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.