Isn't That Confusing?

Several months ago, I bought a black knit with a silver metallic design that completely disappeared when I prewashed the fabric leaving a thin, wrinkled, only okay, I never would have bought that, knit. Luckily, it has proved useful for binding the seam allowances on this little girl coat. In fact, it's working so perfectly I can see using a knit binding far more often. It's much easier to work with than bias woven strips.




The front and back sections are finished and I'm sewing in the sleeves now. It's quite tedious doing all the binding but I think it looks great.




I wanted to do the back section first and then the front to learn about merging and binding the godet seams. Apparently, that didn't work because the back above looks not too bad and the front didn't merge nearly as well. On it, I had to figure out how to cover a clip in the seam and I'm not sure I'm happy with the look yet. I'm still thinking about it. Another case of needing to make a pattern twice so I can use my learning.

The coat is quite stiff. It'll be very little girl twirly. I'll wash it after I finish to get rid of the chalk lines from the channel stitching. That might soften it a bit. I'm debating a bow on the back waist.

Spottedroo wrote - Great choices - I can really see "you" in these patterns. They don't look like compromises with "wearability" - they reflect your artistic eye. I think challenging yourself to make and wear these will really make you feel your style reflects you - something you've written about a lot. Looking forward to seeing how they come together.

How wonderful. Thank you. I'm thrilled that "me" is coming out in these choices. It'll be even more fun to bring it all together with the fabrics. Good luck in the next few days. I hope the delivery goes well. I'm watching for pictures of your little one.

Elisabeth wrote - Thanks for showing us your selection of patterns. I'm so looking forward to reading your progress on these. Also, I must confess that that Butterick 4859 skirt has really caught my eye. Wonder whether I have the skills to make it.

YES - of course you do. Look at all the work you've done previously. All those skills are transferable and as you know, you learn to do by doing. If you're worried, start with a muslin and make the pattern twice or whatever it takes to end up with the skirt of your dreams. Definitely you can do this. Send me a picture when you're done. I'd love to see it. If you need help, let me know.

Lydia wrote - Your post is the exact reason I abandoned the custom sewing and alteration business I had babied for forty years. I now sew for MYSELF and will alter garments for a dear friend, but this is all. The creative process is far easier when one is not under the gun to produce. Good work and best wishes.

Last fall, my friend and I shopped at a store that was selling out of dance and costume fabrics. There were some wonderful bargains to be had and we spent significant time digging through the bolts and bits. The woman who helped us was quite bitter about her loss of sewing enjoyment. At one time, she'd sewn for pleasure, and then for work making all those costumes, and now she didn't care if she ever sewed at all.

Her loss made me so glad that that my studio had reverted to a place of personal creativity BEFORE it was too late. As time goes on, I'm increasingly protective of my creative privacy and less and less inclined toward anything that will take away from its potential.

I had contemplated sewing custom bras but the idea of production sewing in my studio and the impact that might have on my personal creativity combined with the demands of clients convinced me not to go there unless, and only if, I absolutely have to. It's certainly a good business idea. At some point, that may be necessary but - if I need a job - I'm more inclined toward a situation where I work for an hour, get paid for an hour, outside the home.

Karen wrote - Have there been any more developments in your teaching on line and writing decisions? After taking some of your classes, I am looking forward to the opportunity to take more if they are subjects I would like to learn about.

Back in July, I wrote in Back To Work Program that I missed teaching and was looking for opportunities to teach online and in real life. I do, I am, and we'll see. I've inquired with several online sites and so far none are a good fit for the types of workshops that I currently have developed and I am not willing to develop any new workshops at this time.

Some conversations are in the works to teach real life workshops however, because these are booked years in advance, it could take years to come about which is fine as all of this next year, and possibly some of the one after, will still be focused on helping my son. If teaching happens, it'll be wonderful and if it doesn't, something else will come up.

In that same posting, I wrote that I was contemplating writing another book. I said - the book will be on how to be creative with fashion as opposed to with textile art and will transfer and adapt the information I taught previously to this new form.

The book idea continues to tickle me. I have a completed outline and some samples - illustrations and writing - ready to go when and if they're needed. I'm moving cautiously. I'm not willing for my studio to become work dominated. I'm willing for the creativity of my studio to be useful in a work environment. LOL - isn't that confusing?

What I mean by that is when I create something in my studio that meets the criteria of the book I've outlined, I am taking appropriate pictures and keeping the required notes and information but I'm not abandoning personal goals to write the book. When it's written, it will NOT be a pattern book nor a how to book in any way except in a way that encourages creativity similar to what you're (I hope) reading on my blog each day.

I don't anticipate this kind of book - or these kinds of classes - will have a large audience because much of the fashion sewing community - like quilt world - is populated with sewers who follow the pattern and make the garment look exactly like the picture. Please don't take that as a criticism because I truly believe that we all need to approach our creativity in a way that works for us and to take from it what we need. Following the pattern is not wrong, it's just not what I need and not what I want to teach.

With a small pool of potential students and readers, I'm evaluating how much time, money, and energy I want to invest in this project and what perspective I want to approach it from if at all. If I will be sucked into workaholism again, if I will be banging my head against a wall and getting no where, if it will negatively affect our finances, or if it will ruin my enjoyment of the creative process - no thanks. If it will add to the overall experience and encourage others to their best - YES YES! Time will tell. I'm in no rush.

Have a great weekend - Myrna

Grateful - a lazy long and last weekend of summer