What Was I Thinking?

It's finished and that's about as good as it gets. I love the color and the fabric and hate everything else about it. As sdBev wrote - somehow the front darts and high neckline look strangling or something. That's how it feels on too, contained and prissy which makes me wonder what was I thinking? Perhaps...




... I wasn't thinking at all and that's the problem. Perhaps I was simply reacting to the image and whatever connotation that look has in my brain. For some reason, I'm attracted to this particular look but put it on and YUCK.




Remember the Kwik Sew 3691 pattern I bought not that long ago. Same sort of idea. I have several other patterns in stash that are similar. Why? Now that I think about it, I never wear turtle necks for that some strangling feeling and I bought a RTW tank with this high neckline and have barely worn it. Along with fitted waist and no dolmen sleeves, a high neckline is another item for my NOT list as is...




... high waisted anything. I'm just under 5'4" which puts me in petite sizing however, my distribution of length is not on the petite plan. I'm short waisted and have longer legs. Just because I like them - just because I love that long, lean, slim, thin look - does not mean these pants will look good on my body. To achieve sewing bliss, there has to be a match between body and pattern and fabric otherwise you're headed for another wadder. If I'd sewn these pants, the top would have come right up to my bra band. NOT the look I was going for.




Since I wanted to start sewing them yesterday, I pulled out all the possibilities and then looked on-line to see if the patterns were still in print. This Vogue 2988 wardrobe pattern was the only current pant pattern I had that worked so I pulled out the pieces and started on them. This is a surprise pattern. The pants are completely different than anything I've sewn before and going quite wonderful. I'll tell you about them tomorrow when I'm finished and have some pictures.

In-between sewing the top and the pants, I went shopping. Three stores. Two dozen pairs of pants. Two hours later. One frustrated Myrna. And the results - a pair of pants that will work IF the back crotch is scooped some more and the hem taken down. As I described yesterday, the petite pants fit through the crotch but aren't long enough while regular length pants are too long in the crotch and the leg.

With a T & T pattern, two hours is enough time to sew your own pants and save the frustration of shopping. I think that's why I keep waffling between buying or sewing the basics because I have this same frustration with virtually every garment I buy other than knit tops and even then I need the petite ones or the armhole is too big. That explains why knit is all I lived in for years.

Amy wrote (way back when) - I want to thank you for this little series you are doing on skirts for a "hippy-er" kind of gal. My BFF told me that if it wasn't for my but and hips, I"d be considered skinny. Anyway, I've been struggling with what kind/style of skirts would look best on my figure. I've gleaned many ideas from your posts. Thanks again. Any chance you can think of a dress for a hippy figure made with a border print.

You might not need this any more Amy since it took me forever to answer but the answer is two part - not a pattern number. For your figure, you need a dress with multiple seams or darts with seams being easier to work with. For the border print, you need a dress with a straight bottom in order to cut the print. Most likely, that means a darted style. Look less at the pictures and more at the line drawings in the pattern books and it'll help you find the right one.

BJ in Texas wrote - Why not sell some of your fabric? You could box it - let's say 4 lbs of fabric - and sell it for X amount of dollars....

Your comment arrived right after my husband and I had been talking about clearing out my stash. I thought I'd warn him that I was getting rid of a LOT of fabric this time so he didn't panic when it was piled up in the family room.

Selling excess stash is a great idea but not too practical since I live in Canada. Our postal rates are REALLY high. They are based on size and weight and destination. To mail a four pound package across the country never mind to another country would easily cost over twenty dollars. I've occasionally mailed fabric to my friend in Yellowknife (Northern Canada) but otherwise I avoid it as much as possible.

I thought about fabric and patterns and choices yesterday while I was sewing and especially about taking more time to make decisions. I was in a hurry when I chose this month's work project and the top pattern and the original top fabric were both inappropriate for me as was the pant pattern. The new pant pattern will work only it was a lot more effort than it should have been. In the future, I want to take more time. My NOT list for pattern shopping has proved quite helpful. It's not long but the items on it allow me to make more mindful decisions. I'm going to start a similar list for fabric choices. Do you have a list? How does it work for you?

Talk soon - Myrna

Grateful - listening to my intuition and changing pant patterns has resulted in finding a pattern that just might work really well for my figure. YES YES