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Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Stages

I've waited until the last minute to finish up some projects. (I have valid reasons for doing so, but still...)

So, I shall return shortly.

In the meantime, siiiiiiigh...


Yes, a song just for me. And you. :-)
(Lyrics are kind of off, but it's ok.)

peace.

Saturday, March 13, 2010

Well, See...What Had Happened Waaaas...


Let's see. I've been sewing/designing clothes, techinically, for 8 years now. I've sewn in zippers, done button holes, made patterns from scratch, set in the most uncooperative of sleeves, gathered and pleated, made cuffs, turned pants into skirts, skirts into dresses, altered, re-altered, and altered again, so on a so forth.

Still, this:

(Part of a dress I'm working on for a 3 yr. old cousin of mine who's going to be in a pageant soon.)

Those of you familiar with clothing construction probably see the issue right away. Those who aren't likely do as well. To be clear, though, this is a bodice with one sleeve sewn on correctly and one sewn on incorrectly (backwards).

I did this today. No, I wasn't tired, or tired of sewing. I was fully alert and thought I was on a roll. Happens to the best of us I suppose--or at least, happens to those of us who'd like to think we are (and who others see us as) a part of "the best of us" camp.


While I sat there with seam ripper in hand undoing my wrong work and cursing the satin fabric for snagging easily, I began to think of something one of my new blogger buddies asked recently.
And i'm only assuming she has no problem with me referring to her in that way :-D.

Roe of Yes, Honey Chyle asked:

"How do you make it look so easy?! New Sewing Minds are inquiring!"

Well, I suppose that after you've done it for long enough it becomes easiER than it was when you first started out. Yet there are still many design and sewing techniques that I've never done and am somewhat intimidated by. So the techniques I use for the garments I make and like to make (simple ones!) have only become easier for me to do because I've been doing them for so long now. I know that in my case, I have a desire to do this, stayed determined, and I suppose the payoff is a decrease in difficulty. Also, it seems to me that once you've got the generalities of sewing and design down, you'll find that even those tasks that you've never done are at least doable. You might still be intimidated by the notion of them, but you'll likely be able to do them because you have the skill and understanding of how it works. I've made jackets and coats and suits. All these are items I'd rather not do but was able to complete them because I had the technical ability to do so.

Beyond that, for me, there may be an astrological component to all of this. I've read that those born under the sign of Scorpio tend to enjoy areas of work that involve mystery, among others. They like to put things together. Figure stuff out. I know for sure that's true for me, and it's one of my main attractions to designing clothes. It's like putting a puzzle together and getting to the bottom of how a garment "works." Fabric and clothing is the medium I've gravitated towards, but I could just as easily (or just as likely) be a crime scene investigator or physchological researcher. And I have already donned myself the latter.

So yep, I think that's what it is. Apparently, though, none of that changes the fact that I'm bound to sew a sleeve on backwards from time to time!

peace.

:-)

Sunday, March 7, 2010

Oh, Love.

Just a couple dresses...


(Reversible)

(Hand painted)

I created both of these months ago but am just now putting them online. Sometimes that's just how it is.

**********

Seeing as how I was a big Monica fan back in the 90s, I'm pleased to here her voice on the airwaves once again--especially since this new song that I adore samples one of my most favorite tunes of all time...



(Just realized she has a video to this.)






have a beautiful SUNday!

peace.

:-)

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

From the Soul

Recently finished this up for someone I know, and like the previous custom-made garment, I want to keep this for me.





(I've just got the head piece tied any old kind of way, so if it looks off, that's cause it likely is!)

**********

The writer of one of my most favorite blogs in the whole wide world is doing a giveaway!

Check out Soul Pretty
for a chance to win this lovely, hand-dyed top, receive an instant dose of creativity, and to become a fan of a generally wonderful blog.


You can enter the contest by either being/becoming a follower of her blog (bottom of the page) or blogging about the giveaway on your blog. Seeing as how I think these t-shirts
(as well as her handmade fanny packs) are some of my favorite creations and I think everyone should be familiar, I'm doing the latter.
The winner will be chosen Monday, March 8, so get over there now!

*Yaaaaay*
(just threw that in for good measure, ha!)

**********
This Thursday is the last night for the sewing workshop, and it has been absolutely wonderful.

Fulfilling, rewarding--all of that and more.

**********

I'm singing this all the time.
This song takes me there. Ya, know, that place you go before you realize it, then you come back here, and that's how you know you were somewhere else? Yeah, there.

I love her. :-)
peace!