending or stocking up items I don't and won't use are nowhere on my goal list. Being creative is costly.
Above is a selection of PolyNeon threads bought at a closing out sale. They were HUGELY discounted. These are fabulous threads for my textile art work. When I'm creating a piece for resale, the cost of the thread is one factor of the selling price. A higher price can limit sales. Along with the perfect color, I really had to consider the cost.
My thread collection consists of polyester, silk finish, rayon, and a selected few speciality threads. While I was working, not having access to specialty threads in town was both an advantage and a disadvantage. It forced me to use what I had and frustrated me when what I needed wasn't here.
Mail ordering thread isn't the easiest way to solve a color problem which is why I tended to stock up when I was away on a business trip. I kept a list of specific colors and brands to buy. Lists can be helpful whether you're in business or not. I started making them after I'd arrive at a sale (more than once) and completely forget what I needed - obvious things like batting and backing fabrics or interfacing. Without a list, I'd be seduced away from the practicalities by the pretty colors of the fabric.
Way up there on the list were the really large spools of Mettler polyester thread. I used them for piecing both textile art works and garments. Up until a few years ago, I could buy these in town - on sale - 50% off - and stock up on whatever colors had dwindled since the last sale. 50% off is the same as wholesale. Our one and only local fabric store has since stopped carrying them and now carries a brand "we" dislike. My machines are fussy. That has been really frustrating.
The serger threads in yesterday's posting were bought in Washington, USA when I was down in the fall of 2008. I was looking for the large Mettler spools and couldn't find them there either so I picked up these spools at a Joanne's for $1.99 each. GREAT price. I was only just returning to fashion sewing after a really long break and wasn't too sure which colors I'd need. Although I knew that I wore a lot of black, it was still a surprise how much of the black I've used in contrast to the other colors - a lot compared to nothing.
There have been a few times when I could have shifted to the burgundy or purple or dark brown and it just wasn't worth the work since I'm only interested in blending. Occasionally, I'll change the needle color and sometimes, I'll deliberately use different colors like black on pink to create a little fun inside the garment. I love the look of beautifully done, Hong Kong seam finishes but not the work. Instead, I get my fun from color.
After I finished up the books from last year and closing the business, I started an excel spread sheet for my studio spending just so I'd know exactly how much I was spending and be able to stay on track. It's been very helpful not only for the total but for the percentages - how much I've spent for patterns, books, fabric, notions and so on. That way I can compare the amount spent to whether I actually used it which provides some shopping guidance. Perhaps it's a little OCD but that's okay. Better that than debt.
I'm a huge SALE shopper. I have to be madly in love or desperately in need of something to purchase it full price. That doesn't happen too often. I have a LOT - some would even say an excessive amount - of fabric, about 500 meters. However, most of it was bought in the bargain section when it was on sale 50% off meaning that most of of my fabric was bought for a cost somewhere between $0.50 and $2.50 a meter.
When I buy fabric outside of the bargain center, it has to be at least 50% off or net under $10.00 a meter with the more under the better OR... be an amazing sale for that particular item. The boiled wool I bought a few weeks ago was 70% off of $40.00 per meter. At $12.00 a meter, that's a REALLY expensive fabric for me. However, it was worth the wait - about six months - as I never would have bought it earlier and I love it. Now, I'll be really picky what pattern I use to sew it so I don't waste it. Definitely a muslin first.
There are a few were you crazy purchases in my fabric stash but for the most part, these are fabrics that I like and enjoy. As time has passed and I've gotten to know myself better, I have a much clearer awareness of the information I need, the pattern styles to buy, and what I'll sew and what I won't.
The "oops" purchases are used for sampling ideas like the white blouse in yesterday's posting that I made to test my sizing theory. Since it worked out so well, I'll now try over-dyeing it and if that doesn't work, it's not a great loss. That fabric was less expensive that broadcloth. It worked for making a muslin.
There's a cost to learning while the learning itself is invaluable. I'm about to re-make the blouse in that blue fabric from a week ago that goes so well with my SWAP. That might seem silly since I'll then give away the first blouse but... I bought the fabric for 1.50 a meter and the second one is going to fit MUCH better and be worn far more often and I don't need a lot of clothing. This is good AND, sewing is pretty cheap entertainment.
Over the years - and after an illuminating conversation with my daughter - one thing I've come to realize is that of all the things I love to do, sewing is my least expensive form of entertainment. Because of the way I shop, when I break down the cost per hour, even with my textile art work, that hourly amount is quite low compared to other activities I enjoy doing. Take this top. It will take $3.75 in fabric and about four hours. That's less than $1.00 an hour. That makes me happy, in part because it shows a huge amount of maturity and growing up on my part since at one time, I was severely in debt. Now, this is a wonderful way of being and one that I've transferred to knitting so even it is cost conscious. LOVE sales.
How do you manage the space requirements and cost of your creativity?
Talk soon - Myrna
Grateful - recovering from debt and finding a new way of being and wanting - still - to improve.
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Personal Growth - Here's what I'm saying: ask and you'll get; seek and you'll find; knock and the door will open. Don't bargain with God. Be direct. Ask for what you need. - Luke 11:9-10
There are several issues in my life that I am exceedingly tired of dealing with. I often wish God would speak louder into the mike so I'd get it and get it over with. LOL - it just occurred to me that maybe he has been doing that, that with each re-occurrence he's been speaking louder only I'm still not listening, not getting it, not doing what needs to be done. Just maybe, I've been my own worse enemy. Hmm...?
Either way, I'm all for being done with it. In part, I think being done is a choice and in part, I think I need to stop avoiding and do some of work that will help me manage better, work like getting out of the house for regular exercise and work like being more outgoing in social situations without expectations. Exercise - yucky. Expectations - darn - real killers and so difficult to manage. Giving this some thought. Asking for help. God will provide a way. He promised that he would and he keeps his promises.
Tuesday 23 February 2010
Playing With Paper
Carolyn (of Handmade by Carolyn with THE most fantastic photography) wrote - Think about your surroundings. For inspiration look at some photo shoots in fashion magazines to get some idea of how a fashion photographer's mind works. Think about your colors. For example, if I lived up where you are, I would be racing out into the snow at every opportunity for my photos. The brightness and whiteness would be a stunning backdrop for fashion photography. I envy you that!!
LOL - here's what our outside has looked like for most of this winter. There is more snow in the United States than in my part of Canada. We did have some snow earlier before Christmas but not much since and what is falling is not staying around on the ground to act like a backdrop. Spring shoots are pushing through and people are gardening in some areas of town. Luckily not mine. I'm not ready for that.
I spent yesterday playing with paper. Because I'd already sewn Simplicity 2892, it was the perfect pattern to test my theory of sizing on. I bought the other copy so that I had the entire size range. Sizes 6-14 are in one envelope and sizes 14 to 22 in the other. How nice that they overlapped a size. That made it easy to line things up.
I traced a fourteen through the shoulders, neck, armhole, upper chest, and overall length. On the side seam, I tapered from a size 10 to a size 16 on the front piece and a size 18 to a size 20 on the back piece. This did two things. It divided the hem width appropriately for me with more around the back than the front and it shifted the underarm point forward about an inch which is far more comfortable on my body. My arms are positioned forward on my body.
Belinda of Sew 4 Fun has some recent blog posts on pants. I've linked to the last one. The others are before. In these postings, she talks about her leg position in relation to her torso and how that differs from drafted patterns and the changes she makes to accommodate this. My arms are very similar. A huge piece of learning for me was that we are not truly symmetrical and that small adjustments can make a big difference. Moving the side seam forward an inch doesn't seem like much but it feels tremendously different on the finished garment.
In the image above, the side seam is hanging straight. I've pulled the front and back tightly around so you can see how the back lifts and that bubble of paper that is being pushed up from the hemline and down from the neckline.
Below, you can see a 3/4" tuck pinned through the upper back chest. That's how much paper is pushed together and that's the position it wants to be pushed to in order for the pattern to hang correctly.
That adjustment was a "click" for me. I remembered taking the exact same tuck in the exact same position before when I had Charlene (a local seamstress and sewing machine store owner) fit me to a Butterick fitting shell. I remember thinking it was a balance to the full bust on the front but now, I remember that I used cup specific sizing on the front so that doesn't make sense at all. LOL - only took me a few years.
I called Charlene and she said that yes, this makes sense due to the way the pattern is drafted and the width of my hips in relation to the width of my shoulders. I added the 3/4" back to the bottom of the center back length tapering it to the sides. After that, I was curious to see what would happen with the back. Perhaps this tuck and NOT a high hip adjustment is what I should have been doing all along. Below, with the paper adjustment, you can see that the hem hangs straight.
Here's the finished top. We can't decide if it looks like an angel costume or a choir robe. I've tried to explain to people before that I don't wear light colors and that they don't suit me, especially white, and it's something that's difficult to get across since in part it's about personality. I am not a bright, white person. My husband and both boys said, you're not going to wear that are you? Probably not. Maybe if dyed a different color. Otherwise, this was the fabric least likely to be missed while I experimented with the sizing.
In comparison to the blue version I posted last Monday, this one is very comfortable. The adjustment to the arm position allows for a greater range of movement and getting in and out is much easier. In the image below, you can see that the side seam is hanging straight from the center of the arm pit. Perfect.
AND... across the back... there isn't a huge excess of fabric pooling at the waist or being pulled into the armhole. I think the shoulder width could be narrowed slightly. If I did that, I'd use the slash and pivot method so I didn't disturb any other lines. I can definitely see the benefits of tracing on the appropriate sizing line as opposed to adding a wedge as I did with the cardigan. Now... to make the cardigan again and see how those results differ.
Almost everything I sew can be sewn with black serger thread. I don't worry about matching as much as blending. These spools of serger thread were bought in October 2008. There are four each of grey, burgundy, purple, navy, dark beige, light beige, white, and brown. They are unopened.
In contrast, I should have bought more spools of the black. I'm starting to run low and will need to rotate the spools when I re-thread the machine later today. Can you tell that I've been mostly using a three thread serge? Too fun.
Today is knitting. I've finished the back and both sleeves for the cardigan. To keep going, I need to count the number of rows on the back and make a diagram for the front. I'm not quite sure yet how I want the garment to overlap and close so I'll go through some of my knitting books as see what ideas I come up with.
Talk soon - Myrna
Grateful - confirming the value of moving the side seam forward in all garments and of cutting on the appropriate sized lines for my wider back half and narrower front half. Balance is maintained.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Personal Growth - I spent some time yesterday thinking about the online sewing course. It does look interesting however, some of it is information that I already have in book form and some of it is information I don't really want or need to know. Paying for that doesn't make sense. I want to learn and be challenged and stretched. Part of learning is having a good discussion. This is not an interactive classroom with discussion between the students and instructor. It's an electronic correspondence course.
Kristin wrote - Have you ever thought of doing the City & Guilds correspondence course? I think it would be interesting. I can relate to the need for structure. I definitely need that in my life?
Maybe ten years ago, I signed up for the C & G course. I did three modules of the first level. They included dyeing the color wheel which I was already sick until death of before then, stitching four patches which was something I'd already written books and taught classes on, and creating a design with hexagons stitched by hand. I don't do hexagons and I don't do hand work. That sounds so rigid. It wasn't.
It's not that I was unwilling to do things that I didn't normally do otherwise, how do you learn. However, I'd already done these things and advanced beyond those stages. The way the course was structured, I had to do them again to get to the level that interested me - about twenty modules later. That didn't sound like a good idea to me. Instead, I took a different - and very satsifying - route. Right now, I'm on a sabbatical from textile work. It won't be forever even though it's currently indefinite.
Yesterday, I realized that the issue is more about loneliness and about being home alone far too much. I'm not out in public or as stimulated by interaction with other people as much as my personality needs to be. Apparently, what I want is playmates and playdates. Someone to show and share with and to talk to on a regular basis. Something in person. Ongoing conversation with other women who share my interest for art and fashions and conversation that is on a similar intellectual and competency level to my own so that I'm not always in teacher mode or being told I'm intimidating or allowed to be right. It's not good to always be right. It's fabulous to be challenged and stimulated to new ideas.
With fashions and art, I have found these kinds of conversations with women who live outside of Kamloops. I just haven't found it in town in any regular, ongoing, committed kind of way - at least not in a long time - HOWEVER... I do have good friends in town and we do have wonderful conversations about other things. I'm very thankful for these friends and especially for their support of me in difficult times. I'm going out for coffee later today and it will be fabulous.
LOL - here's what our outside has looked like for most of this winter. There is more snow in the United States than in my part of Canada. We did have some snow earlier before Christmas but not much since and what is falling is not staying around on the ground to act like a backdrop. Spring shoots are pushing through and people are gardening in some areas of town. Luckily not mine. I'm not ready for that.
I spent yesterday playing with paper. Because I'd already sewn Simplicity 2892, it was the perfect pattern to test my theory of sizing on. I bought the other copy so that I had the entire size range. Sizes 6-14 are in one envelope and sizes 14 to 22 in the other. How nice that they overlapped a size. That made it easy to line things up.
I traced a fourteen through the shoulders, neck, armhole, upper chest, and overall length. On the side seam, I tapered from a size 10 to a size 16 on the front piece and a size 18 to a size 20 on the back piece. This did two things. It divided the hem width appropriately for me with more around the back than the front and it shifted the underarm point forward about an inch which is far more comfortable on my body. My arms are positioned forward on my body.
Belinda of Sew 4 Fun has some recent blog posts on pants. I've linked to the last one. The others are before. In these postings, she talks about her leg position in relation to her torso and how that differs from drafted patterns and the changes she makes to accommodate this. My arms are very similar. A huge piece of learning for me was that we are not truly symmetrical and that small adjustments can make a big difference. Moving the side seam forward an inch doesn't seem like much but it feels tremendously different on the finished garment.
In the image above, the side seam is hanging straight. I've pulled the front and back tightly around so you can see how the back lifts and that bubble of paper that is being pushed up from the hemline and down from the neckline.
Below, you can see a 3/4" tuck pinned through the upper back chest. That's how much paper is pushed together and that's the position it wants to be pushed to in order for the pattern to hang correctly.
That adjustment was a "click" for me. I remembered taking the exact same tuck in the exact same position before when I had Charlene (a local seamstress and sewing machine store owner) fit me to a Butterick fitting shell. I remember thinking it was a balance to the full bust on the front but now, I remember that I used cup specific sizing on the front so that doesn't make sense at all. LOL - only took me a few years.
I called Charlene and she said that yes, this makes sense due to the way the pattern is drafted and the width of my hips in relation to the width of my shoulders. I added the 3/4" back to the bottom of the center back length tapering it to the sides. After that, I was curious to see what would happen with the back. Perhaps this tuck and NOT a high hip adjustment is what I should have been doing all along. Below, with the paper adjustment, you can see that the hem hangs straight.
Here's the finished top. We can't decide if it looks like an angel costume or a choir robe. I've tried to explain to people before that I don't wear light colors and that they don't suit me, especially white, and it's something that's difficult to get across since in part it's about personality. I am not a bright, white person. My husband and both boys said, you're not going to wear that are you? Probably not. Maybe if dyed a different color. Otherwise, this was the fabric least likely to be missed while I experimented with the sizing.
In comparison to the blue version I posted last Monday, this one is very comfortable. The adjustment to the arm position allows for a greater range of movement and getting in and out is much easier. In the image below, you can see that the side seam is hanging straight from the center of the arm pit. Perfect.
AND... across the back... there isn't a huge excess of fabric pooling at the waist or being pulled into the armhole. I think the shoulder width could be narrowed slightly. If I did that, I'd use the slash and pivot method so I didn't disturb any other lines. I can definitely see the benefits of tracing on the appropriate sizing line as opposed to adding a wedge as I did with the cardigan. Now... to make the cardigan again and see how those results differ.
Almost everything I sew can be sewn with black serger thread. I don't worry about matching as much as blending. These spools of serger thread were bought in October 2008. There are four each of grey, burgundy, purple, navy, dark beige, light beige, white, and brown. They are unopened.
In contrast, I should have bought more spools of the black. I'm starting to run low and will need to rotate the spools when I re-thread the machine later today. Can you tell that I've been mostly using a three thread serge? Too fun.
Today is knitting. I've finished the back and both sleeves for the cardigan. To keep going, I need to count the number of rows on the back and make a diagram for the front. I'm not quite sure yet how I want the garment to overlap and close so I'll go through some of my knitting books as see what ideas I come up with.
Talk soon - Myrna
Grateful - confirming the value of moving the side seam forward in all garments and of cutting on the appropriate sized lines for my wider back half and narrower front half. Balance is maintained.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Personal Growth - I spent some time yesterday thinking about the online sewing course. It does look interesting however, some of it is information that I already have in book form and some of it is information I don't really want or need to know. Paying for that doesn't make sense. I want to learn and be challenged and stretched. Part of learning is having a good discussion. This is not an interactive classroom with discussion between the students and instructor. It's an electronic correspondence course.
Kristin wrote - Have you ever thought of doing the City & Guilds correspondence course? I think it would be interesting. I can relate to the need for structure. I definitely need that in my life?
Maybe ten years ago, I signed up for the C & G course. I did three modules of the first level. They included dyeing the color wheel which I was already sick until death of before then, stitching four patches which was something I'd already written books and taught classes on, and creating a design with hexagons stitched by hand. I don't do hexagons and I don't do hand work. That sounds so rigid. It wasn't.
It's not that I was unwilling to do things that I didn't normally do otherwise, how do you learn. However, I'd already done these things and advanced beyond those stages. The way the course was structured, I had to do them again to get to the level that interested me - about twenty modules later. That didn't sound like a good idea to me. Instead, I took a different - and very satsifying - route. Right now, I'm on a sabbatical from textile work. It won't be forever even though it's currently indefinite.
Yesterday, I realized that the issue is more about loneliness and about being home alone far too much. I'm not out in public or as stimulated by interaction with other people as much as my personality needs to be. Apparently, what I want is playmates and playdates. Someone to show and share with and to talk to on a regular basis. Something in person. Ongoing conversation with other women who share my interest for art and fashions and conversation that is on a similar intellectual and competency level to my own so that I'm not always in teacher mode or being told I'm intimidating or allowed to be right. It's not good to always be right. It's fabulous to be challenged and stimulated to new ideas.
With fashions and art, I have found these kinds of conversations with women who live outside of Kamloops. I just haven't found it in town in any regular, ongoing, committed kind of way - at least not in a long time - HOWEVER... I do have good friends in town and we do have wonderful conversations about other things. I'm very thankful for these friends and especially for their support of me in difficult times. I'm going out for coffee later today and it will be fabulous.
Monday 22 February 2010
A Curious Question
With the exception of the front band that I mentioned on Friday and of which the problem was entirely my own fault for not measuring correctly, the cardigan came together wonderfully. That being the case, you can imagine how perplexed I was to try it on and see this upward angle toward the back. The center front is longer than the center back. What?
At first, I thought it was an issue with the way the pattern was drafted since the hemline angled on both me and my dress form meaning that it wasn't just my body or my posture. However, the more I thought about it, the more I realized Simplicity couldn't have been that far off or someone would have mentioned it in a review. It had to be something that I had or hadn't done. That led me to think about the angle of center back and center front to the hemline compared to the angle of the side seams to the hemline.
Above is what happened when I matched the side seams. If they were hanging down straight at the side of the body, this is how the garment sections would be pushed. As you can see, the back piece is shorter than the front one. The difference seemed connected to the fact that I added more width to the back hips than the front hips. I'd never noticed this before. It's new learning although - to be fair - the fact that I'm not even front to back is also new learning so not knowing how that affected center back is somewhat understandable.
To check if this difference had happened before without me noticing it, I matched the side seams on the front and back pieces of the Simplicity 2892 top sewn last week. Even with a center back extension, the center back length was shorter than the center front length. This is the same issue only not so obvious since I'd supposedly added a center back extension. Supposedly and luckily or it would have ended up looking like the cardigan with that ski slope back. A gold in sewing Olympics this is not.
Before Christmas, I sewed the above t-shirt. The line of the side seams gradated from a size 14 at the underarm to a size 16 at the hips. It fits fairly good but not as comfortably as another made shortly after.
On the second version, I moved the side seam forward so that more of the garment circumference went around the back and less around the front. On it, the side seams are a size 18 on the back and gradate from a size 10 to a size 14 on the front piece. It's VERY comfortable. It's the grey/blue/black one if you remember. I wear it all the time.
On Saturday, I sewed the adapted pattern again using remnants of the pink fabric. This version has a V-neck. It too is very comfortable. The only difference between the two pink t-shirts (other than the neckline) is the position of the side seam. By moving that seam forward, the fabric isn't being eaten into the armhole causing it to feel and fit entirely different. When I matched the side seams of these pattern pieces, the hemline and center back and center front align correctly. The back is not shorter than the front. Why?
With the first pink t-shirt, adequate width through the hips was achieved by gradating to the appropriate size. With the second pink t-shirt, hip width was not altered. Only the position of the side seam was adjusted by adding width to the back and eliminating it from the front. This was similar to taking a rectangle off the front and moving it to the back. With the blouse and the cardigan, a fan shaped wedge was inserted into both pieces with a wider wedge added to the back than to the front. Both changes created sufficient hip ease. One was successful. The other was not. Why?
Wedges of different sizes have different angles that will affect the hem and the center line differently. Interestingly, the difference in alterations was - in both cases - also the same amount that the center back was too high.
With the cardigan for example, center back was 1 1/2" too high after 4 1/4" was added to the back and 2 3/4" to the front. That's interesting info. At first, I wasn't quite sure what to do with it. I wondered if I should have cut on different size lines as I did with the t-shirt or if I should always align the side seams and add that wedge to the bottom as with the cardigan. I'm still thinking about it. It's a curious question however...
... the answer appears to be yes and yes. I should gradate between sizes when that option is available and match the side seams, check alignment, and add that wedge as needed when it's not, and double check in both situations. This is good learning. Have you ever noticed/done anything similar?
Last week was a less than successful sewing week. Even when it appeared to be going well, there were these surprises which is why I was thrilled to sew the pink t-shirt on Saturday using a pattern that I knew would work and a fabric that I loved. I wore the t-shirt to church yesterday along with the denim skirt and fuchsia shoes. Perfect.
And now, some ideas are tickling for adapting the t-shirt pattern to a cardigan with self ribbing made using a double needle. I still want a grey sweater as part of my SWAP. Refashioning this "ski slope" version will be another fun challenge.
What curious question are you working on?
Talk soon - Myrna
Grateful - After making yet still another batch of glue balls, it appears that these failures in baking are not entirely my fault and that the thermostat on our oven is gone. Because our stove is so old, the parts were either unavailable or exceedingly expensive. It was cheaper to get a new one. We did. It comes next Saturday. Once it arrives, I am ever hopeful of yummy scones, biscuits, and muffins.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Personal Growth - Last night, I was sitting in the curl-up chair contemplating how this past week went. Not good. It's becoming apparent that I need some sort of outline or structure in my life - a project, a focus - as I'm becoming too bored and self absorbed and spending way too much time by myself in mostly one room of my house. This is not a good.
In the past, I've had the creative conversation of teaching or I've written a book or a workshop or I've produced the pieces for an exhibit. Teaching is exhilirating both from a sharing perspective and from the give and take of energy that exists within a classroom whether that is in person or online. Writing is organized, challenging, and absorbing in a different but similar way to creating a body of work. Right now, teaching is not an option and neither writing nor creating makes sense from a business or financial point of view which makes it difficult for me to approach them from a personal point of view. Instead, I've been thinking about taking a course of study or at least some individual classes online.
My oldest son suggested cooking classes. LOL - that's likely to make me more depressed! My youngest son suggested electronics. Huh? Then the older one suggested psychology as he said I'm always doing that self help thing and the younger one suggested business management. Actually, both of those sound interesting. I thought I'd poll my friends and see what direction they think I might enjoy going in.
Meanwhile, I've been reading the outline for an online course called e-Telestia: Courses in Fashion & Clothing. If nothing else - LOL - the module on blouses would resolve my what to do about my hips question. Does anyone have any experience with this company? Please let me know what you think.
At first, I thought it was an issue with the way the pattern was drafted since the hemline angled on both me and my dress form meaning that it wasn't just my body or my posture. However, the more I thought about it, the more I realized Simplicity couldn't have been that far off or someone would have mentioned it in a review. It had to be something that I had or hadn't done. That led me to think about the angle of center back and center front to the hemline compared to the angle of the side seams to the hemline.
Above is what happened when I matched the side seams. If they were hanging down straight at the side of the body, this is how the garment sections would be pushed. As you can see, the back piece is shorter than the front one. The difference seemed connected to the fact that I added more width to the back hips than the front hips. I'd never noticed this before. It's new learning although - to be fair - the fact that I'm not even front to back is also new learning so not knowing how that affected center back is somewhat understandable.
To check if this difference had happened before without me noticing it, I matched the side seams on the front and back pieces of the Simplicity 2892 top sewn last week. Even with a center back extension, the center back length was shorter than the center front length. This is the same issue only not so obvious since I'd supposedly added a center back extension. Supposedly and luckily or it would have ended up looking like the cardigan with that ski slope back. A gold in sewing Olympics this is not.
Before Christmas, I sewed the above t-shirt. The line of the side seams gradated from a size 14 at the underarm to a size 16 at the hips. It fits fairly good but not as comfortably as another made shortly after.
On the second version, I moved the side seam forward so that more of the garment circumference went around the back and less around the front. On it, the side seams are a size 18 on the back and gradate from a size 10 to a size 14 on the front piece. It's VERY comfortable. It's the grey/blue/black one if you remember. I wear it all the time.
On Saturday, I sewed the adapted pattern again using remnants of the pink fabric. This version has a V-neck. It too is very comfortable. The only difference between the two pink t-shirts (other than the neckline) is the position of the side seam. By moving that seam forward, the fabric isn't being eaten into the armhole causing it to feel and fit entirely different. When I matched the side seams of these pattern pieces, the hemline and center back and center front align correctly. The back is not shorter than the front. Why?
With the first pink t-shirt, adequate width through the hips was achieved by gradating to the appropriate size. With the second pink t-shirt, hip width was not altered. Only the position of the side seam was adjusted by adding width to the back and eliminating it from the front. This was similar to taking a rectangle off the front and moving it to the back. With the blouse and the cardigan, a fan shaped wedge was inserted into both pieces with a wider wedge added to the back than to the front. Both changes created sufficient hip ease. One was successful. The other was not. Why?
Wedges of different sizes have different angles that will affect the hem and the center line differently. Interestingly, the difference in alterations was - in both cases - also the same amount that the center back was too high.
With the cardigan for example, center back was 1 1/2" too high after 4 1/4" was added to the back and 2 3/4" to the front. That's interesting info. At first, I wasn't quite sure what to do with it. I wondered if I should have cut on different size lines as I did with the t-shirt or if I should always align the side seams and add that wedge to the bottom as with the cardigan. I'm still thinking about it. It's a curious question however...
... the answer appears to be yes and yes. I should gradate between sizes when that option is available and match the side seams, check alignment, and add that wedge as needed when it's not, and double check in both situations. This is good learning. Have you ever noticed/done anything similar?
Last week was a less than successful sewing week. Even when it appeared to be going well, there were these surprises which is why I was thrilled to sew the pink t-shirt on Saturday using a pattern that I knew would work and a fabric that I loved. I wore the t-shirt to church yesterday along with the denim skirt and fuchsia shoes. Perfect.
And now, some ideas are tickling for adapting the t-shirt pattern to a cardigan with self ribbing made using a double needle. I still want a grey sweater as part of my SWAP. Refashioning this "ski slope" version will be another fun challenge.
What curious question are you working on?
Talk soon - Myrna
Grateful - After making yet still another batch of glue balls, it appears that these failures in baking are not entirely my fault and that the thermostat on our oven is gone. Because our stove is so old, the parts were either unavailable or exceedingly expensive. It was cheaper to get a new one. We did. It comes next Saturday. Once it arrives, I am ever hopeful of yummy scones, biscuits, and muffins.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Personal Growth - Last night, I was sitting in the curl-up chair contemplating how this past week went. Not good. It's becoming apparent that I need some sort of outline or structure in my life - a project, a focus - as I'm becoming too bored and self absorbed and spending way too much time by myself in mostly one room of my house. This is not a good.
In the past, I've had the creative conversation of teaching or I've written a book or a workshop or I've produced the pieces for an exhibit. Teaching is exhilirating both from a sharing perspective and from the give and take of energy that exists within a classroom whether that is in person or online. Writing is organized, challenging, and absorbing in a different but similar way to creating a body of work. Right now, teaching is not an option and neither writing nor creating makes sense from a business or financial point of view which makes it difficult for me to approach them from a personal point of view. Instead, I've been thinking about taking a course of study or at least some individual classes online.
My oldest son suggested cooking classes. LOL - that's likely to make me more depressed! My youngest son suggested electronics. Huh? Then the older one suggested psychology as he said I'm always doing that self help thing and the younger one suggested business management. Actually, both of those sound interesting. I thought I'd poll my friends and see what direction they think I might enjoy going in.
Meanwhile, I've been reading the outline for an online course called e-Telestia: Courses in Fashion & Clothing. If nothing else - LOL - the module on blouses would resolve my what to do about my hips question. Does anyone have any experience with this company? Please let me know what you think.
Friday 19 February 2010
The Cardigan
I'm not sure about the rest of the pattern however, the cardigan in Simplicity 2552 is nicely done. I really like these pleats each side of center front. They add softness and interest and just a little bit of a retro feel. This sweater knit was wonderful to work with. So wonderful, I'm trying to remember if it came in other colors.
I used a three thread serge to finish the seams and edges. The hemline below is fused with a one inch strip of knit interfacing. This is a tip I learned from Marci Tilton. It's great. With it, hemmed knits lay flatter and look far more professional.
With the raglan sleeve, I was worried about the armhole stretching out and used narrow pieces of fusible interfacing along the seam line. Next time, I won't do this. It works but it also feels slightly tight.
The shoulder is shaped with a curved dart. I used a French curve and chalk to mark the stitching line.
Things were going well until I tried the cardigan on Millicent and noticed that the bottom hem lines were off by one inch. I'm not sure how that happened but (well, actually, it had to be faulty measuring) I am sure that I ignored several intuitive flashes along the way. As I went to fuse the second strip, I thought you should compare these. When I cut off the extra interfacing, I thought this leftover bit seems longer than the other. And, when I was edge stitching, I wondered why is this puckering so much. All of these were clues that something wasn't quite right. I ignored them. I shouldn't have.
To fix this, I had to take out the edge stitching, peel off the interfacing, measure and re-block the piece, re-interface, and re-edge stitch. Luckily the front didn't stretch out of shape and steamed back into place well.
Here it is almost finished. Left to do are the hems, buttonholes, and buttons. The pattern calls for five buttons evenly spaced. I plan to use three with one at the top and the other two ending above the bust line. Up for debate are some waist tucks to add more shaping. I'll decide on that after I finish the hems.
Karen - thanks for the photography tips. Me being me, I have more questions however, these are an excellent beginning. My images so far have been really practical as opposed to pretty. I want to take them up a notch. I think that's going to involve different tools like a tripod and a remote so I don't have to rely on the busy boys.
Louise & Gail - grieving is a good description for how I'm feeling. So much of our culture revolves around food that everything changes when the food in your life changes. However, like all grieving, some days are good and others are not so good. I'll get through this. There are a lot worse things that could be going on. Thanks for the hug Louise and the empathy Gail. It's nice to know I'm not alone. Sewing helps. It's a great distraction and keeps my hands busy.
Today, I'll finish the cardigan and move on to the next project. I had two meters of the grey knit which should have been enough for the cardigan and a tank top only the fabric pre-shrunk just enough that I'm short about an inch and debating how to piece the bits to avoid buying more. A front yoke might do it.
The pink fabric is from before Christmas. I made a t-shirt with it and thought I had enough left over for a tank top when actually I have enough for another t-shirt. I love this color and pattern and it goes great with my SWAP collection. The adjustments made to my T & T t-shirt pattern since that first t-shirt have made it much more comfortable to wear especially through the armhole so I'm going to make another one out of this remnant for the SWAP.
I made a list yesterday and I've sewn a black with embroidered strips skirt, a plaid skirt, and a denim blue skirt as well as the grey/blue/black t-shirt, the ModCloth knock off t-shirt, and a knitted pink sweater all of which will - so far - be part of the SWAP. The blouse from earlier this week is up for debate. That leaves one more bottom, two to three tops, and a choice garment. Today's cardigan will most likely fill one of those slots as will the new pink t-shirt. I really want to make a blouse, a pair of pants, and a swing jacket or a dress. Before I do that, I need to double and triple check the rules to make sure I've covered all the requirements although that's not so critical since I'm not trying to win as much as create a wardrobe that works for me.
Have a fabulous weekend - Myrna
Grateful - a return to progress
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Personal Growth - You can be sure that God will take care of everything you need, his generosity exceeding even yours in the glory that pours from Jesus. - Philippians 4:19
God knows what I need before I even need it. He will supply a way. This is both motivating and comforting. YES YES!
I used a three thread serge to finish the seams and edges. The hemline below is fused with a one inch strip of knit interfacing. This is a tip I learned from Marci Tilton. It's great. With it, hemmed knits lay flatter and look far more professional.
With the raglan sleeve, I was worried about the armhole stretching out and used narrow pieces of fusible interfacing along the seam line. Next time, I won't do this. It works but it also feels slightly tight.
The shoulder is shaped with a curved dart. I used a French curve and chalk to mark the stitching line.
Things were going well until I tried the cardigan on Millicent and noticed that the bottom hem lines were off by one inch. I'm not sure how that happened but (well, actually, it had to be faulty measuring) I am sure that I ignored several intuitive flashes along the way. As I went to fuse the second strip, I thought you should compare these. When I cut off the extra interfacing, I thought this leftover bit seems longer than the other. And, when I was edge stitching, I wondered why is this puckering so much. All of these were clues that something wasn't quite right. I ignored them. I shouldn't have.
To fix this, I had to take out the edge stitching, peel off the interfacing, measure and re-block the piece, re-interface, and re-edge stitch. Luckily the front didn't stretch out of shape and steamed back into place well.
Here it is almost finished. Left to do are the hems, buttonholes, and buttons. The pattern calls for five buttons evenly spaced. I plan to use three with one at the top and the other two ending above the bust line. Up for debate are some waist tucks to add more shaping. I'll decide on that after I finish the hems.
Karen - thanks for the photography tips. Me being me, I have more questions however, these are an excellent beginning. My images so far have been really practical as opposed to pretty. I want to take them up a notch. I think that's going to involve different tools like a tripod and a remote so I don't have to rely on the busy boys.
Louise & Gail - grieving is a good description for how I'm feeling. So much of our culture revolves around food that everything changes when the food in your life changes. However, like all grieving, some days are good and others are not so good. I'll get through this. There are a lot worse things that could be going on. Thanks for the hug Louise and the empathy Gail. It's nice to know I'm not alone. Sewing helps. It's a great distraction and keeps my hands busy.
Today, I'll finish the cardigan and move on to the next project. I had two meters of the grey knit which should have been enough for the cardigan and a tank top only the fabric pre-shrunk just enough that I'm short about an inch and debating how to piece the bits to avoid buying more. A front yoke might do it.
The pink fabric is from before Christmas. I made a t-shirt with it and thought I had enough left over for a tank top when actually I have enough for another t-shirt. I love this color and pattern and it goes great with my SWAP collection. The adjustments made to my T & T t-shirt pattern since that first t-shirt have made it much more comfortable to wear especially through the armhole so I'm going to make another one out of this remnant for the SWAP.
I made a list yesterday and I've sewn a black with embroidered strips skirt, a plaid skirt, and a denim blue skirt as well as the grey/blue/black t-shirt, the ModCloth knock off t-shirt, and a knitted pink sweater all of which will - so far - be part of the SWAP. The blouse from earlier this week is up for debate. That leaves one more bottom, two to three tops, and a choice garment. Today's cardigan will most likely fill one of those slots as will the new pink t-shirt. I really want to make a blouse, a pair of pants, and a swing jacket or a dress. Before I do that, I need to double and triple check the rules to make sure I've covered all the requirements although that's not so critical since I'm not trying to win as much as create a wardrobe that works for me.
Have a fabulous weekend - Myrna
Grateful - a return to progress
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Personal Growth - You can be sure that God will take care of everything you need, his generosity exceeding even yours in the glory that pours from Jesus. - Philippians 4:19
God knows what I need before I even need it. He will supply a way. This is both motivating and comforting. YES YES!
Thursday 18 February 2010
Double Wedges
Long before Michelle, I loved sheath dresses and cardigans. While I certainly don't have her height, figure, or totally toned biceps... it is a look I can wear. Simplicity 2552 is one of the inaugural knock-offs. Butterick has one as well. Apparently, this one is "easy chic". Good. I could use some of that!
The cardigan has fairly simple lines with front pleats to add fullness and darts for shaping at the shoulder. It, along with a tank top (not this one), are next on my to sew list. For the SWAP, they can count as my "choice" item or as one top and one choice or even as two tops. I have options - LOL!
Normally, I avoid raglan sleeves as they tend to make my shoulders look even narrower. However, with the fuzziness of this knit and the neckband that line will be less obvious and should be okay. I'll try it and see. The dark grey will work in well with my other garments.
Adjusting the pattern, I ended up with double wedges. Nothing like making you feel curvier than ever. Pattern drafting for a size twelve is based on a 36" hip. That won't do. Allowing for 2" ease front and back, I added 4 3/4" to the back and 2 3/4" to the front. I was explaining this process to my husband - how it's based on a nearly equal bust hip scenario and how my hips are WAY wider than my upper bust making me super curvy - and he said, I like curves. LOL - good thing. I HAVE HIPS and I'm okay with them. In fact, I was thinking...
... about that just the other day, about things that used to bother me and don't anymore. In my teens, my nickname was Hognose which was supposedly a merging of my maiden name and my large nose. It bothered me then - a lot - and now, when I look in the mirror, I don't see a big nose. Guess I grew into it.
And my hips? They used to drive me crazy. I felt fatter than fat being all curvy when everyone else was a stick. Now, I think what great curves and I'm so glad I have them. My bust line is improving with age. My waist is smaller than it's been in a long time even if it could be more toned. Could be - with exercise. The only thing that I can think of that sort of bugs me right now is my chubby chicken biceps. They sag at the back like drumsticks. This look could be improved - again with exercise. I'm working on that - NOT - I wear sleeves - VBG. What used to bug you and doesn't any more? Isn't it great to be free of these things? YES YES!
Thanks for all the wonderful compliments on the blouse yesterday. Obviously it's time for me to make forays in new directions. I plan to wear it on Sunday with the denim skirt I made a few weeks ago. I haven't decided on which belt yet.
Unfortunately, no one commented with tips on photography. I was really hoping. Perhaps I'll have to ask some questions at a few blogs because I'll definitely need help before I take the SWAP pictures, both help taking them and help knowing how to put that all together. I'm not trying to win the competition. I'm just using it as a guideline for sewing. Even so, I want to do a good job. Right now, sewing the cardigan.
Have a great day - Myrna
Grateful - We were told to expect an appointment for one of the tests in about a month and Howard is going in today. That's quite quick, almost too quick. It's a bit nerve wracking so we're choosing to be happy and assume it's a cancellation instead of concerned at how urgent did the doctor mark that file that Howard went all the way to the top of the list immediately. Either way, this is good.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Personal Growth - Earlier in the week, I mentioned the comment made by the psychologist I used to work for about how there wasn't much need for a psychologist in Guatemala. That thought keeps running through my mind. I'm really struggling with food and these allergies. Some days I can handle it and other days I cry and I'm stressed and depressed, wandering around aimlessly, and peering into the fridge hopeful of change.
Instead of interesting and social, food is boring. I don't do bored well. Food has become choiceless, constraining, and filled with struggle especially on occasions when the people I love and would love to go out with go without me. Celebrating and socializing around food has been a big part of my life and now it's gone. Emotions swirl, including my feelings of entitlement to eat what I want to eat when the bottom line is I eat, every day, three meals a day. That's not true for everyone. Why aren't I grateful just to have food? How can I be?
The cardigan has fairly simple lines with front pleats to add fullness and darts for shaping at the shoulder. It, along with a tank top (not this one), are next on my to sew list. For the SWAP, they can count as my "choice" item or as one top and one choice or even as two tops. I have options - LOL!
Normally, I avoid raglan sleeves as they tend to make my shoulders look even narrower. However, with the fuzziness of this knit and the neckband that line will be less obvious and should be okay. I'll try it and see. The dark grey will work in well with my other garments.
Adjusting the pattern, I ended up with double wedges. Nothing like making you feel curvier than ever. Pattern drafting for a size twelve is based on a 36" hip. That won't do. Allowing for 2" ease front and back, I added 4 3/4" to the back and 2 3/4" to the front. I was explaining this process to my husband - how it's based on a nearly equal bust hip scenario and how my hips are WAY wider than my upper bust making me super curvy - and he said, I like curves. LOL - good thing. I HAVE HIPS and I'm okay with them. In fact, I was thinking...
... about that just the other day, about things that used to bother me and don't anymore. In my teens, my nickname was Hognose which was supposedly a merging of my maiden name and my large nose. It bothered me then - a lot - and now, when I look in the mirror, I don't see a big nose. Guess I grew into it.
And my hips? They used to drive me crazy. I felt fatter than fat being all curvy when everyone else was a stick. Now, I think what great curves and I'm so glad I have them. My bust line is improving with age. My waist is smaller than it's been in a long time even if it could be more toned. Could be - with exercise. The only thing that I can think of that sort of bugs me right now is my chubby chicken biceps. They sag at the back like drumsticks. This look could be improved - again with exercise. I'm working on that - NOT - I wear sleeves - VBG. What used to bug you and doesn't any more? Isn't it great to be free of these things? YES YES!
Thanks for all the wonderful compliments on the blouse yesterday. Obviously it's time for me to make forays in new directions. I plan to wear it on Sunday with the denim skirt I made a few weeks ago. I haven't decided on which belt yet.
Unfortunately, no one commented with tips on photography. I was really hoping. Perhaps I'll have to ask some questions at a few blogs because I'll definitely need help before I take the SWAP pictures, both help taking them and help knowing how to put that all together. I'm not trying to win the competition. I'm just using it as a guideline for sewing. Even so, I want to do a good job. Right now, sewing the cardigan.
Have a great day - Myrna
Grateful - We were told to expect an appointment for one of the tests in about a month and Howard is going in today. That's quite quick, almost too quick. It's a bit nerve wracking so we're choosing to be happy and assume it's a cancellation instead of concerned at how urgent did the doctor mark that file that Howard went all the way to the top of the list immediately. Either way, this is good.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Personal Growth - Earlier in the week, I mentioned the comment made by the psychologist I used to work for about how there wasn't much need for a psychologist in Guatemala. That thought keeps running through my mind. I'm really struggling with food and these allergies. Some days I can handle it and other days I cry and I'm stressed and depressed, wandering around aimlessly, and peering into the fridge hopeful of change.
Instead of interesting and social, food is boring. I don't do bored well. Food has become choiceless, constraining, and filled with struggle especially on occasions when the people I love and would love to go out with go without me. Celebrating and socializing around food has been a big part of my life and now it's gone. Emotions swirl, including my feelings of entitlement to eat what I want to eat when the bottom line is I eat, every day, three meals a day. That's not true for everyone. Why aren't I grateful just to have food? How can I be?
Wednesday 17 February 2010
After Two Weeks of Nothingness...
Can you believe that it is actually the 17th of February? This year has been flipping by so fast that even the slow days are blurr-ish. Note to self. Live in THIS moment. Enjoy. Be here. YES YES!
I sewed the Simplicity 2892 blouse in stages trying it on at every step while evaluating if there was enough there to keep going. Here it is sleeveless on Millicent. I thought this look had potential for a summer blouse. Below are the neckline pleats. They're pretty and add fullness and interest without being overdone. I've always preferred tucks and pleats over gathers. On me, they create a smoother, cleaner line that's more flattering.
Totally off topic - yesterday on Oprah, Nate Berkus said something along the lines of EVERYONE buys things when they're feeling down and keeps stuffing a room putting another vase on the shelf and another picture on the wall until it's completely over-done. I'm paraphrasing as I couldn't find the wording on-line. That doesn't describe me. I might buy another piece of fabric for my stash and "stuff" it on the shelf but smooth clean lines describe my house as well as my clothing style.
I'm very much a less is more person. I've been asked where is your stuff?" With room decor, with art, with fashion, when you gravitate toward streamlined looks, there is no place to hide. Mistakes are glaring. I think that's one of the reasons I'm having difficulty with my shifting shape right now. Five pounds and things are off and when things are off, it's obvious and being obviously off is not my goal.
The armhole still needs trimming and finishing in this picture. I'll do that today. I was surprised to get it this far - in one day - after two weeks of nothingness. Look! Look! - a blouse! It has been forever since I've worn a non knit garment and - to be completely honest - it feels VERY strange although not completely undoable. I'll adjust.
Look at those butt wrinkles. SOON... I'll make a pair of jeans that fit way better than this. Meanwhile... I doubt I'd ever wear this blouse without a belt. It feels okay but looks shapeless and unflattering. I'd much rather show off my waist. I'm a lot more comfortable in these...
... belted images even though I'm not typically a belt person. Maybe I'm becoming one - VBG - since I've worn a belt a few times lately. Maybe it's more flattering now that I've lost so many inches on my waist. I don't think a matching belt would work for me. I feel like it screams old lady although, to be fair, I should try a longer, nicely knotted one. A narrower belt might work or even elastic at that position for more shape. I could sew a casing inside.
From the side, it looks like the back and front are both longer with an upward curve at the side seam. The back definitely is longer with the extension for my high hips. I want to keep that length however, the front apparently didn't need the curved hemline. When/if I make this pattern again, I'll do a bit more work on the hemline as well as lengthen it considerably.
I prefer tops that are about 2-3" longer ending just above the widest point of my hip. This back image is not too bad. I don't mind the way the blouse shapes to my back. The size fourteen back with the size ten front at the side seam worked really well. The underarm seam is positioned correctly, the circumference is distributed as needed, and the sleeves don't twist. The shoulder width, armhole, neckline, and upper chest are a size twelve. I've been making a fourteen up until now but I wouldn't want them any wider and anything narrower might feel constraining especially as I'm used to wearing knits. This seems to work... and it was very quick to make... finally.
Photography - some blogs have the most wonderful photographs. The women look like models in really pretty poses. I've been wondering how to do that. Do you use a tripod and take mega shots or...? I feel like so many of my pictures are unflattering because the guys are always in a hurry and seem to get me in shiny, rosy faced, messy haired, looking earnest, mid talking poses that really aren't my best shot - at least not in my imagination. In my imagination, I'm much more gorgeous - VBG - although I see it's time to trim my bangs - LOL. If you have any help on how to take photos, I'd appreciate the info.
Claudine wrote - Sometimes I have the opposite problem from your jealousy when reading blogs. I look at blogs and think, why isn't anyone sewing anything interesting? Then I go in my sewing room and work on something nice to post about and wear.
How fun. I love that any boringness that I (or anyone else) might have would inspire someone else positively. That's a great reaction and one I'm more likely to have when sewing is going well. I really enjoy make-overs, taking an older garment and refashioning it. I have a denim jacket with a lot of embroidery on it that I've been debating how to reshape as part of my SWAP. I'm not sure it would look like it goes with the rest of the garments I've made so far even though I find the idea interesting.
The term interesting has a different definition for everyone. For me, it typically involves a challenge of some kind, a puzzle. With clothing, what we find interesting is heavily influenced by our fashion personality and whatever stage of life we're at and our body type. What is a giant leap for woman-kind in one studio is not much of anything in another. Like today. A woven blouse is pretty common to most women and a major change for me. I've literally been living in knits for almost twenty years so wearing a woven blouse and then adding a belt is stepping right out of my box while the color, pattern, clean lines, neckline shape, and three quarter sleeves are all pretty common to me. Changing one or two things while keeping others familiar can be a good way to make transitions. LOVE trying new things. It's fun.
I just realized that I have no idea what I'm making next. Hmm... I think it's time to pull out the rules for the SWAP again and see if I'm on track. I know I have one more bottom garment to make as well as the choice one and perhaps two tops. I'll see if today's blouse works well with what I have. If not, making it again right away would probably work.
Talk soon - Myrna
Grateful - we have no answers and more questions about my husband's health BUT... tests are being done. This is good. Hopefully results are on their way.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Personal Growth - May God our Father himself and our Master Jesus clear the road to you! And may the Master pour on the love so it fills your lives and splashes over on everyone around you, just as it does from us to you. May you be infused with strength and purity; filled with confidence in the presence of God our Father when our Master Jesus arrives with all his followers. - 1 Thessalonians 3
It's in times of stress that our true colors show. Years ago, my adopted grandmother had a debilitating stroke. When I would go to visit her in the hospital, I'm not sure she recognized me. Even though she'd squeeze my hand, it didn't seem as if she did however, since she couldn't speak, we were never quite sure. Even if she didn't recognize me, I recognized her. She became more of the worshipper that she'd always been singing songs of praise with her hand in the air, quoting scripture, and praying constantly. Her faith, her belief, her goodness, oozed from her. I've always been inspired by the beauty of her last days. While it was tragic, it was also incredibly encouraging. What oozes from me in times of difficulty? Am I filling myself with goodness? Am I supporting and encouraging others even in the tough times? That's my goal.
I sewed the Simplicity 2892 blouse in stages trying it on at every step while evaluating if there was enough there to keep going. Here it is sleeveless on Millicent. I thought this look had potential for a summer blouse. Below are the neckline pleats. They're pretty and add fullness and interest without being overdone. I've always preferred tucks and pleats over gathers. On me, they create a smoother, cleaner line that's more flattering.
Totally off topic - yesterday on Oprah, Nate Berkus said something along the lines of EVERYONE buys things when they're feeling down and keeps stuffing a room putting another vase on the shelf and another picture on the wall until it's completely over-done. I'm paraphrasing as I couldn't find the wording on-line. That doesn't describe me. I might buy another piece of fabric for my stash and "stuff" it on the shelf but smooth clean lines describe my house as well as my clothing style.
I'm very much a less is more person. I've been asked where is your stuff?" With room decor, with art, with fashion, when you gravitate toward streamlined looks, there is no place to hide. Mistakes are glaring. I think that's one of the reasons I'm having difficulty with my shifting shape right now. Five pounds and things are off and when things are off, it's obvious and being obviously off is not my goal.
The armhole still needs trimming and finishing in this picture. I'll do that today. I was surprised to get it this far - in one day - after two weeks of nothingness. Look! Look! - a blouse! It has been forever since I've worn a non knit garment and - to be completely honest - it feels VERY strange although not completely undoable. I'll adjust.
Look at those butt wrinkles. SOON... I'll make a pair of jeans that fit way better than this. Meanwhile... I doubt I'd ever wear this blouse without a belt. It feels okay but looks shapeless and unflattering. I'd much rather show off my waist. I'm a lot more comfortable in these...
... belted images even though I'm not typically a belt person. Maybe I'm becoming one - VBG - since I've worn a belt a few times lately. Maybe it's more flattering now that I've lost so many inches on my waist. I don't think a matching belt would work for me. I feel like it screams old lady although, to be fair, I should try a longer, nicely knotted one. A narrower belt might work or even elastic at that position for more shape. I could sew a casing inside.
From the side, it looks like the back and front are both longer with an upward curve at the side seam. The back definitely is longer with the extension for my high hips. I want to keep that length however, the front apparently didn't need the curved hemline. When/if I make this pattern again, I'll do a bit more work on the hemline as well as lengthen it considerably.
I prefer tops that are about 2-3" longer ending just above the widest point of my hip. This back image is not too bad. I don't mind the way the blouse shapes to my back. The size fourteen back with the size ten front at the side seam worked really well. The underarm seam is positioned correctly, the circumference is distributed as needed, and the sleeves don't twist. The shoulder width, armhole, neckline, and upper chest are a size twelve. I've been making a fourteen up until now but I wouldn't want them any wider and anything narrower might feel constraining especially as I'm used to wearing knits. This seems to work... and it was very quick to make... finally.
Photography - some blogs have the most wonderful photographs. The women look like models in really pretty poses. I've been wondering how to do that. Do you use a tripod and take mega shots or...? I feel like so many of my pictures are unflattering because the guys are always in a hurry and seem to get me in shiny, rosy faced, messy haired, looking earnest, mid talking poses that really aren't my best shot - at least not in my imagination. In my imagination, I'm much more gorgeous - VBG - although I see it's time to trim my bangs - LOL. If you have any help on how to take photos, I'd appreciate the info.
Claudine wrote - Sometimes I have the opposite problem from your jealousy when reading blogs. I look at blogs and think, why isn't anyone sewing anything interesting? Then I go in my sewing room and work on something nice to post about and wear.
How fun. I love that any boringness that I (or anyone else) might have would inspire someone else positively. That's a great reaction and one I'm more likely to have when sewing is going well. I really enjoy make-overs, taking an older garment and refashioning it. I have a denim jacket with a lot of embroidery on it that I've been debating how to reshape as part of my SWAP. I'm not sure it would look like it goes with the rest of the garments I've made so far even though I find the idea interesting.
The term interesting has a different definition for everyone. For me, it typically involves a challenge of some kind, a puzzle. With clothing, what we find interesting is heavily influenced by our fashion personality and whatever stage of life we're at and our body type. What is a giant leap for woman-kind in one studio is not much of anything in another. Like today. A woven blouse is pretty common to most women and a major change for me. I've literally been living in knits for almost twenty years so wearing a woven blouse and then adding a belt is stepping right out of my box while the color, pattern, clean lines, neckline shape, and three quarter sleeves are all pretty common to me. Changing one or two things while keeping others familiar can be a good way to make transitions. LOVE trying new things. It's fun.
I just realized that I have no idea what I'm making next. Hmm... I think it's time to pull out the rules for the SWAP again and see if I'm on track. I know I have one more bottom garment to make as well as the choice one and perhaps two tops. I'll see if today's blouse works well with what I have. If not, making it again right away would probably work.
Talk soon - Myrna
Grateful - we have no answers and more questions about my husband's health BUT... tests are being done. This is good. Hopefully results are on their way.
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Personal Growth - May God our Father himself and our Master Jesus clear the road to you! And may the Master pour on the love so it fills your lives and splashes over on everyone around you, just as it does from us to you. May you be infused with strength and purity; filled with confidence in the presence of God our Father when our Master Jesus arrives with all his followers. - 1 Thessalonians 3
It's in times of stress that our true colors show. Years ago, my adopted grandmother had a debilitating stroke. When I would go to visit her in the hospital, I'm not sure she recognized me. Even though she'd squeeze my hand, it didn't seem as if she did however, since she couldn't speak, we were never quite sure. Even if she didn't recognize me, I recognized her. She became more of the worshipper that she'd always been singing songs of praise with her hand in the air, quoting scripture, and praying constantly. Her faith, her belief, her goodness, oozed from her. I've always been inspired by the beauty of her last days. While it was tragic, it was also incredibly encouraging. What oozes from me in times of difficulty? Am I filling myself with goodness? Am I supporting and encouraging others even in the tough times? That's my goal.
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