What Works For Me?

This is a really long post. You might need a coffee. It kept growing. I finally moved some info to Monday. Obviously, we're on a topic that excites me. Too fun and too true. Each of us, individually, being all that we can be and uniquely ourselves is something that I'm very passionate about.

Open to Opportunity is one of the lessons in my workshop Women Art Life. Similar to listening to our inner artist, it talks about allowing the universe (God in my opinion) to bring the answers that you need - to ask and then wait expectantly. Asking can be subconscious. I didn't say out loud God I need an answer for the front of this sweater. It was an internal conversation since talking to God is an ongoing part of my day. The question was naturally out there as I worked on bringing the sweater together and the answer came.




Above is one of the outfits that Sal at Already Pretty posted yesterday. The minute I saw it, I knew how to finish off the front of the sweater. As you can see below, my version is not at all the same. That's because hers was simply an inspiration that provided direction that led to answers. Inspiration is everywhere. If you're open to ideas (opportunities), there's a never ending supply of them. If you're closed to ideas, they're hard to find.

There are five small buttons holding the lower front flap of the sweater closed, the same ones you see in the image below along the back waist. They're sewn through both layers creating a false opening while adding subtle interest to the bottom half of the sweater.

Originally, I put a large button at the "collar" only it didn't add enough to the overall look to make up for what it took away from in my ability to wear jewelry with this outfit. Even with the ribbing and lettuce edge, the front is rather plain. It'll need something with punch and pizazz. Without the button, I have that ability.

The peplum idea was perfect. There are ten pleats across the back each with a button embellishment. At each side seam, there are two pleats that fold together similar to center back with one button at each meeting point. The pleats allow sufficient width for the sweater to transition from the fitted waist to my wider hips.

Yesterday, I said I was going to play with color on the design wall. Hmm... well... I started to create a color chart and then thought this is ridiculous. I have studied the color wheel in some form or another for over thirty years. I know the theory of color and - more importantly - I know what colors I like and what works FOR ME. There was no point going through a set of color exercises again when these color cards below illustrate so well what I mean.




See the group at the top? Along with black... in the medium to dark range of each card... these are the colors that I wear the most often. In their darkest form, they are personal neutrals and in their lighter forms, they are accents.

See the group to the right? These are the colors that you'll never see me wear in any form other than as an accessory and even then probably not. Because this group contains colors that are the direct compliment of my favourite colors, they might occasionally be punch colors but they'll never be core colors. They are not me.

See the group to the left? These are colors that I hardly ever wear and only in their darker tones except for the blue based lime. That is my absolute favourite color in the whole world. Three rooms of my house are painted that color - my studio, my bedroom, and the kitchen. This is the color I wear as a neutral in the summer and as an accent in the winter although to be completely and totally honest, I have to be increasingly careful with it as I age. In large doses, it overpowers me so it's becoming more and more of an accent or an away from the face color.

Even though that top group is of the colors I live in and seems pretty narrow, that doesn't stop me from playing with color, trying different schemes, accents, working with the compliment, exploring. Many people are scared of color. It's like a big box of crayons. Understanding comes with playing.

I'm very comfortable and confident with color so it's not something that I personally need to spend a lot of time on. If you're not, the 3 in 1 Color Tool illustrated is a FABULOUS tool along with any of Joen Wolfrom's books such as Color Play. You'll learn a lot from them.




In contrast, when I started the Basics & Bonuses List, it made me burst out laughing. Since my wardrobe needs to match my activities, I started with a breakdown of my time. I spend between 1/2 to 1 day a week at church or at a dress-up event. If we include knitting, we can stretch that to 2 days but that's it. I occasionally dress up for knitting. Dress-up meaning a skirt or dress.

Otherwise, I spend 5 to 5 1/2 days a week at home where I'm rarely dressed up meaning I wear jeans. Again, if we include knitting, we can stretch that to 6 1/2 days. That's interesting data. If I'm home so much, why is it that I've sewn more skirts than anything else? Am I sewing the clothing I need? Apparently not and if not, why not and what works for me?

Unless I'm going dress up more for at home, what I really need are more jeans and casual pants. I would like to take my wardrobe up a notch and I'm finding that difficult to do after spending so much time in jeans and a t-shirt. When I go to get dressed, it's hard to see myself in anything different and a real stretch to imagine going beyond a jean skirt or a sundress in summer. It feels funny. Like I'm overdressed. Oh well... I want to and I can change.

Thinking over my sewing in the last six months, it seems that I've been sewing what's easiest. To a certain extent that makes sense. With my continued weight loss, I have an ongoing shortage of clothes. T-shirts are quick and fun. I've sewn quite a few and wear them almost daily. Sewing a slew of t-shirts filled in a whole lot of gaps.

Next easiest would be skirts. With only the waist and hips to fit, these are a cinch. Since October, I've sewn six or seven skirts. One is a long, trumpet style in a denim-ish color and another is a short, above knee length, pencil skirt in a denim - but not a dark denim - more a Mom jean type denim - not the best color. It was a trial run. Neither skirt is what I would consider a casual, every day, jean skirt. I need one - or more but let's start with one - of those.

After t-shirts and skirts, pants are the easiest to make. I've managed to figure out the whole crotch curve thing (I think) so pants are only slightly more difficult than a skirt. Right now, I'm seriously lacking in the pant department and in about five pounds, the situation will be dire. Luckily the weight loss is slowing down because even my yoga pants are getting too big. SO... when I say serious lacking, I mean SERIOUSLY lacking as in I have one pair of jeans that fits for about an hour and one pair that somewhat fits and I'm constantly washing them. The situation is about to get desperate. Jeans just might have to be my next project. That's an exciting idea. I've been wanting to sew jeans for years and I'd like them in denim and in some fun fabrics EXCEPT THAT...

... I really, Really, REALLY want to finish up the top section of the SWAP with a blouse. Blouses are THE most difficult garment for me to make. With narrow shoulders, a full bust, a short torso, a small tipped waist, and high wide hips, good fit is difficult to achieve. What I need is a basic pattern that fits and can be adapted in numerous ways only experience tells me that finding and fitting that basic pattern will be quite a job.

SO... either jeans or a blouse are up next. Most likely jeans. I have enough tops to get by on. The pant situation is more critical. While I'm sewing the jeans, I can think about the core basics in my wardrobe and the question what is an essential wardrobe FOR ME.

You can look at any number of wardrobe lists and they're going to show two things for sure - a white button up blouse and black pencil skirt - and typically something suit-ish like a matching jacket and/or pants. Just this morning, I read on Stitcher's Guild that matched suits are making a comeback. What I find interesting about that is that dressing is make a come-back. That's good. However, knowing what you know about me already, you can see those basics are not MY basics. I have no need for a suit. I don't wear jackets. I don't and won't wear a white button up blouse. And, while I'd enjoy a black pencil skirt, it wouldn't be because of its everyday mix and match possibilities. Time wise and wardrobe wise, black pencil skirts are more dress up than basic for me.

SO... what should I, could I, would I wear?

As always, there will be the question of balance. I'm a minimalist in most areas of my life. I don't want to transition from too few to an overabundance of clothing. Core ingredients to me are jeans, jean skirts, numerous black t-shirts, numerous black cardigans, t-shirts in accent colors, cardigans in accent colors, and LOTS of accessories with a focus on chunky necklaces and fun shoes.

I work with a tight budget and due to my changing size, I don't even have those basics right now. With summer approaching, designing and completing a solid wardrobe of core essentials along with some flirty skirts (my summer shorts) would take me a long way. I've started making notes with the goal of developing a plan for moving forward. First, I have to answer questions like...

... how many pairs of jeans?

... what colors?
... capris?

... how many t-shirts?

... what colors?

... how many cardigans?

... what colors?

... how many skirts?

... what length?

... what colors?

... more accessories?

... how many pairs of shoes?

... heel height?

... what color?
... what else?

Ruthie K wrote - I think you would be best off giving away the pretty sweater and then someone who looks good in that colour and fine detail could enjoy wearing it. Since it's acrylic attempts to change the colour are unlikely to produce results of the high quality you desire. And the detailed edging will always be there, a lovely feature, but just not very you.

Wonderful comment. Thanks Ruthie. I hope you won't mind if I take it in another direction and please understand that I'm not trying to put words in your mouth. I'm not saying that you're saying this. I'm using your comment as the starting point of a discussion.

When I first starting cutting up my older art pieces and transitioning them to new ones, quite a few of my friends got really uptight. To their way of thinking, the original piece was too good to wreck. To my way of thinking, it was not good enough to save. They couldn't figure out why I'd want to risk what was for what might not be.

The assumption was made that the exercise would be a failure. However, what I've learned over the years is that if I just keep pushing through, and stay with the project, and keep trying this and that, that success is almost always just around the corner. Very few pieces are complete and utter failures. As my friends watched me successfully transition more and more pieces and saw the incredibly growth and development of my art that came from those experiments, even they started making why don't you chop it up type comments.

I love challenging questions. The green sweater has a lot of positive elements. The things that I dislike about it can be changed. The idea of transitioning it into a look similar to the denim knit lace above has been tickling at my brain for a while. Because I have a love hate relationship with that picot edge, I wonder if through the use of value and intensity I could create something I'd really like. Yes it might be a failure and perhaps giving it away is the safer route. However, even though I'm a very generous person and believe strongly in caring through sharing, I also believe in using what you have.

This idea is tickling my brain. It's not going to go away if the sweater goes away. Instead, I'd end up looking for another sweater that had similar properties. That doesn't make sense when this sweater is already mine, paid for, available, and - in my opinion - not good enough to save especially as I already have supplies in the studio for working with synthetic fabrics.

To me, this sweater is a blank canvas full of potential and exploring that potential is a huge part of the way in which I am creative. One thing I taught over and over in my Self Expressions and Fundamentals of Design workshops was that to learn and grow, the student (and the teacher) has to risk failure. We don't learn nearly as much by playing it safe. Learning to risk takes work. There are a lot of itchy anxious moments to go through before getting to those creative bubble bursts. And surprisingly, after a while, you crave them. They're familiar and you know what to do next - keep going.

Doing the work, playing, experimenting, risking, living a little over the edge, and following up challenging questions teaches me a tremendous amount and leads to interesting places. For example, if I wasn't willing to risk what was, I would have two - yawn, yawn - boring sweaters instead of the two unique and interesting pieces I created this week and all the learning I've gathered from them. Perhaps I should have just given away the sweaters but I don't think so. They were here, in the studio, bought and paid for, available, and... not good enough to save. Now, they are.

Have a great weekend - Myrna

Grateful - Jeans are next. Wow! Sewing jeans has been on my "want to learn" list for an incredibly long time. Exciting.

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Personal Growth - Yesterday something came up that I can't talk about (not even with you dear daughter) and don't want to deal with. We're not always given a choice. It's exhausting and requires me to be out of control and to trust God to provide a way. I'm not good at out of control. Trusting is easier. Hopefully 50/50 will get me through.