Comments like that drive me crazy. I hated being pressured to have children years ago and I hate the pressure and expectation attached to these statements now as if somehow I have to have grandchildren and when I do my time and my creativity will not be my own. There are rules to follow. One must sew for grandchildren. As soon as I have to, I don't want to. I'm so stubborn that I tend to get my back up so I have to remind myself to breath, that the teasing is all in fun.
With or without children, women spend huge portions of their life putting the needs of others first. I'm honest enough to say that I would like some Myrna time between mother and grandmother. If that makes me selfish, so be it because I also know that if I had a grandchild, I would love him or her. Since it's not up to me, what will be will be. I guess we'll see what happens when and if. LOL - can you tell this is a touchy subject? Too funny!
Grandmother or not, it is fun to sew for a child and child size garments are a great way to learn to knit or to sew by practicing the same steps in a smaller format. Smaller is usually less expensive and less time consuming and children aren't too fussy. The fit doesn't have to be perfect as long as the garment is comfortable and fun.
This coat doesn't qualify as less time consuming. It took me ten days to make. By layering and quilting the fabric myself and by binding each seam, I made it a lot more complicated than the pattern - Simplicity 2745 - instructions called for which is fleece and no lining. Oh well. I love my version.
The collar is the only part that is not quilted. I used fusi-knit interfacing to give it a bit more body. The wool presses and takes shape nicely so the collar formed and lay flat and even without much difficulty.
All the parts and pieces came from stash including these speckled purple buttons. Three was all I had. Perfect. The fashion fabric is a remnant from a jacket of mine made earlier this year. The lining was bought months ago for about $1.00 in the bargain section and the thinsulite batting is really Really REALLY old. It's been in my stash for about fifteen years. Even the thread was in stash. What a great feeling to pull it all together.
The coat is for my friend's granddaughter. She - my friend - was visiting on Sunday night and got to see the coat finished even before the mother did. I took it for show and tell at knitting last night and now I'll wrap it up and deliver it. I'm sure the mother will love it but it doesn't really matter. I had a lot of fun sewing it and learned all about how I would do it differently next time. I often think that I should sew a pattern twice just to perfect the learning.
When Jessica was little, my mother-in-law wove a gorgeous blue fabric for me to sew her a coat with. At that time, I didn't have enough confidence to cut into it. Now I do. Jessica has the fabric. When she was visiting two weeks ago, we talked about making a coat from it if the opportunity presents itself. Next time, I would fuse the fashion fabric for extra body, serge the seams, and use a quilted lining. Instead of being a lot more work, that would be a lot less.
Speaking of lining...
After breakfast yesterday, I stopped by Fabricland to show the staff the little girl coat and to pick up some quilted lining for my Vogue vintage jacket. There was none in the lining section however, there was a bolt of kashi lining and a bolt of quilted lining in the bargain section for $5.00 less 50%. The signs hadn't been taken down from the weekend sale yet. Lucky me. I bought four meters of the quilted and six meters of the unquilted for $28.00. That's the regular price I would have paid for the two meters for the jacket had it been on the shelf. LOVE bargains like this. Next time I sew Simplicity 2745, I'll have everything in stash again.
ALTHOUGH... I'm being a lot more diligent about sewing down my stash. Roughly twenty-two months from now - in May and June of 2012 - my friend Caroline and I turn fifty. On the weekend, we talked and decided we'd plan a shopping trip to San Francisco to celebrate. I want to make sure that if I find fabric I love, there is space to store it. That's a great goal to sew toward.
Talk soon - Myrna
Grateful - grandmothers
The coat looks absolutely wonderful, and I'm sure will be adored! I was thinking about your grandmother comment - I'd actually be pretty put out if my mother (who works outside the home and has many other commitments) took it into her head that she would sew entire wardrobes for my kids. Not only do I realize that she has better things to do, I would be quite put out to not be able to sew for them myself. Sewing for kids is fun, when you want to do it!
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful coat! Lucky little girl!
ReplyDeleteI so understand your commments about resisting the pressure to...whatever! I know people are just making conversation but sometimes they should turn their tongue inside their mouth seven times before speaking (not sure whether you have that expression in English but that's the way we say it in French )
What a gorgeous coat, Myrna. I am sure that the mother will be happy to receive it.
ReplyDeleteOver the years I have put up with comments about not being a grandparent as our children do not have children. The comments have really bothered me as it is our children's decisions as to whether they have children or not, not ours. Try and explain that to some people as I have had to do. It was the same when we had our children - what no children yet??
Great luck at shopping for lining. I didn't do that well when I hit the sale on the weekend - lol. But I did well enough. I have my share of great luck over the past year on great sales that I am not complaining.
I enjoyed sewing for my nieces because no one expected me to do it and I could have fun. I would be the same way about sewing for grandchildren. I don't sew for my grandson because boys things interest me less: yes I admit it. Since no one expects me to sew I might do it someday.
ReplyDeleteThat coat looks beautiful and fun to make.
Oh my gosh, that coat is gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteThat coat is a thing of beauty!! And I hear you about the "me" time. I'm trying to carve out some of that with a kid and it's rather challenging...
ReplyDeleteOh, Myrna...oooooooooo....That coat is GORGEOUS. I guess you quilted on the machine? Or not? By hand? I ADORE everything about it. As a sewer AND a knitter, I can appreciate every step you took...to perfection, I believe!! ;-)
ReplyDeleteI longed for grandchildren and FINALLY had one at age 63. Another kid had one last year, when I was 67. Each parent was 40 or more. ;-)
The little girl coat is adorable.
ReplyDeleteOh that coat is gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteI think you and I are both fans of the Selfish Seamstress. I do heartily dislike for someone else to start dictating what I do with my creative time usually for some inane reason that has nothing to do with my real life. IOW, I understand why your back might be up just a little bit
Myrna,
ReplyDeleteI LOVE the pink little girl coat! It's inspiring to see how you made it... I'd never have thought of quilting it, but it makes the coat. The little girl will love it. Hopefully, she will want to save it for a little girl in her future. May they take a picture of her in it and send it to you (and maybe the mom would even let you share with your blog friends?)
So far no grand-kids for me, but I do have grand-kittens. No pressure to my daughter and son-in-law from us. I'd love to be a grandma, but not until they are ready.
Carrie