The Bags are Packed...

Tonight I packed for the Sewing Workshop Getaway in San Francisco. I packed less stuff this time, but still way more than necessary for a 4-day trip. Lots of fabric and sewing supplies (and room for still more!) I'm only taking my iPod Touch this time, so I'm not sure how much blogging I'll be able to do on the road, but I promise that I'll have things to report when I get back!

How About Some Whine to Celebrate?

Thanks to Cindy at Sew Fashionable for nominating me for this award!

However, I'm also feeling a little bit sheepish since I was whining about this at DiaryOfA SewingFanatic this morning. Oops! Sorry if I came across in the wrong way in the comments, Carolyn! I didn't mean to seem ungrateful. Hence, the title of this entry.

Anyway, now I need to do some work, as there are rules associated with this honor:

1. Copy the award to your site.
2. Link to the person from whom you received the award.
3. Nominate 7 other bloggers.
4. Link to those on your blog.
5. Leave a message on the blogs you nominate.

OK, here goes. This is not an all-inclusive list of blogs I enjoy and follow, that one would be much longer. I did try to focus on blogs that have not previously been mentioned. So I nominate:

A Little Sewing on the Side: I love the fact that Robin has a little commuter condo that has become a dedicated sewing studio!

21st Century Dressmakers: I found this blog on a comment board associated with a food article that appeared in the New York Times. Convoluted, but true. I like the monthly drawings!

Adventures from the Sewing Studio: Sharon's blog always makes me smile. I think a big part of it is her photo as a clown! What a fun hobby. I also enjoy her flashbacks to sewing "back in the day."

Assorted Notions: I love Christina's exuberance and youthful take on sewing fashion!

The Furry Mind--Musings at Cat Fur Studio: Barbara makes beautiful things, and I so relate to the name of her blog with 2 kitties of my own!

Sewing by the Seat of My Pants: Karen is another Cat Lady, and takes the prize in that category! She also has a real go-for-it attitude about sewing, as the name of her blog suggests.

The Slapdash Sewist: Trena is another go-for-it sewer. Remarkably productive and has a great time doing it. I also like her podcast.

That's seven, now off to complete Rule 5.

Sewing Workshop Plaza Pants

I decided to make a second pair for my upcoming trip to San Francisco for another Sewing Workshop Getaway. I made a pair at the last one that I wasn't totally thrilled with, but I later figured out what needed to be done to improve the fit for me. So with tweaked pattern in hand, I started in on a second pair. These were made from a rayon/poly suiting I bought from the clearance/jobber section of Jo-Ann's. More drapy than the last pair, which I think was part of the issue with them.



Sorry the picture is crappy, but I don't have a photographer and I haven't figured out a great way to take pictures of myself in the garment. I'll try to add one later if I get the opportunity.

These are much improved over the last pair. I narrowed the leg slightly and shortened the rise to avoid "butt droop". I also inserted the elastic all the way through the casing to support the waistband of the pants, since the fabric is not very firm. I flattened the casing in the front and sewed at the pleats so it looks like the pattern. I'm pretty happy with these, although I hope I'm not disappointed that I didn't add a lining. The fabric is pretty thin.

Musings on Stash

It's time for me to chime in on this topic. Since Marji posted her thoughts, several of us sewing bloggers have joined the discussion. Since I have a load of "stuff", I just couldn't let this one go by.

I'm in the process of getting a bit more organized with my fabric collection. Not necessarily because I want to, but because I have to. DF is in the process of moving in, and he's getting the guest bedroom for his dressing room and Man Cave. That means I need to give up the auxiliary storage space (aka the guest room closet, bureau and under the bed). It all has to fit in my sewing room now, more stuff in less space.

I've already given a good bit away, having taken several unloved pieces to the ASG Trading Post. I still have some bags of upholstery velvets, brocades, etc. underneath the ironing board. I have a friend who teaches in the theater department at UNM, so one of these days I'll give her the first right of refusal on all of that.

Once again, Sterilite to the rescue! I discovered that I could stack Sterilite covered boxes 2 deep and 6 high in the sewing room closet. Great! That gave me a lot more storage, but I can't root around like I could when I had the closet and bureau.

So I've numbered all the swatch cards (um, there are 314 of them!!!!). I plan to get some stickers, number them, and stick them onto the side of the boxes so I have some idea of what's in there.

I always think it's funny when people tell me how organized I am. I don't think so. For me, doing organizational stuff is a means to an end. I don't organize for organization's sake, but to make my life easier and simpler.

But before all of that, I'm going to rearrange things so I'm making the best use of the Wall of Sterilite and the open shelves. Like with like and consolidating what I've got so there's room for future acquisitions (I know how I am) And yes, there may be another round of purging fabric that no longer speaks to me. That's ok, life moves on, tastes change.

For the most part though, I enjoy my fabric, so let me make clear that I'm not getting rid of any of it out of guilt. Why should I feel bad about having a collection? I enjoy my fabric and the possiblities it represents. If I want to start a project in the middle of the night or on Christmas Day, well, I can.

When I read the inevitable threads on PR and Stitcher's Guild about stashes, there are always comments along the following lines:

• I feel guilty that I have a supply of fabric.
• I feel guilty if I don't use every square inch of fabric that's left over; what do I do with it?
• I feel guility that I have fabric that's "too nice" to use.
• I feel guilty that I have fabric that's "too cheap/ugly/off register/off grain" to use.
• Having fabric is a burden.
• I have to sew up x number of yards before I can buy y number of yards.

With all due respect, I can't hardly read these comments anymore! Honestly, sometimes I think sewing is the last refuge of the obsessive-compulsive. The guilt and shame really get to me. Am I at a stage where I need to divest? Yes! Do I feel guilty about it? No! It just a fact of life. Folks, let go of the guilt. Collect, don't collect. Whatever. Your hobby should reflect you and your needs. For most of us, sewing is a hobby. That means it's supposed to be enjoyable, not a burden. Don't feel bad about having a hobby you enjoy. And if you don't enjoy sewing, find another hobby. Please. Life is too short for your hobby to be yet another burden in your life.

My Sewing Backstory

Lindsay T raised this question the other day, and it got me to thinking about how I came to sewing. I had never thought my sewing story was anything special, but I enjoyed reading hers and some of the others that have appeared in Blogland as a result.

So here goes...

I come from a family of needleworkers. On my mother's side, Grandma liked to do needlepoint and crochet. While she was able to sew, she didn't like it much. Mom, on the other hand, was a sewing fanatic who took every sewing class offered in her high school. (Interestingly, the public schools in Louisville were segregated by gender as well as race in the 1940's, so she attended Girls' High. Its brother school, Male High, still exists and is now co-ed). Mom continued to sew after high school and made a bunch of her clothes for her work life as a secretary. Back then, styles were much more formal and she actually hand tailored a lot of her wardrobe!

On the other side of the family, my other Grandmother also sewed, mostly quilts. I didn't know her as well because she lived in Appalachia and Grandma lived close by. But she did a lot of quilting for pay, which a lot of the mountain women did.

As I mentioned in a previous post, my Uncle Bobby was also a big supporter of my sewing. He also did a little sewing, mostly home dec items like draperies and reupholstery.

Mom kept on sewing after marriage, making home dec items as well as clothes for herself and us kids. Her machine was a White that had a cabinet. It resided in the dining room of our home. She had purchased it with a small inheritance received from her aunt, so I imagine it was a TOL at the time. It only sewed straight stitch with reverse, but there was an extensive set of feet and a buttonhole attachment (those attachments make the best buttonholes, by the way). It was olive matte textured metal, and the styling was similar to the cars of the time, with chrome and everything. In short, a tank. Instead of a foot pedal, it had a lever that you controlled with your leg.

When I got to be about 11 or so, I started lobbying Mom to let me use that machine. Up to that point, I had made some little hand sewing and embroidery projects. Grandma started me at the age of 5 with those types of projects. But I wanted to sew "real clothes!" So OK, Mom said, but you have to take Home Ec so you know how to sew properly. Deal! Once I enrolled in the class, she showed me how to thread the White, gave basic instructions, and I was off to the races!

The 7th Grade Home Ec class, ugh! I know a lot of people remember Home Ec fondly. I'm not one of them. By the early 1970's, Home Ec was mainly a remedial type class for (mostly) delinquent girls. I stuck out Sewing and Cooking (also required by Mom), and then left formal Home Ec training behind me. Hoorah!! I think the only things I made in Sewing were a pillow and a poncho. Well, it was the 1970's .

Meanwhile, I was sewing all kinds of stuff at home. Jeans, pants, halter tops, babydoll tops, skirts, dresses etc. etc. I also did jeans modifications, such as converting straight legs to bell bottoms by adding a godet to each side seam. I learned to crochet around that time too, so added that to the mix. Although my parents didn't support RTW purchases, they were supportive of my fabric habit (clever parents!), and back then I think you really could save money by sewing. There was an independent neighborhood fabric store within walking distance, in addition to Kresge's Five and Ten Cent Store (predecessor to K-Mart). I also could take the bus to Stewart's Dry Goods Store downton if I wanted something special. Stewart's is long gone as the result of department store consolidation, but it was the fancy department store back then. They had a wonderful sewing department. Baer's, which succumbed last year, was also downtown and thus reachable via bus, but it was more the fancy place you went for ballet costume supplies, as well as fabric for formals. RIP to all of them.

I kept sewing all of the time through high school, making tons of clothes. I had no fear and would make just about anything. I still continued to sew in college, mostly during breaks because I didn't have a machine at school. I wish I'd had one! Vanderbilt was (and is) a wealthy school, and I could have made some cash doing sewing for the rich kids. Same thing in grad school at Florida, sewing during breaks.

My sewing took a break after graduation. However, Grandma gifted me a portable Singer on a visit home, so I started sewing a little bit with it. It's one of those classic black ones in the bentwood case. I haven't used it in years but it's a great machine. I should get it refurbished so I can play with it some more. I did acquire a Singer buttonholer that will fit it on an antiquing expedition a few years ago. Like I said, those attachments make the best buttonholes!!

My XH bought me my first "modern" machine 22 years ago when we were living in Melbourne, Florida. My first machine with zig zag capabilities! Plus many other bells and whistles. I gave it to my friend John a couple of years ago.

My sewing really took off after my divorce in the early 90's. I joined the ASG, got my own dedicated sewing room, discovered Ann Silva's, learned about sewing personalities, attended classes, and started gathering all kinds of sewing supplies. And of course, I learned that the internet was a fabulous sewing resource too. Once again, off to the races! It's difficult to fit sewing in, but I've learned it's important to make time for it--keeps me happy and sane.

There is Joy in Florida Tonight...

Sorry Sooners, but the Gators growled all over you. In an (almost) annual tradition, I give you the championship logo!

Vogue 8430, Part 2

I'd intended to post an entry about making samples to test seam finishes, etc. But they didn't exactly photograph well. And let me tell you, this pattern goes together so fast that I'm already done!

Here's the red side:



And here's the black side:



And the black side, another way:



The style of this jacket is fairly avant garde, similar to Shirin Guild, Miyake, or Eskandar. It's comfortable to wear, like a sweater. I did make a few changes to the pattern:

• As is typical for me, I cut the neck/shoulders/armscye in size Small and the rest of the garment in size Medium. There's a lot of ease, so I might have been able to do the entire jacket in Small.



• I lengthened the fronts by 1-5/8" so the front and back side seams would match. I figured this would be an easier way to deal with making it reversible, vs. uneven side seams as originally designed.

For the seams, I used a variation of the flat felled seam. A traditional flat fell didn't work well due to the bulk of the fabric. Because it's jersey, I then went with an raw edge flat fell. Better, but still not exactly what I wanted. So, I went with a raw edge fell with a wide and long zig zag, the largest my machine will make. I used coordinating threads, red/orange on top, black in the bobbin so the stitching matches each side of the fabric. The tone-on-tone just looked classier and will be more versatile for the completed reversible garment. Sometimes the raw look requires tempering, you know?

On the jacket edges, I just finished them off by zigzagging right at the edge of the fabric. I don't know if the finish was technically necessary, but I like it better vs. a strictly raw edge.

This is almost an Anthropologie* type of garment, so that's one of the reasons I'm not overly concerned about the rawness. Although the fabric is wool, I also didn't felt it. Felting can take a lot of fabric, in that you're basically shrinking the fabric. You don't know how much it'll shrink to make the felt until you do it, so your yardage potentially runs the risk of going from adequate to not enough in a heartbeat. I only had 3 yards to work with and I didn't want to end up without enough. So the jersey will remain jersey and I'll probably be dry cleaning it. I have cut a couple of samples from the scraps and will launder them to see what happens.

I do have some yardage left over, so I'm also planning on doing more experimenting with it. I also have an aqua/black piece that was originally going to be a second version of this jacket. However, this one is pretty memorable, so I think I'll use that piece for something else. If I make this pattern again, and I think I will, I'd rather make something that will look different from this one instead of a clone. Hopefully FabricMart will continue to carry similar double-faced wool from time to time and I'll be able to obtain even more to (possibly) felt and sew.


*I know I've been shamelessly name-dropping in this entry, but Albuquerque actually has an Anthropologie store now (we've arrived! haha). So of course, I checked it out and actually bought a few pieces even though most of the styles are a little youngish for me. Anyway, raw edges are plentiful and and many of the jackets are made from lightweight boiled wool.

Sewing Workshop Getaway II

I'm repeating the experience! I just paid for the plane(s) and hotel, so I'm good to go.

The last time I did this was in October 2007 and there were 13 of us. This time, it will be a smaller group. I guess this is due to the economy, but smaller is better from the perspective of an attendee. From the standpoint of the Sewing Workshop, I'm sure it's a bit concerning, but I'm very happy that Linda decided to have the event even with the smaller group.

I'm still working on goals for this time, but considering that I have patterns cut out and ready to go, it's likely I'll be focusing on making garments from them.

Vogue 8430

I've begun working on the first project of 2009, and it's this Marcy Tilton pattern:



At first, I was a little meh about this one. Then I purchased a couple of pieces of double-faced wool jersey from FabricMart. Hmmm, this could work!

I cut out the pattern from the red and black piece tonight, and I'll be sewing it up this weekend. I'm hoping this will be a fairly simple, easy gratification project. Fingers crossed. We'll see.

By the way, Marcy Tilton has posted several examples of this pattern on her website. So if you're interested in this pattern, check it out.

Deja Vu All Over Again

Like many of you, I planned on writing a New Year's Resolution post. I even went back to last year's entry. Well. Let's just say that I can state the same resolutions this year. So I will. As I said last year, this is more a listing of intent. It's not that I didn't accomplish anything in 2008, it's just that I need to keep going in these areas.

• At work, focus. In 2008, my rationale was because of a management change. The new manager has been place since February, and it's worked out very well. He really does a great job! But as we all know, the economy isn't doing so well right now. Although my company is doing pretty well, performance will be key. For another year, gotta bring the "A" game.
• Sewing, more of it. I continued to spend for RTW, stash, patterns, and sewing books. I'm not entirely disappointed in the sewing I did in 2008, but I want to continue to have this one on the list. Sewing is a good outlet for me, and since I enjoy it, I need to do it. Plus, I'm running out of space, so I have to reduce the stashes.
• Health and Fitness. I continued to maintain. However, still lackng in the fitness area. I'm moving the fitness intention into 2009.
• Financial. Doing better here, too. I'm making use of BillPay to schedule payments, etc. This year will be more about making better financial decisions instead of spending money because I'm bored or whatever.

So there you have it. 2009's intentions. Have a great New Year!