Simple & Satisfying

One of the blogs I enjoy reading is Yoshimi The Flying Squirrel. She sews with the lovely, simple, clean lines that I so enjoy. The kind of simple that is hard to do - that requires balance and preciseness to make it look exactly right - a goal that she accomplishes. I'm always thrilled when she posts a new outfit and was sad to read yesterday - Simple And Satisfying Sewing - that while she is now happy with what she sews and feels it suits her exactly, there was a period of time in which she struggled due to someone's comment. They said her sewing was boring, repetitive, and tedious. Not only is that incredibly painful, it bothers me...




... that we live in a society that thinks it's okay to make a comment like that. It's offensive. And pointless. It makes me mad. If the commenter can't appreciate someone's style, if they can't celebrate her accomplishment, then simply click away. If they're jealous of her grace and beauty and elegance, they should either get over it or do what needs to be done to develop their own abilities. If you've ever tried to post a comment on my blog, you've read in the comment box how little patience I have for this kind of behaviour. With so many options in life, why would anyone want to use up their precious minutes knocking someone else down. It boggles.




At work, I've been shocked by how rude some of the customers can be. This is the first time I've worked in retail. Since I'm not a rude person myself, it's been quite a surprise. What is the point of rudeness? Or of impatience? Or of the lack of thankfulness. Women will shove their fabric at me with no greeting, bark out 2 meters, and then stand there tapping their finger nails. No hello. No please. It makes me want to cut as slow as possible. And then they'll snatch the piece and walk away without a thanks or a goodbye. The other day when I confirmed the amount with a customer before cutting, she replied I have done this a time or two you know. My nasty genes strained. At the most, they wanted to ask her to rephrase that. At the least, they were hoping she ended up with the couch less one arm and no fabric left in the store. What's up with that? It happens so often that now, when someone is rude to me, I've made it a goal to get them laughing by the time they leave... or at least a little smile. The world is a much better place when we smile.




The black linen top is almost finished. I just need to secure the ties on the sleeve and make nice bows. I sewed the buttons on and inserted the ties last night at knitting. Then I drank coffee. Then I knit for about half an hour. It wasn't terribly productive but I was glad I went. Before I left for knitting, I cut out a Vogue 8499 Marcy Tilton Skirt in the fabric above.




I went by the finished size on the pattern pieces after reading the reviews, many of which indicated the skirt is quite large. That meant going down three sizes which felt really strange except that when I held the tape measure around my hips, there was still plenty of room. Her sizing seems closer to actual ready to wear. Somewhere in the middle between the size I buy and the size I sew.

The skirt is very simple. It has the two back pieces and three front ones plus a pocket overlay. Each piece has a bevelled bottom that creates the bell shape. The hems are sewn first. After that, all the lines are straight with a slight curve at the bottom. The top is folded down with elastic although there is also a zipper at the back. For my figure that's perfect as it gathers the top enough for shaping without being too much for the difference between my waist and hips. I'm not a fan of that overly gathered look. The pocket is pleated, attached at the bottom along the placement line, closed with a visible zipper at the top, and sewn into the two seams beside it. VERY easy. It'll be interesting to see how this works out and how it looks on me. The skirt and the black linen top are for my current project at work so once they're hung up, it'll be another month before I can wear them.

Tomorrow, Howard and I are leaving our house full of people - our sons, their friends, our friends - and going to visit our daughter. LOL - I'm not sure that's a good idea. It'll most likely be messy but still standing when we get back. I'm looking forward to the trip. We haven't seen our daughter and son-in-law since Christmas which is way too long between hugs. She phoned last night with ingredients and recipes that she's been reading through to find things that I can eat. That's so nice of her. LOVE that girl. I'm leaving my computer at home so it'll be Tuesday or Wednesday before I get back to blogging. Have a great weekend.

Talk soon - Myrna

Grateful - going visiting

Black Linen Top

Before work yesterday, I sewed together most of a black linen top. Since black is impossible to photograph, there's not much point in the pictures. It's McCalls 6035 - again - this time for sure the version with the ties on the sleeves.

Before I cut out the sleeves, I needed to get the size correct so I pinned the side seams and then adjusted the back forward half an inch which makes the back underarm about one size bigger as I'd cut it two sizes bigger earlier. I know that the front is one size smaller since I tapered some off the pattern piece before cutting out with which means I need the front sleeve half from one size of pattern envelope and the back sleeve half from the other size. It's a split sleeve so this is easier than it sounds, just fussy. I tried drafting it myself and it wasn't working the way I wanted so it was easier to just buy both sizes.




I also bought some buttons. Not the ones above. Just plain black ones that will look good on a solid black shirt and keep it more versatile. I found these when looking through my stash in hopes of already having what I needed. They're so fun. I wondered about combining them with the bold plaid since I plan to use something plainer for the collar at the least. If I'm already mixing it up, why not more?

After work, I sewed the hem and marked the button placement. That's where I'm at this morning. I'll stitch the button holes, sew on the buttons, set in the sleeves, and I'm done. It would have been easier if I hadn't already stitched and serged the side seams before I remembered that I was out of my usual order and needed to sew in the sleeves. Darn. Oh well. I do know how to set in a sleeve. I just prefer not to - LOL.

Talk soon - Myrna

Grateful - a good day at work yesterday

Slow Down To Speed Up

The sun is shining. It was finally hot enough to complain about yesterday and looks to be sticking around for at least one more day. That's about as good as my weekend got. Saturday was so horrible I didn't want to go back to work yesterday. Thankfully today is only four hours and then I have a week off. YES YES.




I finished the grey print blouse on Saturday morning before work. All it needed was the buttons sewn on. I chose black because of the background. One of the women at work thought I should use silver. I can see why but that's not me. I prefer to keep the buttons understated so that whatever jewelry I wear stands out.




See how the princess seam looks pulled in this image. It doesn't in "real" life. They say the camera can't lie but sometimes I think it invents wrinkles. That said, I've been having a lot of trouble with my sewing machine lately - with the stitch tension and length. It needs to go in for a tune-up as soon as I figure out when I could bear to be parted from it for that long.

spottedroo wrote - I think my biggest sewing frustration is that I don't feel my garments are well constructed. They stretch or fray or a seam gives out. I feel I have a lot more to learn about how to work with different types of fabric.

Well constructed is a matter of practice. We learn to do by doing and through the process of making mistakes and/or defining what we'd do differently next time. You are miles ahead of many of us in that you're beginning to sew in the era of the Internet. That's a huge advantage. There's so much information available and best of all the input of others.

One of the main things in my opinion is not to rush, to do your very best at each stage and take care so that your best becomes better time and time again. Slow down to speed up. It works quite well especially if you fix mistakes. There are times for fudging things but mostly there are times for taking them out and doing them better.

Another important aspect is quality tools. Some ladies came into work the other day with pins and fabric and instructions they couldn't understand. When I showed them how to pin the facing, their pins felt like logs jamming into the fabric. They were thick and difficult to work with. The pins that I use are slim, silk pins from Clover that glide into the fabric. Yes, they bend easy. Yes. they're expensive. They are worth every penny. Pinning is easy, firm, and doesn't distort the seam line. I'm not one for a lot of gadgets but the ones that I have are quality and work exceptionally well. Many of them are Clover brand. They're an excellent company. Sharp scissors, a solid sewing machine, a quality iron, pressing and marking tools, pins - many gadgets aren't worth your time but these are all important.

Sandra Betzina's books Fabric Savvy and More Fabric Savvy are worth the investment in learning about how to sew with different fabrics. They list what needle, stitch length, and type of thread to use and the types of seam finishes that would be appropriate as well as give a description of the fabric. I only bought these a few years ago after sewing for over thirty five years and I've learned a tremendous amount.

And sampling... that's part of slow down to speed up. Take the time to make sample seam finishes to learn how they're done. Take the time to test sew and test press a scrap of your project fabric to see what happens. It's worth it - just like making a muslin can save you a lot of headaches with fitting.

Spottedroo also wrote - Another thing I'd like to work on is making coordinating and interchangeable garments. I always buy my fabrics in groups and I think the colors work well together but the shapes and styles don't always go as well as I'd planned. Have you read Cennetta's recent article on wardrobe planning? I think there is a link off her blog. Have you thought about trying to design a wardrobe or collection rather than 1 single garment?




I'd appreciate the link to the article if you could send it and I'll add it here for everyone else. Thanks.

After joining several SWAP and 6 Pack sew-a-longs and not finishing, I'm not too sure about formally grouping garments. I seem to lose enthusiasm for this somewhat enforced method of sewing. Instead of enjoying each garment, the pile feels like "should". That said, this is exactly what I've been thinking about lately, about the need to co-ordinate and that said, I know for a fact I wrote a posting a while ago about sewing outfits not orphans so apparently I've been thinking about it for a while - LOL.

I mostly sew outfits. I tend to sew a blouse with a skirt or a pair of pants or I'll sew several blouses and then several lower garments. As much as possible, I try to make my entire wardrobe interchangeable. Prints have a huge impact on that goal. They are not as interchangeable as solids plus accent jewelry. I've been sewing more prints lately and am having more struggles than usual putting outfits together, That's an area I'll now pay attention to and ensure I don't over do the prints.

The pile above is of fabric I acquired last week. The purple on the left is a linen drapery end. It's wide and was REALLY inexpensive for such quality fabric. The plaid is cotton. It's a strong, bold print that I'll need to keep away from my face or perhaps mix with black at the collar. The small scrap on the right is of black linen that I'm using to make my next project blouse for work. The white with black print is for a skirt to go with. It's cotton. The tweed looking piece is a medium weight pant material. If I remember correctly, it's a rayon blend. While these don't necessarily go with each other, many go with other garments in my wardrobe.

Learning how to put the shapes and styles together is a life long journey as you can see by what I've been working on lately. As we age and mature, we change physically and emotionally and that shows in what we wear and how we sew BUT... this is also an area in which we learn to do by doing and by paying attention to how things look in the mirror and in photographs. Even though they lie about those wrinkles, photographs are a fabulous way to see how something really looks on you... as is snoop shopping. Mainly, just have fun. As I said Friday, it's only fabric.

Talk soon - Myrna

Grateful - hot sun shine

Be Brave - It's Only Fabric

When I got to work yesterday, the schedule had changed. One of the women had to take a sick leave so our shifts were shuffled and I'm working today, tomorrow, Sunday, and Monday. That's not the ending I had anticipated for my sewcation which makes me really glad I spent the first part focused completely on me. Starting Tuesday, I will have an entire week off with Howard and we can make uninterrupted plans to do something or go somewhere. That's a nice bonus.




I didn't feel like cleaning yesterday morning so I sewed. The collar is finished and I'm ready to insert the sleeves. I do that in the flat and then sew the side and underarm seam in one go. Flat garment construction is a method I use as often as possible. It often means shuffling the instructions and that's okay. I like the benefit of easy access and I find it helpful for fitting.

The more you sew, the more comfortable you'll become with the steps involved in each type of garment and the more easily you'll be able to change the order to a way that works for you. I always read the instructions and then use from them what works for me and do the rest my way. That's pretty normal. When I was teaching art, I referred to that as developing your skills library so your hands can move with ease while your mind bubbles with creativity.

While sewing, I thought about learning and about how important it is not only to try new techniques and methods but to accept and be comfortable with your own of doing things. That sounds a bit muddled. Here's an example. When I first read Amanda's blog, her garments were so gorgeous inside and out that I wanted to finish all my seams as wonderfully as she does so I started using French and bound seams and I discovered that's just not my way. That's what Amanda loves to do. It's not what Myrna loves.

For the most part, I'm happy with serged seam finishes and occasionally I'll use a contrast thread just for fun but mostly it blends. HOWEVER... when I'm sewing a garment where the seams will be visible - such as an unlined jacket - I know exactly how to finish them and where to go for inspiration. Even though I mainly use a serged seam finish, I have studied and practiced and occasionally used all kinds of seam finishes. The more you know, the more tools you'll have in your tool box to choose from. That's good.




I'm not one for hand sewing. I'm happy to do almost everything by machine except when hand sewing makes for improved accuracy. Above, the collar stand is slip stitched in place to make sure that all the machine stitches are completely covered by the turned fabric AND THEN...




... I top stitch by machine. That may seem like a waste of time and there are other methods to avoid the hand stitching but that's the way I like to do it for the neatest look. It's my way. When I top stitch the collar stand, I start under the collar and move in a complete circle. This allows me to back stitch where it is least likely to be seen. Hand stitching and back stitching may seem incongruent. Oh well.

Do you have a learn list? What's on it? I think learn lists are a fabulous idea. They provide inspiration and a way to learn more about sewing while keeping it fresh, interesting, and constantly evolving. Top of my list is taking more time for details like trims and piping and zippers that add visual interest and tactile texture. Yesterday, I said that I wasn't much interested in couture techniques and later, when I thought about it, decided that wasn't strictly true. While I'm not interested in hand work and tailoring techniques, I would like to learn how to make bound buttons and welt pockets. They're details that interest me.




I've used strips of Fusi-Knit to finish the hems on knit garments for several years after learning about it in a DVD. On Tuesday, I used stay tape along the hemline to stabilize the drapery fabric I was experimenting with. Both work so well that I wondered "what if" I used a fused strip to give body to the sleeve hem and then cut 5/8" strips to stabilize and turn the shirt tail hem line? What if is an valuable question. There's nothing wrong with exploring your own ideas. You don't need to read it in a book or on a blog first. Just experiment. The worst thing that can happen is it doesn't work. The best thing that can happen is you discover a new favourite technique. Be brave. It's only fabric.

Knowing my new schedule, I did clean house last night to get it out of the way so that when I'm home from work these next few days, I can sew without thinking about cleaning or planning for cleaning or feeling guilty about not doing the cleaning. It's done. Moving on. Hopefully by Monday I have a finished blouse to show you. Have a great weekend.

Talk soon - Myrna

Grateful - breakfast

Completely Irresponsible

Just like Tuesday, yesterday was a lazy day. I slept in, moved slow, went for lunch with a friend, re-drafted the blouse pattern, sewed in the afternoon and again in the evening with another friend, and baked salmon for dinner. It was a lovely day. I'm on a sewcation - being completely irresponsible in a good way. I'm working limited hours, the men are away, and I have the house to myself for most of this week. It's FABULOUS.




Last night, I started another McCall's 6035 blouse using this rayon print. There was barely enough to cut out the pieces and not enough for the sleeves with the ties so this version will have three quarter sleeves. There wasn't room to play with the print either but - luckily - no blotches appeared in the wrong spots. The larger ones are staggered nicely, not on the bust point, and not side by side across the seams or center front. Perfect.




I rarely wear prints and when I do the ones that work are typically soft and unstructured. I'm still trying to figure out which ones will work. I don't always guess right. I learned about prints when I first read The Triumph Of Individual Style. This is an excellent style book. The authors compare women's figures to famous paintings. It's a completely different way to look at figure flattery. I've learned a tremendous amount from the text. It's almost time to read it again and see what new thoughts make themselves known. I always learn something different on the next go through.




I mentioned in yesterday's posting that I sew the collar stand on from the inside. This is the stage the blouse was at last night when I went to bed and illustrates what I meant. Next, I'll attach the collar and then sew the other side of the collar stand on before hand stitching the edge in place below the collar. I serge the collar stand on to make a neat condensed edge to press against. It just works better.

Carrie wrote - Where do you hear about the workshops you take? I'd love to take some especially with Pati Palmer. Is there really a workshop that you know of on "figure flattery"? I have a really hard time knowing what looks good on me, and could use the help.

Workshops with Pati Palmer can be found on this page of the Palmer/Pletch website. I took the pant fitting workshop a few years ago and found it by exploring their site which I'd visited because of their books. Sometimes, I'll look up a specific instructor or an author to see what they might offer. Sometimes, I explore a topic or search by date or location to see what's available. I found an affordable class with Sandra Betzina through signing up for a bra making workshop at the Snip & Stitch. They bring her in each year along with Ron Collins. I met him in that first workshop and have continued to take classes since. He teaches - individually without Sandra - at this shop three or four times a year.

Any time I read about a workshop on a blog, I'll follow the link if one is provided and keep track of that information because you just never know where and when you might want to take a class. I did read about one on figure flattery the other day and I didn't write it down and I can't remember where I saw it because it was in England and that's a bit too far for me to go. For now, I've ordered the Palmer/Pletsch DVD Looking Good and am interested to see what it has to say. The book was excellent. Eventually a workshop will appear.

I'm working four hours this afternoon which should give me time to finish up the blouse depending on whether I clean house today or not. At the moment I don't feel like it, I'd rather sew and there's not too much left to do. I'm thinking about what garment to make to go with plus it's time for another project at work. While many of you are experiencing a heat wave, where I live, it's been rainy for weeks on end and so not our usual weather. I've given up on summer and have started working on my fall wardrobe. I'll be ahead of the game this way.

Talk soon - Myrna

Grateful - the ability to give to famine relief - one day, it could be us.

Cheap Entertainment Priceless Learning

Yesterday, on Already Pretty, Sal posted about her journey to discover her style. If you haven't read it, you'll love the pictures. They so clearly show her development over the years. She compared finding your style to developing your voice as an artist which is exactly true and what I'm experiencing. In the posting, she included the quote below from Ira Glass.

What nobody tells people who are beginners — and I really wish someone had told this to me — is that all of us who do creative work, we get into it because we have good taste. But there is this gap. For the first couple years you make stuff, and it’s just not that good. It’s trying to be good, it has potential, but it’s not. But your taste, the thing that got you into the game, is still killer. And your taste is why your work disappoints you. A lot of people never get past this phase. They quit. Most people I know who do interesting, creative work went through years of this. We know our work doesn’t have this special thing that we want it to have. We all go through this. And if you are just starting out or you are still in this phase, you gotta know it’s normal and the most important thing you can do is do a lot of work. Put yourself on a deadline so that every week you will finish one story. It is only by going through a volume of work that you will close that gap, and your work will be as good as your ambitions. And I took longer to figure out how to do this than anyone I’ve ever met. It’s gonna take awhile. It’s normal to take awhile. You’ve just gotta fight your way through.

I particularly love those last three lines. So true.

Mel wrote - I wonder if your recent struggling is that you don't have a satisfactory creative outlet. You're exploring, searching, just haven't quite landed yet. Does your creative outlet need to be textiles?

YES. Definitely. I have explored many different mediums and in the end, textiles are mine. I think in fabric. I cannot imagine - and don't even want to think about - the day when I can't work with textiles. They are my area of expertise and of interest. I know a lot about working with them and there is still so much to learn. It's never ending. It's very much like the quote above. There's a learning curve to moving in new directions. To grow, I can't avoid that struggle and I don't even want to because there's so much to learn from the process.

While it may look like I'm drowning, I feel I've made tremendous strides in the last few weeks, gaining confidence with the style lines and fabrics that suit my figure and identifying that jewelry is often my focal point. Now, when looking at fabrics and styles, I am thinking in terms of complete outfits as opposed to individual garments and including accessories in my thought process. I've also started applying art lessons to my garment construction which is already and will continue to evolve things differently. Yesterday, I started a project, which I'll tell you about below, whose sole purpose was to stretch my creative muscles and may - or may not - have resulted in a wearable blouse. Either way was okay. As I used to tell my students, masterpieces are a bonus.

In terms of the clothing/attire path, if we were talking about following the pattern exactly, I'd be worried. That would bore me to tears in no time but that's not the direction I'm headed in and there's a huge big world of sewing and fashion to explore while finding my place on the path. As the quote says - It's going to take a while. It's normal to take a while. You've just gotta fight your way through.

Mel also wrote - The blandness that you speak of... I agree with you that some of that is the calm after the chaos of having children. It takes a while to work into other things. I also wonder if some of the bland feeling is your food issues that have arisen. Food is now more boring... well, make that a LOT more boring. So that means you need to make other parts of your life even more dynamic to compensate for the food issue.

Just to clarify, the blandness has never had anything to do with my children. The chaos I was referring to was major and ongoing upheavals in my personal life, extended family, and career. My kids are normal kids so we've had our issues but overall they are responsible, caring, and supportive and are maturing into wonderful adults. I'm very lucky to be their mother. The food...

... well, that's another story. I definitely miss many things associated with food but I've chosen to believe that when menopause is over, my food issues will also improve and possibly disappear completely. It appears that the aloe vera and pre/probiotic treatment that I've been trying is helping. When I do accidentally - or rebelliously - eat those forbidden ingredients, I'm not reacting as strongly to some. Fingers crossed. I'm hopeful.




Here's the fabric I used for yesterday's blouse. It's a very loose weave, not quite cheesecloth but moving in that direction. It was in the bargain center so I'm not sure what the fibre content is but most likely a polyester blend. It has five shiny stripes spaced every 13" and is three hundred and something inches wide because it's a drapery fabric. The stripes reminded me of pin tucks so I bought it for a challenge and a challenge it has been.




The fabric is horrible. It frays and puckers, pulls and shrinks, and generally behaves quite badly. I've had to come up with all kinds of ways to make it work because I told myself I couldn't quit even though I've wanted to several times. In the process, I learned a few things I'll be able to transfer to other garments - like how wonderful fusible tape is for maintaining seam lines and helping to finish ravelling edges.


I used McCall's 6035 - the blue version with the tie sleeves. I've sewn this pattern twice before except that the pattern pieces are missing. I'm not sure what happened. I vaguely remember wanting to make some changes. Either way, I redrafted them and now that I've sewn this version will make some more modifications. I started by...




... sewing the shiny stripes into three evenly spaced pin tucks and then cut out the two fronts separately so the tucks would lean away from center front and look identical. They had to remain pressed in the same direction because the bottom of each tuck has a different coloration.

There's one stripe on the collar. I had to sew it twice. The first time, I didn't interface the under collar and it frayed to nothing while turning the collar right sides out. That version had three stripes which looked visually heavy. I decided that one was enough on the second version and interfaced both collar bands and the upper and the under collars. It worked. Interface both sides is a lesson I'll take forward for lighter weave fabrics.

You can see in the image above that I attached the collar band right side to wrong side so that the hand stitching ends up underneath. I can't remember where I learned that method but it's much neater especially when you wear the collar open at the neck.




By last night, the blouse was completely finished except for the buttons and sleeve ties and it will stay that way. The fabric was so horrible that the resulting blouse is completely skewed and something weird is going on with the back neck. The shoulder seams are set too far back. I'm not sure if that's the fabric's fault or the pattern's but most likely it's the fabric's as the other blouses sewn from this pattern didn't have the same issue. Just in case, I'll re-check the draft.

Do I regret spending an entire day sewing and ending up with an unwearable muslin. Not at all. It was cheap entertainment and priceless learning. Among other things, I confirmed that I prefer to sew with stable fabrics. When I attempt to sew with chiffon, gauze, or other light weight or loosely woven fabrics, I'm almost always unhappy with the results so I either need to avoid them or need to learn how to sew them more effectively. For now, I'll avoid. They're not even on, never mind near the top of, my learn list.

While I was sewing, I thought about the teachers I have studied with and what they are known for. I was first attracted to studying with Sandra Betzina by her creativity. She's very much a think outside the box kind of person with an energy that vibrates. She's also incredibly skilled technically as is Ron Collins who works with her. Both have well developed skill sets and know numerous tricks and short cuts but they especially enjoy the creative details that make garments individual. Pati Palmer and Marta Alto are both fabulous sewists with all kinds of tricks and tips in their repertoire and yet their number one focus is fit. The clothes they sew are more classic. Studying with these four instructors has nurtured two areas of importance to me - fit and creativity. Other teachers that I know about but haven't studied with seem to be more about couture skills. Those don't interest me as much. I would like to take a workshop on figure flattery.

I enjoy learning and perfecting a skill. I enjoy tricks and shortcuts. I enjoy quality fabrics and quality stitching. I enjoy doing my best at every stage resulting in the best possible garment at the time. I enjoy adding details that make a garment uniquely mine. I enjoy (over) thinking who I am and what I want and what suits me and - as I said earlier - I feel like I've learned - accepted - come to terms with - a few things in regards to me and sewing in the last few weeks and am, for now at least, moving forward positively. I really enjoyed my slow and easy sewing day yesterday and I'm looking forward to another one today. YES YES !

Talk soon - Myrna

Grateful - good friends in tough times

Paint By Number

The main rooms in my home are painted lime green, turquoise, golden yellow, deep blue, medium blue, and olive. The kitchen cabinets are a deep purple. The art work is large, bold, and brilliant. It hasn't always been so. At one time, my home was beige. There were beige carpets, beige walls, and beige couches. The cabinets were white; the artwork nonexistent.

From beige to bold took many years and many life experiences to develop. In particular, the artwork shown yesterday took twenty years to move from traditional quilting to artistic one-of-a-kind pieces. They were not, by any stretch of the imagination, an overnight success. Much work - personally and artistically - was needed to emerge with a strong and identifiable voice. While I was doing that...

... I was dressed in a black t-shirt, blue jeans, and a cardigan. It's as if one area of my life experienced tremendous growth while another was stunted. It has been ONLY eighteen months since my last exhibit after which I returned to fashion sewing. I started by reacquainting myself with the technical skills and by learning new ones. I had - and still have - many holes in my wardrobe to fill especially as I've lost a considerable amount of weight and have a difficult time purchasing ready to wear never mind ready to wear I enjoy and/or can afford. This is...




... what I wore to work yesterday. It's a leopard print t-shirt with black trim at the neckline and sleeves, a short denim skirt, spotted nylons, pink shoes, and a leather zebra necklace. Sorry you can't see the front - LOL - because I took this picture after work and wasn't looking my very best by then. My point is that dressing like this is a bit out there for where I live and NO ONE batted an eye at work. They have totally come to expect garment combinations like this and even so, these feel like baby steps.

Thank you for your comments yesterday. I didn't think they were harsh or critical. I appreciated them and will respond to three in particular.

Mardel wrote - Now this is a very interesting post and I see a clear and vibrant style in the art you've posted, but what intrigues me here, is that the clear voice I see in your art does not seem to match the image I see of you in most of your photos of you in the clothes you have made. I'm not saying that you should wear "art to wear" quilted garments, I am just saying that to my eye I wouldn't peg the you I see in your photos to the art you posted. Now I see a strong connection between your artwork and the version of yourself present in your writing, as well as through your jewelry choices, and even your pattern choices, but not in your finished clothes and outfits? Why is that? So what creates this dichotomy? Or am I missing something? Because I also think you said you loved the outfit worn by Beatrix Ost in a photograph on Ari Seth Cohen's blog and I see the link between that outfit and your artist output. I'm not trying to sound harsh or critical. I hope I don't sound that way. Now I'm just curious, and not the least because I think I sometimes fall into that same rut.

As illustrated by the postings in the last few weeks, I am more than ready to move beyond the paint by number feeling of following a pattern into creating garments that feel and look more me BUT... I have to figure out exactly what works while maintaining some kind of balance between the practical garments I do need and the more expressive garments I want to create. Perhaps, the two will eventually merge if given enough time to mature.

Since returning to the traditional work force in January, I've noticed I'm getting bolder faster. That said, there is a huge difference between what you can hang on your walls and what you can hang on your body. And just because you like bold art doesn't mean you can wear bold clothing. Walls and rooms are different than facial features and figure types PLUS...

... it has been an adjustment to move from black t-shirts to color and from jeans to skirts and dresses. That's one of the reasons why I went snoop shopping a few weeks ago - to see what worked - and that's what I meant when I talked about The Gemini Effect - the difference between what my features and figure look best wearing and how to express my personality which is far more outgoing. I'm ever so slowly getting there. I know that a huge part of the answer is in how I accessorize. My jewelry may end up being my most exciting moments.

ParisGrrl wrote - Your art textiles are lovely, which leads me to wonder why you don't incorporate more of that style into your wardrobe. I totally understand the need for practical and classic clothes, and clean lines and such, but why not include details like those in your art pieces as say a pocket or feature patch on a garment, or go further and use a small art piece to inspire all the other colors in your jacket? I'd love to see you set yourself a challenge to create something Outrageous.

LOL - besides the fact that my time is limited, it's not a conscious choice not to. It's that "catching up" phase after not sewing fashions for twenty years. The pieces above and below were created for wearable art competitions. They involve hours and hours of work and are not the type of garment you'd wear on a daily basis. Creating classic, practical clothes is not difficult for me - neither is being tremendously outrageous. I can be outrageous only I don't want to. What I want is to find the balance between the two where I'm wearing daily outfits that are a creative combination of clothing and accessories that express me. While it won't look like my art looks, I want it to feel like my art feels. Comfortable, colorful, me.

I talked last week about creating more of my own fabrics and about exploring details. That would be a challenge along the lines of the one you're referring to with using an art piece. Mostly I want to transfer how I used to work when creating an art piece to how I'd like to work when creating a garment - more spontaneous and less planned. I'm still figuring out the how-to because, once again, it's all about balance as too much of anything overpowers my features and figure.

spottedroo wrote - I love seeing your artwork. Thanks so much for sharing it! Do you think there are any themes in common to your artwork and your clothing? I've found that I incorporate more elements from my artwork the more I sew. Some I've noticed for me are proportions; juxtaposing a long loose tunic with a shorter more textured or colorful skirt for example, or long plain wide-leg pants with a short, more detailed jacket. And color combinations; in both art and sewing I love mixes of warm and cool neutrals, with small highlights of saturated color. The difference is that while I want my artwork to sing and draw attention to itself, I want my clothing to "pass" as (relatively) non-descript scientist wear. Traditionally, I loved simple uncluttered clothing. And I want my clothes to be interchangeable and versatile. But writing this is making me think about adding more details to the things I sew. What sorts of commonalities do you see between your art and fashion sewing?

I haven't compared the two that much but what immediately comes to mind are clean, well defined lines, flow, balance, medium to dark colors, complimentary and split complimentary color schemes, texture, the use of dark and the need for light, and an identifiable focal point.

My pieces typically have a strong focal point. With my outfits, that focal point is almost always the jewelry while the garments themselves are usually understated "background" units. My pieces have strong visual and tactile texture. Many of my favourite garments do as well. They are often tone on tone. That said... I think texture is an area in which I could make considerable progress. It's the one that I've thought about the most since my shopping trip.

I understand what you mean about loving simple uncluttered clothing that is interchangeable and versatile. Me too. It's the clean, well defined lines thing as well as I'm not one for large wardrobes nor for too many single use or one-of-a-kind type garments. As I've already noted, the jewelry tends to be the "sing" in my presentation. And that's the goal - bringing all these bits and pieces together into a whole that is fun to create and creative to wear. It's also the struggle and the journey that I'm on. I just hope that...

... it doesn't take twenty years and many life experiences, especially the negative ones, for this "voice" to emerge. I hope to build on what I already know by shifting that awareness from one area of my life to another. Often when I don't know what to do I will ask myself when was the last time _____ worked and what did that look like. I can think back to when I sewed everything from lingerie to outwear and wore extremely fashionable styles only I'm not that person any more. I'm a blend of her, a maturer version of her, and the artist I've become.

To allow that maturity and that blend to be visible in my clothing, I've begun applying some of the lessons learned and lessons taught with textile art to my discovery of fashion. I'm excited about the possibilities. I know what I want and I will find the path to getting there - just as I did when I transitioned from traditional quilt making to textile art - by producing piece after piece after piece because we learn to do by doing.

Talk soon - Myrna

Grateful - a sewing day, a project started

Artistic Style - Fashion Style

This post won't make any sense if you don't already know that I retired from a twenty year career as a textile artist. It began with traditional quilting - as a hobby - and developed into a business designing quilt patterns and writing for publication. Eventually, that evolved to creating wearable art and art quilts and then on to producing textile art for sale and exhibit in high end galleries along with teaching the how-to of developing your artistic voice and the fundamentals of design.

The pieces below were created in the past five years, none of them more recently than two years ago for my last exhibit in January of 2010. I haven't created a textile art piece since then and so far do not have the urge to do so although I imagine at some point that feeling will return. Only time will tell.




Comparing these pieces, you'll be able to see the elements of my artistic style - the voice that I had become known for. I'm not going to list them because I think it's more fun and more educational to determine them from the images - if that's of any interest to you that is. I'm showing them because of a comment from Janine that questioned where I was at and matched some thoughts I'd been mulling over this past weekend. She wrote...

Hope you are discovering your personal answer to the blandness you have been feeling. I am wondering if this at all coincides with your son leaving and experiencing some "empty nest" syndrome. Also good luck in finding your true personal style although it sounds like you do have it worked out pretty much.




LOL - we don't have an empty nest. Our youngest son is only away for the summer and will be back at the end of August. He's deciding what to do next and if that involves university, the cheapest approach is living at home. If he goes ahead with being an elementary school teacher - his top thought - he could be here for another five or six years.




Our daughter, who is also the oldest child, moved out at the youngest age and has since married and moved to another province. Our oldest son lived at home through university and has stayed since graduating earlier this year although he did announce at dinner last week that he is "probably" moving out this fall. I think it depends on whether he and his friends find the perfect apartment. If so, he'll be moving in with two really nice young men and I think it'll be a good mix.




Eventually, all three of our children will have moved on to independent adulthood and that's okay. It's the way it's supposed to be. Once they do, there will be lots of "empty nest" things to explore as a couple. The blandness now is more likely due to the calm after the chaos that had been caused by other things happening in my life over the last few years. While I'm SO GLAD not to be dealing with that any more... as I mentioned before... the pendulum swung from too much to too little so I needed to add in something to help it settle in the middle. I've made a few changes and things look good so far. Again, time will tell however, I've decided not to fret about it and to let it develop as it will and I'm ...




... taking the same approach with my personal style. When I was teaching art & design, I would tell my students not to stress about finding their artistic voice, that their style was there and it would emerge more fully with each piece they produced. It occurred to me the other day that I needed to listen to my own words. There's no difference between the path of artistic style and the path of fashion style - they are simply different directions of the same whole.




Valerie wrote - Re personal style I believe we become more essentially ourselves as we grow older and get more confident with what we truly want to wear.

I agree and would add combined with getting more confident with who we truly are. The older I get, the more I know myself, who I am, what I value, and what I want to express outward. I know what I'm willing to do and what I'm not, what I'll put up with and what I won't. At this point, I barely care what others think about me and care a lot about what I think about myself, in a positive not a conceited way. One way of expressing myself outward is with what I sew and how I dress.

Yesterday afternoon, I was reading Mary Balogh's latest romance and loved this comment made by the hero to the heroine about her "atrocious" taste in bonnets. - "And that, ultimately," he said, "is all that matters. You like them. And a strange thing will happen in time. Gradually your hats will come to be associated with you, and people will look eagerly for new ones. And some people will begin to admire them. Some will even envy them and emulate them because they will assume that it is the bonnets that give you the bright sparkle that characterizes you. They will be quite wrong, of course. The bonnet will lend nothing to their character. You must not retreat into what others deem fashionable and tasteful if you prefer something else. It is sometimes better to be a leader of fashion rather than a habitual follower." - Yes Yes !!

Talk soon - Myrna

Grateful - less work hours and more time to sew this week

P.S. - from top to bottom the pieces are - Because Red Yellow & Green Were Taken, Spring's First Shoot, Transference, RM1, Pick Me, and Bloom.

A Touch Of Trend

The topic on No Signposts in the Sea yesterday was On Style Rut and The Need to Update. The posting questioned how to be comfortable in your clothing without settling so deeply into a style rut that you look horrendously outdated. The author wrote...

When I love a piece of clothing, I don't care if it's old fashioned. When I like a particular cut, I don't mind at all if it's a little dated, as long as I like it. Rationally speaking, this is a good thing. Personal style is supposed to be personal and comfortable for the person who wears it. But I also don't want to become a walking example of a time machine non-cool (Or do I? Actually, a part of me probably does.)

This posting resonated with me. I recognized the thing that I've come up against in looking for - working with - my style. There's both comfort and the boredom factor in doing the same old, same old, over again and there's the potential to be horrendously outdated. Many factors come into play with clothing that allow one unique and eccentric look to be enviable and another to be scary. Two of them are confidence and ability. Some people are just better at mixing garments up and putting them together and wearing outfits with their head held high. That would be the direction I lean in - as in working toward becoming even better and better at dressing this way.

Valerie wrote - Who wouldn't buy high end good quality designer clothing if they could?

The community I live in doesn't have any high end stores of this nature. We have higher end but not high high end. The nearest city with shops like this is Vancouver, BC, Canada and I'm not interested enough to make the drive. My current income doesn't stretch to the level of prices I mentioned yesterday however, even if it did, I doubt I'd pay that because it's not in my nature. Right now, I would buy a designer garment second hand at a really good price... maybe... depending on the really good price. If the thousand dollar skirt was now going for hundreds, that would still be too much for me. I think there are a lot of people - both wealthy and not wealthy - who just aren't interested.

Erica B wrote - I love high end clothing. I love to go into the store and examine the pieces and try them on. They set the standard. Isn't it what we as home seamstresses try to achieve (along with great fit)?

I thought about this comment a lot yesterday and asked myself is this a standard I'm trying to achieve? For me, the statement high end clothing sets the standard needs to be more defined. Are we talking about the sewing skills? If so, I've seen expensive clothing that was crappily sewn. Are we talking about the design skills? Just as with art, those are hugely subjective based on our preferences. What one person sees as amazing, another thinks is truly ugly.

Possibly because of where I live, but more likely because of my personality, what's currently in is not of huge importance to me. It's not that I'm unaware. Adding a touch of trend keeps me from being completely outdated however, I don't want to be a carbon copy and look like everyone else. That's hard to do when the stores are full of the latest and that's all you can buy, easier if you're a thrifter like No Signposts, and completely doable when you sew.

If something is obviously in - as in everyone is wearing it - I'm more likely to lean away from it. If it's a style that I really like - for example the current trend toward wide legged jeans and chunky jewelry - I may purchase quite a few pieces but I won't necessarily wear them a lot now or discard them when the trend moves on. I'll wear them when I want to because they're me. If I'm going to wear something that is considered out of style, I try to wear it far enough away from the trend that I look individual as opposed to outdated. That's if it's terribly trendy. This isn't such a big problem for me because I tend toward clean lines and shapes and somewhat classic styles. Either way, I have always preferred to be unique as opposed to a carbon copy and I'll often make a decision away from a trend for that reason.

A few years ago, when I first got back into sewing fashions, I wanted to be very stylish and attempted to become more aware of what was in and who was who and who was wearing what. I spent quite a bit of time with the friend I told you about earlier who is extremely passionate about fashion. I looked at how she educated herself and how she shopped, stored her clothing, and rotated garments. I looked at the number of magazines she subscribed to and how she read them devouring every page and her method for developing her dressing plan seasons in advance. I looked at the time, money, and energy invested. It was exhausting and didn't resonate with me at all. It wasn't fun to worry about whether this or that style was in and for how long and should I sew it or not and... and... and... I chose to go in a different direction.

To put it in a sentence, my goal is to sew (or buy) clothing that I enjoy, that suits both my figure type and my personality, using the fabrics and notions that appeal to me, with the highest quality and best technical ability that I can afford/achieve while always striving to do better.





Here's another video done by Ari Seth Cohen of Advanced Style featuring Debra Rapoport. She's a huge thrifter. I'm not... BUT... if I was going to go in one direction or the other... this would be the direction. When I think about the women that admire and how they dress, they all have in common uniqueness, individuality, a general lack of concern for trends, and thrifting.




After errands yesterday, I had about an hour to sew before work and finally got back to the jeans. This striped denim has been in my stash for a good ten years. The stripes look like a running stitch. They're the same gold color of top stitching on jeans and are placed about one inch apart. When I cut out the pattern, I matched the selvages carefully, made sure the fold exactly followed a stripe and that everything was square. I then placed the straight of grain line on a stripe, pinned, and cut out. It never occurred to me that the stripes on the jean front would need to align with the stripes on the pockets which makes it very nice that...




... they lined up exactly. What a fluke that was. YES YES. I had some yardage left so I would have been able to cut more pockets only they were perfect the first time without trying. How rarely does that happen?




Because my waist is so much smaller than my hips and especially in the back, my pattern has a dart below the back yoke. Look at how the dart was exactly the right width to keep the stripes on the yoke aligned with the stripes on the leg. Again, a total fluke. I'm not sure how the pocket will turn out. That's one piece I hadn't cut out yet. I'm not working today. I'd like to get these finished and wear them tomorrow. We'll see.

Talk soon - Myrna

Grateful - individuality of thought and interest, purpose and passion. What a boring - lopsided - world it would be if we were all identical.

The $1,275 Pencil Skirt

My entire eight hour shift at work yesterday was spent moving drapery panels - up down, bend twist, lift shift. I came home exhausted and went to bed early. No sewing.

sdBev wrote - .... Sorry for the sermon, I only wanted to explain what I was referring to. I guess I went a little overboard.

Not a problem at all. I didn't feel preached at. I did ask. I've heard the phrase Divine Intuition or Divine Guidance and I've talked about the still small voice within but never the phrase Divine Discontent. The way you described it as "a small urge that keeps one looking towards life with interest and expectancy" is the way in which I want to approach life always - with energy, gratefulness, and an awareness of beauty and opportunity. Every day there is something to see and be thankful for, even on the "bland" days when I'm wishing for more energy.

I get frustrated with the Internet when I'm trying to explain how I feel because written communication is so difficult especially as we all read through the filter of our own experiences. There are so many ways to interpret the same words that face to face is often easier. One of the customers at work yesterday was a woman I used to work for. She was highly involved in a fabric career for over twenty years (maybe even longer) and then took up a professional career and has since retired and is now teaching beginner sewing classes part time and doing things at home.

When I asked her how that was going she said it's okay, kind of boring. This is an extremely colorful, full of exuberance, highly intelligent, thinking kind of woman. When I said bland, she said yes and we then had a talk about all the things we've done and what we could do and why we don't want to do those particular things and about what's the point which she totally gets and at the end... neither of us had an answer. I think it's just one of those stages in life that you have to wait your way through.

The topic of the Oprah Magazine this month is intuition. In the article called She's Got A Feeling on page 120, there's the following quote by professional intuitive Susan King that I completely agree with. - One of the worst things in life is indecision and confusion. It plagues everybody. But confusion is sometimes a blessing when it stops you from making a move, because sometimes you're not supposed to make a move. I say to people, "You don't walk down stairs blindfolded, you don't drive a car blindfolded - why would you want to make massive life-changing decisions when you can't see what you're doing? You have to wait for clarity." So to me, confusion can be a kind of intuition; your body's way of saying, don't do anything right now - just go with the flow and the answer will come.

Further in the magazine is an article called A Look for All Seasons. Apparently, it's about transitioning clothing between seasons to get more wear out of them. On the first page, a Caroline Herrara dress is pictured alone, then with a sweater, and then with a trench. Personally, I didn't think they transitioned very well but what really caught my eye was the prices in the article - a dress for $1,215, a cardigan for $448, a trench coat for $750, a casual cotton pullover for $295, a maxi dress for $695, a velvet motorcycle jacket for $525 - and the one that really dropped my jaw - a pencil skirt for $1,275. I can't see the bottom in the picture but I'm assuming it's a short, less than one meter, skirt. Combined with the jacket that's $1,800 plus whatever top she's wearing, plus lingerie, plus jewelry, plus shoes. Pardon me? I know there are all kinds of arguments supporting high end prices but they escape me when one outfit would support a family. I remain so glad that I sew even when I'm not getting much done.

Today, I'm working one to closing which means this morning, it's (sewing is) possible. I have some things to do first but hopefully there will be enough time to finish the jeans.

Talk soon - Myrna

Grateful - empathy and understanding

The Gemini Effect

Yesterday, I watched It's In The Details - a DVD from Palmer/Pletsch. In one segment, Marta illustrates how to use fusible tape to stabilize the angled neckline of a wrap top. She just places the tape down along the edge and fuses it in place. There's no measuring the pattern to see what length the tape should be or to check if the bias neckline has stretched. There's no shortening the tape by 1/4" to prevent gaposis. I found myself talking to the screen saying no, there's a better way. Sandra says to....

... meaning Sandra Betzina who I learned the stabilizing/gaposis trick from. Technical tricks intrigue me. I love learning how to sew better. In my early twenties, I started taking workshops and ever since then I've kept up by reading articles, books, and blogs, watching shows and DVDs, and taking increasingly high end workshops. Get me started on my favorite subject and most people's eyes glaze over and roll back. They find me intimidating even when I'm trying to hold back and not overload them. There are only a few people that I can talk to at my level - which is an arrogant sounding statement although I don't mean it that way. It just is what it is.




Gwensews wrote - How about starting a sewing guild. Not beginning classes on how to sew a t-shirt, but seeking creative talented people. A couture sewing group to share ideas, have challenges among yourselves? I belong to a couple of groups like this, which always inspires me and turns my "beigeness" into a happy color!

Your groups sound fabulous. I've wanted to be involved in something like this for quite a while so I tried exactly that about two years ago along with the owner of the sewing center downtown. We advertised, invited people generally and specifically, and met every other week for six months. We found that people were unwilling to commit. Attendance was hit and miss to the point that it wasn't worth our while being there and when people did show up, they didn't bring any show & tell. They came to be inspired. Hmm... yes... well... they also needed to be inspiring to really make it work.

As well, neither of us wanted to teach (especially for free) and we found ourselves constantly in that role. Of all the people I know in town, this shop owner is the closest to my skill level however, while I'm constantly exploring new techniques, she continues to use techniques she learned over twenty years ago, which means that I'm often teaching her something new.

I have given out my name and number to several people who come in to work (Fabricland) but so far, no one has taken me up on my offer to get together. It makes sense. While I can see that they are creative, they have no way of judging how talented I am and whether it would be worth their while to get together. I've wondered about an on-line group, something small, and closed, and fairly structured. I'm not sure if that would work.




sdBev wrote - Are you experiencing Divine Discontent? It's the urge that says "Life has more for you. Seek."

I've never heard of this Bev. What a fun phrase. If it refers to a big change kind of thing then no, that's not what I'm experiencing. What I'm looking for is more along the lines of a finishing detail. It's a button, a trim, a necklace, a handbag - a small something to add to what exists rather than an overhaul. I've done enough overhauling in the last few years to be more than happy to give that a break.

On my coffee/lunch dates yesterday, my friends and I talked about this and they both thought that reading more challenging books and sewing more creatively would be a good place to start and see where that leads. Since I don't want to drive myself (or them) crazy trying to figure out what's going on and what the right answer might be, that seems like a good idea.

The detail at the top is of the necklace I'm wearing in the next picture. It's a birthday present from my friend Caroline that arrived late due to our recent mail strike. It's perfectly me. Caroline lives 2,100 miles north of me. We both grew up here and met when we were sixteen. We've been sewing, fabric shopping, and taking workshops together ever since, even after she moved away. We get together once or twice a year, know each other very well, and are very much at the same level. I absolutely LOVE talking sewing with her. Her eyes do not glaze over and roll back which is also what she loves about talking sewing with me.




Above, the earlier image is converted to a grey scale. As you can see, everything I'm wearing, including the pink top so many of you loved along with the also much admired dark jeans, is in the medium/dark range with little contrast. When I read The Triumph of Individual Style, authors Carla Mason Mathis and Helen Villa Connor talked about how if your features were small and soft and close together you would need to wear prints that were small and soft and close together. That made sense to me.

Recently, I heard someone talking about having low contrast features (eyes, hair, skin) and how that best correlated with low contrast fabrics and especially prints. Again, that made sense. I've known for a while that prints overwhelm me and recently - with my trip to Crazy River - noted how too much texture and/or too much fabric also overwhelms me. Apparently, my features are easily overwhelmed which is ironic since I'm an outspoken person with strong opinions that I'm not hesitant to voice - which means I have low contrast features and a high contrast personality. I've begun referring to this as...

... The Gemini Effect. It's another one of those seemingly split personality aspects of my whole being to keep in mind while sewing so that what I wear supports my features but also my personality. I'll pay even more attention to the details allowing them to be interesting, surprising, mysterious, colorful, whatever is needed so that it's not a total shock when I open my mouth and have something to say. I'd rather it was more of a yes, I could tell she was the kind of have an opinion sort of thing.

Talk soon - Myrna

Grateful - ongoing learning

Now Needs Something

My daughter loves tiger lillies. All the plants in my garden were either gifts to or gifts from her which means that I think of her even more often when they are in bloom. We're going to visit in a few weeks. I'm looking forward to it - it's been way too long between hugs.




Yesterday, I answered the later part of Kathy's question. At the beginning she said... And then the comment about feeling bland and not having any big project or goals. Anyway, it seems to me that you do have a big goal - which is learning to express who you are through your clothing. That is not a small task and you have been working at it diligently for some time now.

One woman that I know is absolutely mad about fashion. She reads copious magazines, is aware of trends, shops voraciously, has several closets full of clothing, works in a high end clothing store, and spends enormous amounts of time, money, and energy on how she looks and what she wears. When we are talking together, I feel like a complete novice who knows nothing about fashion while she rattles off designer names and prices and seasons and all sorts of other - trivia. I'd define her as extremely passionate about the subject.

In comparison, for me, fashion is barely an interest. I don't like to shop. I'm not interested in what's trendy. I like to sew what I want to wear and my concern is with what suits both my personality and my figure type and with the design and technical aspects. However... while expressing who I am through what I wear is quite important to me, that's not the kind of thing I mean when I refer to a big goal. To me, it's an ongoing and never ending interest but only one piece of my pie.

In the past a big goal has been writing a book or renovating a house - or writing and book and renovating a house at the same time - or writing a book and renovating a house at the same time while raising three small children - or writing a book and renovating a house at the same time while raising three small children while my husband worked out of town and I was basically a single parent. Yes... that was way too busy and in comparison, right now, is too slow. It's that pendulum swing thing - too far one way and then too far the other. Now needs something big enough but not overwhelming.




Two of the women I work with are age 71 and age 73. Earlier in their lives, one worked as an executive secretary in a law office and the other as a bank manager. Those are not low powered careers. These women were thinkers and doers. A few days ago, I asked them for their opinion on this blandness and both of them knew exactly what I was talking about although neither had an answer. The one said that she sews each day and the other suggested I go back to school or into business.

After asking these two women, I polled a few other people and while many identified with the feeling, no one put forward an answer. Giving it some thought, I think possibly that's because both the feeling and the answer is very individual, a mix of our passion, purpose, and personality. What I need and what I miss are different from what someone else needs and misses.

I'm happy not to be in business. I'm happy not to be developing products, creating marketing plans, doing research and development, shipping products back and forth to galleries, or travelling. I'm happy to be working a job where I dress up, show up, do the work, go home, and leave work at work. Right now, this is exactly what I need in most areas of my life but it's not enough. So... will this current state of being remain static or evolve into something else? I have no idea.

Five years from now I may have a different answer. Right now, I believe that I need to balance all that calmness with something that challenges and intrigues and keeps my mind active. I have a very active mind. It's not good for it to get bored. Yucky things happen then. My husband says PLEASE find something that intrigues you. He knows.

That said, it sometimes feels as if I'm negating every option - and I guess I am - because I know why I don't want to do those particular things at this point in my life. What I don't know is what I do want to do. It's another vacuum of the unknown, another field that is fallowing, while I wait for the answer.

I know that my top loves are to write, to teach, and to create and that my purpose is to support and encourage others to their best and one would think the answer would be a combination of those except that that combination exactly describes my previous job. Since I've finally come to terms with its nasty ending and found some measure of peace in the current state of being, there must be a different answer. While I know it needs to challenge me, I don't know the whole answer, so the only thing I can do is start moving in that direction by upping my reading and looking at more individualized creativity - things I have to think through and figure out.




Yesterday, I bought this drapery fabric in the bargain center. It's like a loosely woven cotton. The five stripes against the grey caught my eye. I imagined them as tucks on either side of a button front blouse or sewn into inverted pleats in a skirt or used on a yoke or... or... or... ideas appeared so I bought the fabric simply for the challenge of figuring out how to make it work and - since it's come through the washer and dryer just fine - that may be something I work on soon as part of balancing more creative and more practical projects.




Another creatively intriguing idea was prompted by this Style Arc pattern called the Simply Sally Top. Style Arc is a relatively new independent pattern producer out of Australia. The lines of this top remind me of the patterns in the Japanese sewing book Clothes What You Can Wear Freely. I can figure this top out without a pattern. It'll either be as easy as I think it will be or much harder than I'm anticipating but I can figure it out. I'm capable of this and other intriguing garments however, each garment is more of a short term goal than a big goal like putting together an exhibit or writing a book and since that's the kind of thing that I'm missing - something longer term, multi-pieced, and more involved - it's going to take some more time for TNBT (the next big thing as a friend used to call it) to develop. I'll need to practice patience... again... yuck... I am SO NOT GOOD at that. Oh well.

This morning, I'm out for coffee with a friend and then a birthday lunch with another friend and then - hopefully - plan to work on my jeans. They haven't changed much since Friday. I spent the weekend mostly watching DVDs from Palmer/Pletsch and on Saturday we made another "emergency" run out to see my son. He called with a request.

Talk soon - Myrna

Grateful - friends - HB Sharon!

Me Being Even More Me

Every time I get my hair cut - no matter that I tell the stylist to make it messy - she makes it smooth, shiny, and prissy looking. That's so not me, which makes it interesting that it happens all the time with every stylist. I'm assuming that they're responding to the texture of my hair and not to my personality. Either way, that's why I'm showing you this picture first. It's my new haircut AFTER...




... styling it myself. The pictures below were taken Friday night after work when I hadn't had a chance to change it yet. The necklace I'm wearing is the one from Crazy River Clothing. Here's...




... a detail shot. This year, there seems to be a lot of jewelry available in my style. I'm particularly drawn to a mixture of textures. Many of my favourite pieces are a combination of smaller and larger beads like the one below or of many small rows of beads worked together into one necklace - not identical to but along the lines of the chains in the one above. Statement jewelry has always interested me however - now that I'm going out to work - it's becoming even more prominent in my wardrobe.




Friday night when I got home from work, there was a comment from Kathy at spootedroo that I just loved - one that had me thinking all weekend. I'll answer the first part tomorrow - about feeling bland - and the rest today. Here's that section...

One thing that struck me is that your sewing and fashion posts tend to focus on fit and flattery. Those are both important but there is another element to finding your style which is being comfortable and confident in the things that express your aesthetic - even if they look out of place where you live and work. So I am curious - how do you think you would feel walking around in some of the outfits you admire but don't wear? How do you think the people around you would react? What do you think keeps you from wearing things like that?




I am curious because - in my experience - people react very strongly to the first time you change what you wear. Having been indifferent to fashion my whole life, and dressing largely to be inconspicuous, I got quite a few comments the first time I wore a fitted skirt. And then people got used to it and they stopped commenting. And I am curious because it seems like this is an important part of developing your style that I haven't seen you talk about.




This is what I wore to work on Friday. The skirt is Burda 8213 - my favourite style - in a textured linen worn with pantyhose, Victorian style boots, a Vogue 8390 wrap top, and the necklace shown above. All of these items are common to the way I dress. Besides socialization, a big part of the reason I went back to a traditional job was to get dressed up each day.

When I mentioned the question how would I feel being different from everyone else to my husband, he laughed and said that's never been a problem for you. I'm almost always over dressed. It has come to be expected of me and I have absolutely no problem with that. My goal has never been to fit in. There's a quote from the movie What A Girl Wants that goes - why are you trying so hard to fit in when you were born to stand out. I think more along those lines, about being uniquely me rather than a carbon copy.

One aspect that keeps me from wearing more of the things I admire is frugality. I'm far more cheap than I even thought I was and that often prevents me from buying a garment, piece of fabric, or accessory that I really like. Part of that's reality. I only have so much money. Part of it's my personality. I definitely won't change to paying $200.00 for a pair of cropped linen pants but I can shift to acquiring higher end fabrics and sewing with them more often. As you know, I'm a bargain shopper and that's not likely to change either but my awareness of what I want in a fabric has although that may just be maturing as a seamstress.

That I've never talked about feeling comfortable in my clothing seems like a huge oversight and yet it was completely unintentional. It never occurred to me because I refuse to wear clothing that doesn't feel right. For instance, I'll never wear the pink top I sewed a few weeks ago. When I put it on, it immediately comes off. It's just not me. While I'm vain enough to wear a garment that might be uncomfortable in other ways, I would never wear one that doesn't feel like my personality and that strikes me as...




... the real journey. It's not so much about finding my style. My trip to Crazy River Clothing showed me that I have a good grasp of what my style is. It seems that the real journey is about me being even more me combined with the fact that we are always growing up and evolving which means that I will always be on this journey of self discovery. It's a shifting target. At times, it's likely to be calm and comfortable and at other times unknown and searching and I'm going to hazard a guess that those searching times will correspond with other changes in my life. That seems to be the pattern. It occurred to me Thursday on my drive back from shopping that I needed to stop looking, stop over-thinking, and start embracing what I already know to be true and allow everything to develop from there - to stop trying so hard - LOL - and have fun.

Over the last few days, I've thought a lot about what I know to be me and how to take those aspects further. Thoughts are still swirling however, along with creating my own fabric, I've thought about playing with texture; about adding to or changing the design lines of an existing pattern; about drafting my own patterns; about taking my time; about enjoying the details; about "what's the rush"; about independent pattern lines; about the importance of, and the quality of, the fabric; about refashioning; about wearable art; about the role of accessories; about the role of color; about prints; about the clean, simple, could be mistaken for boring lines that I'm attracted to - and the list goes on. It appears that I've been searching for an answer that's already been found but not fully accepted. One that I should embrace and move foward with. At least, that's today's theory - LOL.

Talk soon - Myrna

Grateful - thought provoking questions