The Don't Buy Do Sew Reminder

Since I was planning to stay up and watch the royal wedding last night and then be at work by 9:30 this morning, I decided to write this posting Thursday, which meant I didn't get as much sewing done as I could have however, it upped the odds of coherency - VBG. This morning, I'm adding bits and pieces.

I'm glad I got up to watch the wedding. I had about three hours sleep and have been up since 1:30 am. Four hours later, the wedding and the balcony scene are over and the couple has gone off to party. They seemed incredibly relaxed and obviously happy. According to the lip readers, when William saw Kate, he said I love you, you look beautiful. How perfect is that. Her dress was beautiful, classic, and very copyable. "They" were predicting it'd be available within four hours of its first sighting. Amazing.

Watching the wedding is a complete abnormality for me, so not something I'd normally do that I've been getting astonished looks and comments from my friends. I hate name dropping. I'm not fond of titles as an assumption of worth or of sucking up, star power, or touch the hem of my garment mentalities. I'm definitely not much for the lives of the rich and famous. So many of them are incredibly sad while "common" folk often live far more varied and interesting lives. That said, I do like a good romance and a happy ending and hope this is one - royal fishbowl and all.



Three packages arrived in the mail yesterday. One was my Vogue order from March 7th. It takes FOREVER for these patterns to arrive. In the mean time, BMV has had two more sales that I can recall plus Vogue patterns are on sale at Fabricland along with Burda. I may pick up a few of those. I like Burda's unique lines and European styling BUT... I have more than enough patterns. I say this as a reminder for myself. As you know, I need frequent reminding - LOL.




The second package was my Mother's Day present which I can't have for another week and the third package was a Coastal Blue bra kit from BraComponents.com - a very pretty color. I also ordered a swatch card only something went wrong with it and all the little bits were loose in the envelope instead of stuck nicely on the card above their names. Apparently, new cards are being made and one will be mailed to me asap. Good. There are some GORGEOUS colors to choose from although - again - a reminder - I need to sew bras not acquire more kits. As I mentioned earlier, my lingerie box(es) are filling up with potential bra scraps. It's a bit like when I quilted and had the Bits & Pieces of Potential Quilts box(es).




Lorrie wrote - I'm not a copycat dresser. But I think that Kate's style is going to influence what is currently fashionable in the same way that Diana's did. I like looking at celebrities clothing and deciding if I like it for myself or not, then adapting something to my body shape, social needs and preference. Seeing clothing on real bodies is so much better than seeing it on models in magazines or on runways.

One thing I noticed when I was in publishing was how often the same idea occurred simultaneously to different authors or pattern designers in different areas of the world. We're all influenced by what's around us even if we think we're not so even though I don't read fashion magazines or follow celebrities, I know that I am influenced by the in color and the in style, what's in the stores, and what everyone else is wearing. That said, like you, I prefer to adapt what's in to what I know works for me which is a lovely advantage of age and experience and the ability to sew.

I'm the most influenced by sewing blogs because - as you said - I can see the pattern sewn and on a body similar to mine and determine if it might work for me plus I see the unique ways in which the pattern was changed, adapted, and personalized and it sparks ideas for my own version. That's what I love about sewing. Even if I'm sewing a popular pattern, I'm choosing my own fabric and my own embellishments and my own accessories and it's highly improbable that I'll run into myself out in public.

I do seem to be staying away from the fabrics at work that are quite popular. That's an interesting awareness and perhaps why I'm so fond of the bargain center. A few years ago, one of the stores in the mall had a gorgeous lime green purse. I debated it for several weeks and then decided to buy it. When I went in, the clerk went to the back room and brought out the purse flat, packaged in a plastic bag with the air sucked out. As she handed it to me, she said "this purse is so popular we can barely keep it in stock". I promptly handed it back. The presentation turned me off and her words killed the sale. I didn't want what everybody else had.

The picture of wide legged jeans above is from Style.com. I think I saw it on AlreadyPretty.com when Sal was talking about wide legged jeans coming back into style although it might have been on YouLookFab.com. Either way, I've known for YEARS that this style looks good on me and I wear it even when it's not in although moderated. I definitely don't wear wide wide legs when skinny skinny ones are in. LOL - I wear skirts instead.


I love skirts especially flippy, fluttery, feminine ones like Butterick 4233 above, particularly View F bottom right. I debated sewing this skirt to go with the top from yesterday only the pattern calls for double georgette, lightweight crepe, charmeuse, or challis which are all considerably lighter than raw silk. I opted to go with Burda 8213 below since I've sewn that skirt several times and know I'll feel good in it. I want to try the Butterick pattern sometime soon. I have a stretch lace that would make a fabulous version of it.


Butterick 4233 is just one of many patterns that I have in stash and haven't sewn even though I really like the styles. That's why the don't buy, do sew reminder is important to me.




I opted for plain purple nails yesterday - a very pretty, blue based, shade. This is nail polish as opposed to gel so I can remove it if I want to and trim and shape my nails in-between manicures. It requires a special solvent to remove the gel nails. I'm not sure if it's possible to buy that product in drug stores. We'll see how I do with nail polish instead. As well as being removable, it's also significantly less expensive which is a nice bonus.

Alexandra wrote - On writing: You said "... all my creativity was for sale and ceased to be fun or soul nourishing. Making the shift was really difficult." It would seem that a shift from crappy to good (or even to less crappy) should be easy. So how come it wasn't? Is it because you're having to hold back the entrepreneur in you? Or because you're essentially working for free (not generating income)? Or one of those creature of habit things? Or something else entirely?

Every negative situation has positive moments. Every positive situation has negative moments. It's impossible to express in a few paragraphs in a few postings the wide range of emotions I've dealt with over the past few years. When I realized my career wasn't satisfying and I was in what I called the "prostitution phase" I changed directions and went on to love teaching the types of classes and producing the kind of art that I thoroughly enjoyed. Even so, that ended partly because of someone else's choices that hugely affected me and partly because of the circumstances caused by our current economy.

I remember reading in Malcom Gladwell's book The Tipping Point some sentences along the lines of it isn't that you didn't try hard enough or that you weren't good enough or that you didn't hang in there long enough, the stars simply didn't align. Sometimes, you are forced to make changes due to reality as I was. I chose to once again move in new directions. This time, instead of re-inventing my business, I decided to explore activities that I'd been putting off for a long time. Although I was doing something I wanted to do, there was still grief, change, and the vacuum of the unknown in the journey to finding a new way of being. I do hold back on anything that might tip me back into that money making mentality because of the entrepreneur in me and because I know what's involved and how it could affect my life. When I weigh out the pros and cons, it's not the choice I want to make. That doesn't mean I don't sometimes miss some of those pros.

It's just after six in the morning. I'm not exactly wide awake. Oh well - LOL. I'm working four hours this morning, and then a nap, and then the skirt and lining are cut out and ready to sew. Have a fabulous weekend. I have Saturday off and am working Sunday. Hopefully by Monday the skirt is finished and you can see it and the top together or at least some progress. After that, the dress.

Talk soon - Myrna

Grateful - restful sleep

Copy Cat Clothing

When Howard and I were out for lunch the other day, one of the waitresses and two of the customers had look alike Kate hairdos. I remember when everyone was wearing a Diana look. Why is there always such a rush to be someone else?

The conversation on You Look Fab yesterday was about wearing or not wearing memorable pieces. The conversation on Taffeta Darlings was about which designer Kate will wear to her wedding and how that designer will be an overnight success with a mad rush for copies. There's even a $19.99 version of the royal ring. Copy cat accessories to go with copy cat clothing and copy cat hairdos for a copy cat life!

Recently, there was a segment on the news about Kate's engagement dress and how it's selling out time and again. I haven't looked but I wouldn't be surprised if there is a copy cat pattern. Remember Michelle's inaugural dress and Simplicity's 2552 and Butterick's 5396 look alike patterns.

My wardrobe is not large enough to be filled with memorable pieces. I have a few, mostly in the form of accessories, and the rest are basic, fairly conservative, mix and match, pieces. I'm working to change that and attempting to not only build up the basics but also acquire more memorable pieces.

Dressing MY best is interesting, challenging, frought with mistakes, fun. I want to be me, not a copy cat, not someone else. I have a hard time understanding why someone would want to wear clothing that so obviously emulates another's style. I'd much rather develop my own look. It takes time - more time than I'd like - because one needs basics as well as enough memorable pieces to rotate them with sufficient days in-between that it doesn't look like you're wearing the same thing every day. I guess that's part of the fun of the journey.

How do you feel about copy cat clothing?


When my oldest son graduated, he told me the night before the ceremonies that I would be walking him in, which did NOT give me nearly enough time to put together an outfit. Luckily, I know better this time. The ceremonies are on June 3rd. This is my top. Next, I'll start on the skirt and unless something goes dreadfully wrong, I'll be ready well in advance.

If you don't already have a silk organza pressing cloth, this is definitely a studio tool to invest in. I like how easily I can see through the cloth to what I'm pressing below while at the same time it provides protection. With knits, I use it extensively for adding the stay tape to the neckline and shoulders and fusi-knit to the hems as well as for pressing up the hems. The cloth allows me to work from the right side using a slightly higher heat and steam without the iron sticking to the fabric.

This time, I folded the pleats right sides together and stitched 1/2" from the fold to form a 1" pleat that extended 1" into the garment's body. As you can see, I use clips to mark matching points.


The pleats stick up on the inside when finished and can then be pressed in the desired direction. In this case, upward toward the neckline. On the right side...

... they lay nice and flat. This fabric was strange. It's sticky and loves to curl and adhere to itself. I fought with it the whole time and think this version of the V8390 would have benefited from the lined fronts. Oh well. They're not. The fabric also has slightly less stretch than the paisley version from yesterday so I used a 1/2" as opposed to a 5/8" seam allowance at the sides to provide just a bit more ease. It fits nicely. My son said it was "okay" - LOL.

Alexandra wrote - It seems to me that how one defines just because is the issue here. What exactly do you mean when you say you want to write "just for the pure joy of writing"? Are you saying you want to enjoy the process of moving a pen around on paper forming words? Or that you want to write without an audience in mind? I think anytime one puts thoughts on paper, there is an implied audience. It may be oneself, a specific person or persons, an unknown someone who stops by to read it, or perhaps an imaginary friend. You said "the type of writing I love is highly organized and illustrated how-to and self help? I would argue that that is exactly what you do here on your blog. Maybe it is not as detailed and thorough as you would like (though you must have extremely high standards if you think your blog is not detailed and thorough enough), but then the question is, what keeps you from making it more to your liking?

LOL - you're making me think hard. That's dangerous. You know how I love to over think things. I thought about your questions most of yesterday. I'm not sure that a person can 100% detach from results, there are always some expectations involved, however, I write this blog for the pure joy of writing. I have ideas and want to formulate and share them and while I enjoy the comments a great deal, I've learned to continue writing even when there aren't any. That's a huge contrast to my previous blog which was all about promoting my business and my art and meant to generate income. In that context, pure joy of writing means it's for me and not for work or to make money. I'm not sure how long you've been reading my blog but if you were to read back you'd hear me talk about what I call my prostitution phase when all of my creativity was for sale and ceased to be fun or soul nourishing. Making the shift was...

... really difficult. One thing I learned through my business is that I'm quite a workaholic and have strong entrepreneurial tendencies. I think when I'm using the phrase just because it primarily refers to doing something because I want to for me as opposed to earning an income from it. It's very easy for me to start doing something for fun and then turn it into a money making opportunity and that would be the main reason why I'm not writing a book. I've done it before. I know how much work is involved and I know the way I think and I am quite sure that I'd start out just because and suddenly I'd be looking for opportunities to market, publish, and sell the work. I don't want to go in that direction now if ever again. It would only be if I did want to publish or if I knew for sure that I could actually do the writing for myself knowing it would never go anywhere. With my personality, that would be unbelievably difficult.

I am making strides though. As strange as it may seem, I'm working at Fabricland not for the money or even the fabric but because I wanted to get out, socialize, interact with other people who sew, and talk about my favourite subject. I'm vastly underpaid for my knowledge. I'm vastly underpaid when compared to other employment opportunities that I've had. What intrigues me is that I don't even think about that because the work works for me.

I laughed when you said that I must have high standards. Well... yes... actually I do. A few of my previous students read this blog and might comment on the level of detail in my patterns and workshops. I'm exceptionally thorough. With the blog, I leave a lot of details out by choice because otherwise there would be too much to read at one time - a complete workshop in each posting. Reader's eyes would roll back and they'd click away because it would take too long, there'd be too much.

One of my art instructors used to read my previous blog. She wrote me a few times to tell me that my postings were too long, that I'd talked about several subjects, and that I should have made the postings shorter and less involved. I ignored her advice. It was my blog and I'd do it my way especially when I knew that I was already leaving out details that I could have talked about. Leaving details out keeps the blog readable - I hope - and in turn keeps readers. It also provides future topics. That's one of the reasons I like comments. They let me know what readers would like to know more about. If it's something I want to discuss, I'm happy to.

The fun thing about writing a workshop or a book on a specific topic is the way you can build from an initial thought such as what could I do with a T & T t-shirt pattern through to a complete guide that walks the reader step by step through an array of possibilities from developing the pattern to simple alterations to major changes to gourmet tips to customize your sewing to... to... to... My mind goes there so easily but as I said, I've been there done that already and right now, I want to spend my time on me as selfish as that sounds. I want to develop my signature style, my t & t patterns, my wardrobe of classic and memorable pieces and in the process I want to share the journey because blogging is one way of maintaining my love of writing just because. I hope that helps to answer the question. Thanks for making me think.

This morning, I'm off to get my nails undone. It's another learning curve on my part. With my hair, I can only have a short haircut if I'm willing to get it trimmed every three weeks. Since I'm not, I maintain a style that can grow out or one that I can trim myself in-between cuts. That's not as scary as it sounds. I used to be a hairstylist. Apparently, my nails are the same. I love them the day they're done and by five days later I want them off not only because new growth is showing but because I feel trapped in my nails. How weird is that? I find myself irritated by the color and the weight and feel like I'm sweating under my nails. So strange. This time...

... I'm going to get "regular" polish so that I can remove it and trim my nails myself and go for a manicure every two or three weeks. That way I'll enjoy it more. Since they are more durable, I'll get the gel nails for events and will book an appointment to have them removed a few days later. I guess fun and flirty nails are not going to be part of my signature style. Perhaps rings - LOL. I do so love accessories.

Talk soon - Myrna

Grateful - though provoking questions that offer me the opportunity to learn (or confirm) more about myself

Past The Prototype

When I got to the Naturopath's, no one was there. I had to wait until the receptionist showed up and unlocked the office. When I got to the post office, everyone was there. I had to wait forty-five minutes. Who knew the mail was still that popular and it isn't even Christmas!




When I got home, I set a timer and read for an hour. I really wanted to finish my book and I really wanted to sew. I use a timer for all kinds of things. It lets me enjoy what I'm doing without worrying and clock watching. I both read and sewed and finished the T & T version of Vogue 8390. It fits. I like it. I'll wear it on Friday along with my similar shade of blue jeans for the last jeans day at work.

Luckily, I had enough fabric to re-cut the back. Originally, it was in two pieces with a seam down the center only the pattern was too disjointed. The solid piece is better. The other two parts are now in my lingerie box and will certainly work for bra cups so there's no waste.

Since there was so much interest in the neck easing that I mentioned last week, I thought I'd show another picture of how I do this. The tape is cut 1/4" shorter than the edge and then fused even with the neckline for the first and the last six inches. Through the middle, the extra fabric is eased in. You can see the ripples between the pins in the image above. Once fused, these disappear. When finished, the neckline sits tight against the body.

The tape is cotton. I purchased it from the Snip & Stitch in Nanaimo while taking a workshop with Sandra Betzina who taught me this trick. Kathy, the owner of the Snip & Stitch, imports the tape from Japan. It comes on rolls in black and white and in straight and bias strips each 1 cm wide. I'm not sure how much yardage is on each roll - a lot. The roll that I have was $20.00 Canadian. Expensive and worth it. It's a good product.

The tape showed through to the right side of the fabric and would have been visible below the neck finishing so I stitched a guideline 1/8" from the edge and then...




... followed that with the edge of the serger foot trimming off the 1/8" while covering the remaining width with stitching. Serging the neck binding on is one of my favourite ways to edge the neckline because the serger cuts the seam allowance to an even width while providing...




... a firm edge to turn the binding over. I still haven't been able to purchase a narrower twin needle so I stitched the binding in place with a zigzag stitch moving from the ditch on to the bias. It works. I also stitched the hems with a zigzag stitch because the double needle that I do have made a definite ridge that wasn't attractive.




When I sewed the muslin last week, I used gathers at the side. This time, I used pleats and stitched them 1" into the body of the garment to control the droop of the fabric over the tummy. As a result, the hemline is more even and - IMHO - more attractive as you can see below. If you check back to the grey t-shirt last week, you'll see that that hem is not so nice. That may also be because there's less ease in this garment. It fits smoother to my body.




A headless shot. I'm still trying to teach the men in my house the importance of waiting until I stop talking and look as beautiful as possible to take the picture AND to take it square on as opposed to at an angle which adds unflattering weight. They're not listening - LOL.




I'm always intrigued by how the fabric factor changes fit. I've used this T & T back on at least twenty t-shirts and each one fits differently even though they're exactly the same size. As you can see, this fabric is figure hugging. It would skim the body better with a camisole underneath but it's unlikely I'll wear one because that would also be too hot. Oh well.

Alexandra wrote - You said "On some level, I judge just because as pointless". Why is that? Does it have to do with eternal validation? If it feeds one's soul, how can it be pointless at the same time. Even though it may appear pointless to others, clearly it isn't to the doer because it feeds his or her soul. Interesting struggle. Definitely food for thought.

Well... that would be the million dollar question wouldn't it because if you were standing in front of me expressing the exact same thought about writing, I'd be doing everything possible to enable you to follow up on your dream while climbing up on my soap box and telling you how absolutely important it is to do those things that feed our soul - that life is short - that what we love is important - that self care is critical - that we love others better by first loving ourselves - that... that... that... I can preach it. Sometimes, I can't practice it. It's certainly not about external validation. Been there, done that, it doesn't really matter any more. External validation is fleeting. One person will validate you while another will knock you down. What's important comes from within.

There are many things I do just because and others that I struggle with even on the same topic. With writing, I love to write the blog. I love sharing information and I love the way wanting to share that information makes me more aware of the details of life around me. Originally, I wrote the blog to connect with the sewing community and in part, that has happened although - to be honest - I do wish there was more interaction. Recently, Carolyn wrote a posting called The Value of a Good Comment that I totally agreed with. I so appreciate when anyone comments. Perhaps that's a form of external validation that I do need. It tells me that the time I'm taking to write the blog is important not only to me but of value to others. I think all of us do need to know that even if that's not the main point.

I also love journal writing. I'll often take my pen and notebook and go to Starbucks and write for several hours. I find journal writing gets "stuff" out of me and on to the paper. Once I've dumped, I shred my journals. Because I know I'm going to shred them, I can write with absolute truth. It's highly therapeutic. It's all about me.

The writing that I struggle to make time for is different. I'm not a fiction writer. I have no desire to craft the great American novel. The type of writing I love is highly organized and illustrated how-to and self help. It's a sharing of information. Over the course of my career, I wrote patterns, articles, books, and workshops from simple step by step how to sew this quilt subjects to subjective how to be an artist and live your best life subjects. For each of these, I had an audience. Non-fiction of this nature is like writing a letter. It's directed to someone who is to benefit from that information.

Although topics dance in my head, I can't seem to see myself sitting down to organize a how to book complete with photos and illustrations without a reader. It's not that I need the audience to tell me I'm okay but the audience is the point of sharing the information, they are who I'm writing the "letter" to. I already know the information so instead of writing about it, I'm using it. I guess to some degree, the blog has replaced that outlet - it too is like a letter or a conversation - except that the type of book I enjoy writing is much more detailed and thorough.

Although it's a vague answer, thanks for asking the question Alexandra. Right now there isn't a specific answer other than that I'm choosing other ways to feed my soul. Perhaps it's simply that the time is not right and that in the balancing of all that I could do, that type of writing doesn't fit in right now but may eventually. Just as with money, there is a limited amount of time and so many right ways in which to spend it. Not all of them are possible.




I woke up this morning totally delighted that I have nowhere to go. I can stay home all day and sew. I'm past the prototype and onto the real thing having finished the (grey, last week) muslin and now the trial run (paisley, above) of the t-shirt. The real thing is to wear to my son's grad ceremonies. The fabric is the knit above left that I bought at Fabricana in February. The purple at right is silk noil for a skirt to go with. I'm debating whether that will be next or whether I'll muslin the dress I intend to wear to the banquet.

Talk soon - Myrna

Grateful - a t-shirt that fits, I like, and is wearable. YES YES.

The Pie Chart And A Line Graph

A week from now, it'll be May. A month after that and I'm expecting to have sewn a knit top, a skirt, a lined dress, and another outfit as yet to be determined never mind the muslins and prototypes that go with. Have you noticed my low productivity rate lately? An output like that is near to impossible unless something changes and quick. Hopefully. We'll see. I have today and tomorrow off and work at five on Thursday night. In essence, that's three days in a row. It's time to sew, sew, sew... and write. I'll have three blogging mornings back to back. I'm looking forward to that. I really enjoy writing.

Recently, on Did You Make That, the writer (whose name I'm not sure of - edited - it's Karen) discussed Tilly's Sewing Productivity Project and showed a pie chart and line graph of her productivity over one week. Although she didn't list all of her activities, it was an interesting glimpse into how another person organizes her time. The data showed that she spent more time sewing than any other activity however, what she was most fascinated by was the role of writing in her life. She blogs as well as writes other projects, some of which are paid and most of which are not. That fascinated me too because...

... In The Happiness Project, author Gretchen Rubin talks about writing both as a profession and as a hobby. During one of her month's topics, she explored the book No Plot, No Problem which teaches how to write a novel in a month. While writing the novel, she just did it without editing or worrying about whether the book was publishable. When she was done, she tucked it in a drawer. She wrote the novel just because.

Over the last few months, I've come across numerous references to people who write just because and not for publication. Just because is something I have great difficulty with. On some level, I judge just because as pointless and yet, on another level, I believe it's so important to do those things that feed our soul. It's an interesting struggle.

In terms of writing, I don't have a problem thinking of things to write about. My problem is in actually taking the time to sit down and write that book or article just for the pure joy of writing. Do you do that? Is there an activity that you really love to do but that, on some level, you don't allow yourself for whatever reason? What and why?

This morning, I'm finally having the blood work done to check for allergies. With the long weekend, it wasn't possible earlier since it has to be sent to the US for the results. The data will take two weeks and then, we'll have a plan for healing. YES YES. After the tests, I need to mail some packages and after that, I'll finish the blue paisley t-shirt. Short of cutting out a new back and stabilizing the shoulder seams, it hasn't moved much all weekend. It will today.

Talk soon - Myrna

Grateful - sunshine

A Perfect Match

Some Aprils are so warm that you're tempted to plant spring flowers early only "they" say not before the long weekend in May due to the possibility of a sudden spring frost. Hmm... maybe they meant a spring snow fall. This is getting ridiculous. It snowed all morning yesterday. We won't be doing coffee in these chairs any time soon.




It took me a bit to get in the flow of cleaning since I hadn't done it for almost two months due to the hired and now fired housekeepers BUT... the house was all shiny clean by noon and in the afternoon, I sewed.




This paisley print knit has been in stash for at least two years. I'm not sure what I had in mind, probably nothing specific, only I bought two meters when I usually get one and a half for a t-shirt. That leaves me enough to make a matching panty and bra set... sometime... in the future... I'll throw the remnants in my lingerie box. Make that boxes. My lingerie collection seems to be the current recipient of scraps. I'm up to two boxes heading for three.




Working with my T & T t-shirt pattern, I copied the neckline from the Vogue 8390 wrap top and then curved the hemline to match. The Vogue top was wider due to the gathers at the shoulders and felt loose when I made the muslin. The T & T is narrower and should work better. I eliminated the shoulder gathers.




Excuse the double lines. It makes it a bit confusing to see what I'm doing here but... the squiggled out lines were the original set and the straight lines are my second choice. The first ones were too uniform and straight across. The second ones are 1" apart at the bottom of the image and 2" apart at the top. These designate the position of the pleats which could also be outside darts or gathers depending on how I want to pull the side together. I'm starting with pleats.




To draft the pattern, you cut up to but not through the stitching line on the opposite side. I put a bit of tape there so the paper won't tear. Then you...




... separate the openings by the width of the desired pleat - in my case 1" - and then insert wedges of paper to create the new shape. The opposite edge will begin to curve up. To reshape it you clip through the seam allowance up to the point of the wedge and tape that side securely.




To get the shape of the pattern's side seam, the pleats are pinned in the direction they will be sewn. This is really important, especially when using wider pleats and pleats along a curved edge. Along the side seam, it doesn't make as big a difference however...




... on some, when you cut on the seam line and then unfold the pleats, the resulting edge has quite an exaggerated series of hills and valleys. Yesterday, I finished drafting the pattern and cut out the pieces ready to sew. Then, I wrote this posting and some emails, talked to my daughter, read, and admired my...




... pretty nails. Aren't these fun? They are almost the same green as the lining fabric for my dress. I may need this color again for the grad weekend especially as the ceremonies are on my birthday and lime green is my favourite color. It seems like a perfect match.

I'm working five hours today. Tomorrow, Howard and I are going for a long drive to pick up some things for him, some for me, and do some shopping. It's mostly an excuse to be together especially as he's going to Guatemala in early May for two weeks. Sunday is Easter. I've invited three young men to join us for dinner. That makes six male appetites. I'll need to make PLENTY of food. Monday, I'm working all day. I'm not sure if there will be a post or not. Definitely on Tuesday and hopefully I will have a t-shirt to show you. Have a great weekend.

Talk soon - Myrna

Grateful - The cross

A Five Dollar Oops Is Okay

Last night was Staff Appreciation Night at work. The store was open late for employees only, food (Chinese) was provided, we visited, and then managers cut fabric for us. About half of the staff were there. It was fun. I went with a list and...



... managed (mostly) to stick to it. On the far left is the lace fabric I bought in the bargain section in Nanaimo in February. I'm particularly proud of this purchase as the lace was regular $22 bought for $2 per meter. I took it with me last night to find a lining and chose the green you see next to it. On the far right is 5 meters of white fusi-knit interfacing and then 10 meters of broadcloth for muslins. In the middle is my oops. It wasn't on the list. It's five meters of a permanently wrinkled rose pink knit bought for one dollar a meter. A five dollar oops is okay.




Here's the lining under the lace although it's much brighter in real life. The green is a cross between lime and apple and has a shine to it.




The dress is for the dinner on my son's graduation weekend. The top runner is Vogue 8409. It's stylish and I like the sleeves although I might go shorter, elbow length.




I'm also considering Vogue 8665 above and Vogue 8382 below. This last pattern has been in my stash FOREVER. It has great reviews so even if I don't sew it for the grad, I'd like to make it for summer only... my plans are bigger than my "tummy". You know how it goes.




Carrie wrote - I ended up having to quit the part-time job that I thought I wanted after our kids were grown. When I was home from work, I too was too tired to do the things I enjoyed like sewing. So I ended up quitting. I'm not saying you should quit your job too, Myrna. But maybe you'll come to that later on if it's not working out for your life and your family. It's just what I ended up doing. I'm enjoying sewing again, and I'm adjusting to living with less.

How fabulous that you recognized what wasn't working for you and changed directions. That can be hard for some people to do and for others to accept. I always get "interesting" comments when I change my mind about something I thought I wanted. After working at home for 20 years, I'm really happy to be getting out more. I was feeling lonely and isolated.

My experience so far has been abnormal as the store has been really busy with closing out sales, packing, unpacking, and opening sales since I started working. We talked about that last night - how everyone is tired. I haven't really experienced a "normal" work week. Hopefully, now that things have an opportunity to settle, I'll come home less tired and it'll work out for me.




Last Friday, I bought new towels - 16 bath, 8 hand, and 8 face cloths. I'd been waiting for a sale and Sears (finally) had them on 60% off. The men in my life take a LOT of baths and our towels were getting pretty sad. I often joke that I've been punished for staying married to the same man - no extra showers or wedding presents. I had to buy my own towels.

Yesterday, I sorted them into color piles and washed them. Today, after I clean the bathrooms, I'll switch out the old ones, serge around the ratty edges, and pack them away for my son when he moves out. I have no idea when that will be but, eventually. They can go with the pots I put aside for him earlier.

The day looks like cleaning, some sewing, and getting my nails done. Dinner will arrive tonight. It's the second meal from Lorrie, the lady who is cooking for us. On Monday, it was SUCH A DELIGHT to know that when I went home from work, there would be dinner in the oven. She made curried chicken in a coconut cream sauce with peas and cauliflower and quinoa in chicken broth with raisins, apples, and almonds. YUMMY - this may be a decision that I can actually stick too. We all enjoyed it. I'd much rather have a cook than a housekeeper, which is why I'm cleaning house today - LOL.

Talk soon - Myrna

Grateful - fluffy new towels

Finding A New Normal

When my teaching career ended so suddenly, it was a difficult transition. There was "stuff" to process. Blogging began to feel like I was falling apart in public and then - thankfully - it evolved and settled as things tend to do with time. I'm waiting for the same thing to happen now, to find a new normal after going back to work.

I enjoy my job. I particularly enjoy talking to customers about their projects. I like getting out of the house and interacting with other people and then leaving work at work and going home. That part is going as hoped. What isn't working yet is balance. I thought that working part time would leave me plenty of time to sew. So far, I don't have the energy and spend most evenings reading. I'd like that to change.

When I'm working, the mornings are more rushed. There isn't as much time to blog as I'd like especially on days when the words are stiff (like today) and it seems as if I can't get my point across and I'm rattling on about nothing. I want to blog and yet this is not a good feeling so I'm taking the pressure off of myself. While I aim to blog five times a week, I'm accepting that it might not happen knowing that eventually I'll find the flow again.

As you know, I'm reading The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin. I don't think I've ever read a book this slowly. I read it bit by bit in the mornings with coffee before work. The quotes in today's posting are all from chapter nine, which was written in September of her happiness year.

Of all the months so far, September had been the most pleasant and easiest to maintain. This showed me, once again, that I was happier when I accepted my own real likes and dislikes, instead of trying to decide what I ought to like; I was happier when I stopped squelching the inclinations toward note taking and book marking that I'd had since childhood and instead embraced them. As Michael de Montague observed, "The least strained and most natural ways of the soul are the most beautiful; the best occupations are the least forced."

One of her "rules" for the project was to "be Gretchen". That's something we all could embrace, being ourselves. I am not who I am not. I am who I am. How can I be the best me? It's not by forcing myself to do or be something that I'm not able to do or be. While I like to read and write and sew, right now, the reading part of me is dominating. That's okay. It's a balance to the active part of me at work. It will all come together eventually if I don't but pressure on myself to be more than I am able to be at this time.

Of course, it's not enough to sit around wanting to be happy; you must make the effort to take steps toward happiness by acting with more love, finding work you enjoy, and all the rest. But for me, asking myself whether I was happy had been a crucial step toward cultivating my happiness more wisely through my actions. Also, only through recognizing my happiness did I really appreciate it. Happiness depends partly on external circumstances and it also depends on how you view those circumstances.

There has been a lot of difficult stuff to deal with over the years in our lives and I'm sure in everyone's lives. It isn't always pleasant. It isn't always desirable. It isn't always wanted or chosen BUT... what is, is. It can't be changed. All we can change is our choices of action over our reaction. That's not always easy but it's definitely more positive. For me, choice of action allows me to feel more balanced and grounded and less flung around by the whims of fate. It certainly not a big thing in the scope of a life but I'm much happier accepting that it's okay not to come home from work and sew and write each night. Instead of trying to be all things, I'm allowing myself the space to do what I am able at this time. That's good and enough for now, however...

I needed to accept my own nature yet I needed to push myself as well. This seemed contradictory, but in my heart, I knew the difference between lack of interest and fear of failure.

... I know from experience that taking the pressure off will most likely allow me to find a new normal. Sometimes, I'm my own worst enemy trying to be this or that when I'm not gifted with it or inclined toward it or even interested. I just think I should. Other times, I want to do something quite badly but I'm afraid of starting for fear of failing. That's so normal. On one hand, we need to stand back and give ourselves room and on the other we need need to push forward. Balance again. It's so a part of everything. I'm pushing myself more gently.

One thing that makes a passion enjoyable is that you don't have to worry about results. You can strive for triumph, or you can potter around, tinker, explore, without worrying about efficiency or outcomes. Other people may wonder why you've been happy to work on the same car for years even though it's still not running, but that doesn't matter to you. An atmosphere of growth brings great happiness, but at the same time, happiness sometimes also comes when you're free from the pressure to see much growth. That's not surprising; often, the opposite of a great truth is also true.

My friend Wendy took up quilting about nine years ago. In that time, she has completed two quilts and is part way through a third. She sews between two and eight hours a month. It took her an entire year to add another row to the quilt for her son when she wanted to make it larger. She says this is her hobby. She does it for fun. She doesn't want any pressure to perform. She just wants to relax and enjoy. That's a good example for me.

When I was creating textile art, I learned a new way of working by starting, doing one step at a time, and responding to the developing piece until it said it was finished. It's a fabulous way to create art, one that I really enjoy. Through that method, I learned to embrace the process and let go of results. I changed my attitude from one of being results oriented into one of enjoying the journey. I need to apply that process and Wendy's philosophy to my current situation. It's about fun. It's about the journey. It's about doing the thing that I love to the best of my ability. It's about continued growth and learning without the pressure to perform. It's about enjoyment and relaxation. What do you think?

Talk soon - Myrna

Grateful - perspective

A Finished Object ! !

Yesterday, when I woke up, it was snowing - something it did off and on all day. This would have been far more frustrating if I hadn't already decided to stay in the studio, sew all day, and finish something new. And - I DID IT - I have a finished object ! ! !



The silk noil went through a hot wash and a hot dry and survived. Both the pink and the purple silk go well with the knit burnout print bought in February at Fabricana. How nice to use something from stash. I chose...



... Vogue 8390 for the style. Since it's a new pattern, I decided to sew a - hopefully wearable - muslin first and started by comparing my T & T t-shirt pattern to the Vogue pattern. In the end, I used the back and the sleeve from my T & T pattern and the front from the Vogue pattern.

The shoulder line of the T & T pattern is 1 1/2" below the shoulder line of the Vogue pattern although the angles match exactly. The ruler at the underarm tells me that 1" needs to be removed through the armhole and 1/2" between the underarm and the waist. Since I was using the back from the T & T which already had these adjustments, those are the amounts I removed from the front. The Vogue pattern has easing through the bust to replace a dart just as my T & T pattern does so I didn't have to adjust for that option however, because of this, I removed the 1/2" just above the waist.



One of the reasons for using the T & T back was the width of the Vogue back. You can see the difference in the image above. The shoulder and underarm points match but the scoop of the armhole is much shallower on the Vogue pattern. It was easier to use my tested piece than to reinvent the wheel. To match the design lines, I raised the back neckline on the T & T pattern which made the shoulder longer with a narrower neck opening. I also...



... added 1" to the length because the Vogue pattern was longer than my T & T. Since this is a muslin, I decided to test that length just in case it looked good even though I was pretty sure I preferred the length of my T & T.



The width of the front hip was significantly more than I'd anticipated and I didn't know how to factor in the gathers. Even after folding up the side to mimic them, it seemed amply big enough so I opted to cut out the smallest size.



For the front, I used a trick learned from Sandra Betzina. The fusible bias stay tape is 1/4" shorter than the neck edge which is then eased. This pulls the neck in tight against the chest so that when I bend over, nothing gapes. It works wonderfully.

Here's the finished top. Mostly I like it. The color makes me look pale which surprised me and the shoulders seem too wide. That really surprised me because I matched the front to my T & T back.

The hemline seems wonky. I'm not sure if this is my fault or the pattern's because I changed the sewing steps however, the review I read at PatternReview.com mentioned the same issue. This was a muslin. These are things to change for next time. In the original instructions, the front pieces are faced with a knit lining. The same PR review indicated this was too heavy and caused the neck edge to sag and gape. Unless it was needed for modesty, I couldn't see the point so I hemmed the bottom edges and used bias trim around the neck instead. I like that much better.

The gathers aren't as full in person as they are in the image, especially at the shoulders. That reality reminded me of what I learned from Ron Collins - that any Vogue patterns with drawings on the envelope have not been test sewn and if there is an image, only that view has been test sewn. Obviously, this is one of those patterns. Next time I will transfer the design concept to my T & T front for a better fit/look. Most likely, I'll eliminate the shoulder gathers and replace the side ones with pleats. I prefer pleats to gathers and flounces to ruffles. I had a fun day and it was FABULOUS to feel like sewing again. YES YES

Talk soon, Myrna

Grateful - finished objects and using stash fabric

Silk Noil

Walking across the parking lot yesterday morning, I was accosted by a woman urgently inquiring do you work there while flipping her hand toward Fabricland. I'd barely said yes when she wanted to know what time do they open? There was a rush for the door. The morning was unbelievably busy. Apparently two and a half weeks without fabric is two and a half weeks too many for a lot of people. I'm working again tomorrow. We'll see if things have tapered off or picked up by then.




Wednesday night, when I left work at 4:30, there was an entire section of the store still not set up - the fashion fabric. With Howard out of town, I didn't have the option of staying. I had to pick up Kyle from his music lesson. Even so, I felt incredibly guilty walking out the door. Some of the women worked until 11:o0 that night and were back early in the morning. We were still sweeping the floors and cleaning the potty when the doors opened. By the end of the day, some fabrics still weren't on tables yet and there are almost no signs. Luckily, everything is 50% off for members and most shoppers were members.




My subconscious must have been organizing. I woke up at 4:00 Thursday morning wondering if the rulers had been put into the cutting tables yet and had some one put out pens and scissors and was the cash register set up and how would we deal with people complaining if all of this wasn't in place and... and... and... Really. I'm not in charge. Who was I to be worrying at four in the morning. I did it anyway - LOL. That was the end of sleep for me.




One of the displays is full of silk noil or raw silk, whichever you call it. This is one of my favourite fabrics. It hasn't been too popular in the past few years so I'm thrilled to see it again and especially in such beautiful colors. My three favourites are fuchsia, purple, and teal. I'm going to buy one to make...




... my favourite Burda 8213 skirt for my son's commencement ceremonies. I'll be walking him in. When my older son graduated, the attending parents wore a wide range of clothing from shorts to dressed up. It's not in me to wear shorts to an occasion like this and besides, it's also my birthday so I'll be wearing a skirt and top. I already know this pattern fits, I love the style, I love silk noil, and I think the fresh, bright colors are fabulous. It's a doable combination.




The weather at that time of year could be really hot or really not. I'm debating a sleeveless tank like McCall's 5661 (top left which would also allow for an amazing pendant necklace) and perhaps a bolero or sweater to go with in case it's cool. I know I want a knit top and a cheerful color combo but I'm debating the style because a top with three quarter sleeves like Simplicity 4076 below would mean one garment while a tank and cardigan means two and my time is too short to be adding extra ideas.




This morning, Laurie, the woman who is going to cook for us, is coming over to look at recipe books and talk allergies. I'm so excited. Last night, I dragged myself home from work and there was no meal waiting. Next week, there will be. I also have an appointment with the Naturopath and although the plan may not be one I really truly want to follow (like pureed foods) I really truly want to get past these allergies so I'm willing to look at whatever option will work. Hopefully, he has something encouraging to say.

Talk soon - Myrna

Grateful - opening day has come and is over - finally and YES YES - and perhaps my sewing can find some sort of normalcy now.