What happened is that I've sewn a lot of clothes, more than enough to meet the criteria although one more garment, particularly with beading, would finish it in "style" except I don't want to. I don't want to sew another garment on this theme. I don't want to bead. I don't want to put on the outfits, figure out my camera settings, set up a backdrop, and take and compile pictures. And I don't want to be judged and voted on. That doesn't feel like the right spirit to me. So one day before the deadline, even though it's completely doable, I quit - LOL.
What I really wanted to do was work on a bra for my daughter. I've been thinking about her a lot lately, missing her, wishing she didn't live so far away. When the power came back on, that's what I did and it gave me a headache!
Not to name names but I won't be dealing with this company any more. When I opened the package there was not enough yardage of the cup fabric to cut even one frame with the direction of greatest stretch going the right way never mind the five I'd been assured of. On the other hand, there is more than enough of the band fabric. Perhaps they got reversed. I don't know. I do know that there is fine cat hair on the black fabric and a really strong perfume (musk) smell. I'm allergic to cats and I'm really allergic to musk.
Since there wasn't enough yardage, I put the cup fabric in the laundry room, cut out one set of bands and put the rest of that fabric in the laundry room assuming that the musk smell would dissipate from the remaining supplies. It didn't. It's in everything only now that I've started, the bra can't be washed until it's finished. As I cut each trim, the rest goes in the wash but the smell is staying. Luckily, there's only the stretch trim and the closures left to finish.
This bra is meant to be a sample to see how well the sizing fits and what adjustments need to be made. I wanted a firm fabric so I used a stretch taffeta for the frame and cups. It's a remnant that I picked up in a dance academy, originally intended for costumes. It looks pretty good with the black band fabric and trim. If the bra fits her, it'll be pretty and if it doesn't, it's not a great loss.
Smells aside, I'm having fun. I made two bras in the workshop last fall and this is only the third one I've sewn. While it's not perfect, my skills are advancing. A few more and the flow should be committed to memory and come to my hands more easily. I love when that happens. That's the point where creativity kicks in. To be creative is one of the main reasons I sew.
Why do you sew? Since the first time I sat down at a sewing machine, fabric has been my primary medium. Over the past thirty five years, I've sewn fashions, then textile art, then fashions again and while it's a nice bonus to get a wardrobe or an art piece for myself, that's not why I sew. It's not even for practical reasons like fit or economy although those too are a nice bonus. It's because I LOVE TO SEW. It consumes me.
I think in fabric. I love taking the parts and pieces, putting them together, and creating a new whole. Only, it's not enough for me to crank out one garment after another especially if they look alike. Automated sewing is boring. I need to be interested on an intellectual and a creative level. Often that interest comes in the form of a question.
For example, I'm making this bra for my daughter because her size is difficult to find, expensive, and typically available only in boring white and beige. The question is can I make a bra that will be supportive, inexpensive, and pretty? Once I have the sizing correct and the flow of sewing memorized, the possibilities are endless. They tickle my mind. I become aware of things like the recent Lane Bryant ad, which apparently some channels refused to run because in their opinion it shows too much cleavage. Since I've seen a lot more cleavage in other ads on non-plus size models, that judgement occupies my mind too but... back to the subject...
The bra's shape becomes a blank canvas which is true of all garments. Each one is an opportunity not only to be creative but also to perfect current skills or learn new ones. Yesterday, while I was working on the bra, my mind was busy with the forward shoulder question. I'm not interested in angling my shoulder seam forward almost an inch. I don't think that will look "normal". I'm also not interested in skewing the sleeves and most of the adjustments I've read about do exactly that and it's certainly what happened when I re-inserted the sleeve the other day. Since big names have developed those techniques, I could end up going in that direction however, I have an idea for the adjustment that I think will work easily without those issues. I just need to try it and I will soon. It's become the thing that I want to do next, my question of the hour.
THAT is one of the things I love about sewing. That it occupies my hands and my mind, makes me pay attention to details in the world around me, helps me to think outside the box, and develops my creative skills including thinking, organizing, resolving, comparing, and evaluating. It's a huge and satisfying energy force in my life. I can't imagine what people do with themselves who do not have a similar passion. Being creative permeates my entire life and exits through sewing.
Even overnight, the smell didn't dissipate enough and it's taken me a lot longer than normal to write this posting because my head is pounding. I feel like I haven't said what I wanted to say as wonderfully as I wanted to say it. However, I'll finish the bra this morning, wash everything, air out the studio, and decide what's next. It'll be whatever interests and amuses me because one of the reasons I sew is to have fun.
Talk soon - Myrna
Grateful - washing machines
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Personal Growth - Have you ever become aware of a feeling that was growing just below the surface in your life, there but not recognized? I've realized in the last few days that I am angry at diabetes. It surprised me because of all the things that can happen to a child, diabetes is manageable. It's far preferable to the forms of cancer they tested him for when he was diagnosed. How hard that would have been. And even so, it is taking over my life, consuming copious amounts of time, money, and energy, and filtrates into every thing. While I don't physically have diabetes, as the primary caregiver, I emotionally do. It affects every single decision I make. I'm so angry that I don't even want to talk about it. I just want to ignore it and make it go away and of course, I can't and it won't. Oh joy - something else for me to figure out - VBG.
I think you said it perfectly!! As I read your post, I found myself nodding, "Yes, yes, that IS why I sew!" Wonderfully put!
ReplyDeleteI sew for a multitude of reasons. I think originally (back when I was about 4 or 5) I found it facinating how a few pieces of fabric could become "something" - clothing for me or my Barbie doll. I am a process person, I like to organize activities and follow directions, and sewing gives me lots of opportunity to engage in process. I like the creativity. I enjoy imagining all the possibilities of what I could create, and even without much in the way of artistic or design training I can produce beautiful works that bring me joy. I love the wonderful tactile experience of working with fabric. I enjoy the challenge of learning new techniques and the ongoing challenge of making decisions and solving the problems that surface during every project. Sewing has kept me sane in times of stress in my life and has given me immeasurable pleasure over the years.
ReplyDeleteAnd now, my 2 cents about pattern alterations. ;) My shape is nothing like a "standard" pattern and over the years I've learned to do many alterations to make "standard" patterns fit me - with mixed success. When I got my first Pattern Master Boutique sloper to fit me and I compared it to my latest sloper developed from a commercial fitting pattern a light bulb went on. The basic shape of the standard pattern was just plain wrong for my body and no amount of twiddling with it was going to make it right. So PMB helped me develop some better basic pattern shapes for me. And mostly I now grab detail from commercial patterns and overlay it on these basic shapes.
Hope everything came out in the wash. ;)
Lois K
Hmm - not answering the why for now - other than to say it's very meditative and I enjoy it. What I want to ask you about is the supplies. I would greatly appreciate it if you could email me. I'm signed up to take a class with Anne next month and really want to order more supplies - but do not need the things you've experienced. Thanks - hope you are well. g
ReplyDeleteI make things. From fabric, clay, dirt and seeds, wood, paper, paint; but the supplies for my fabric-related making are by far the biggest investment in space and $$. I have realized over the years that I most enjoy making "useful" things... so my quilts are of a size to cover a person (sometimes a really small person)and my clay constructs are dishes and plates and containers, and so it goes. I typically have 2 or more projects going on at once.
ReplyDeleteFinding so many wonderful blogs on the internet has caused serious inspiration overload lately! I'm working on finding a balance between inspiration and execution. Thanks for always inspiring and/or teaching me something.
I don't like the idea of rotating the whole sleeve either, especially if the problem is only in the sleeve cap (from the bicep line up). So my approach would be to cut the pattern along the bicep line and slide the cap in the appropriate direction. One side will have an overhang that you cut off and add the the other side which looks like it's missing a piece. Then the sleeve seam is positioned correctly (no change from the original) but the cap has ease where it's needed.
ReplyDeleteI hope that made some sense.