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occasional glimpses

• Kids’ Clothes Week: Day 2

  11May
  Categories: sewn Comments: 0

  

  One hour today got me all pieces traced onto the red fabric, 3 pieces cut. Half an hour extra and I’d cut the remaining pieces. I didn’t trace or cut the fake sleeves yet. They’ll be contrast fabric, and surely not first in the order of construction? (Actually, it’s pockets first, then shoulders; neckband; sides: good.)

  How I love tailor’s chalk! Once in a while, having the right tools helps so much. I thought it mightn’t mark the furry side of the fabric so well, but it did, easily.

  Distractions today? Not so much. Unless you count a monologue about what it’s like to work in a library (from a 5 year old point of view) as a distraction. I don’t.  Having kids around when I sew is half the point: so they see where clothes come from, how they’re made. And so they see that the skills they are learning at school (like neat cutting) actually are useful, right through life …

  Sewing’s tomorrow. That will be … interesting. I haven’t used a twin needle before & I’m not sure how this (cheap, crappy) machine will handle fleece. We’ll see.

  Tags: child's, clothes, handmade, kids, WIP

• Kids’ Clothes Week: Day 1

  10May
  Categories: sewn Comments: 1

  

  Meg from elsie marley sent out a challenge: work for one hour each day for a week, sewing children’s clothes for the coming season. See how far you get.

  Well, there’s my one hour, above. Two sleeves traced, one back. Some reading the instructions.

  I wanted to be honest. And to find out how long sewing really takes me. How can I improve, estimate for the future, try to fit more sewing in my life if I don’t know how long things take? (That’s roughly what my software programming lecturer says, anyway. But not about sewing).

  Maybe I’d be quicker if:

  • I wasn’t trying to be so environmentally friendly & use up all the little scraps of pattern paper;

  • I had a bigger kitchen table … or perhaps a more professional set up?

  • I wasn’t distracted by emails about a University group assignment, asking if my part’s done (yes, done & sent). I’ll blame my cutting the hem fold line (stuck back together) on that distraction. And tracing the wrong size pocket (easily scribbled out) and forgetting to trace a neckline on related distractions, too. I didn’t count them in my time.

  • I’d've known the sleeve on view B is really a different shape to sleeves A and C. I ended up having to trace them all, because I want a fake long sleeve, rather than an argument about which top to wear underneath.

  It actually took me 2.5 hours to get the whole dress traced. Which doesn’t seem quick. But it is honest and it will help me estimate better and sew more kids clothes in the future.

  Wonder how much I’ll get done tomorrow?

  Tags: child's, clothes, handmade, kids, WIP

• The joy of craft classes

  18Feb
  Categories: Amigurumi, sewn Comments: 4

  I’ve taken a couple of craft classes recently: decided I’d learn something enjoyable before Uni holidays end and my mind fills up with real study. I did Beginners Crochet and Adult Sewing. Took my kid, M, along to a class for toddlers too, before her school starts. Love her swooshy painting, she had fun. Also in the photo, the double stitch crochet square I’ve finished in spare moments.

  It is lovely doing a class: being with other people excited to craft; discussing by pointing, touching and showing; hearing things you never thought to ask (machines can knit, but there are no machines that crochet, it’s always totally by hand). And it’s such a confidence boost to know most of my self-taught ways are actually the “proper” way!

  I’ll be back at my desk, in my usual creative space next week. But I must say I’ve enjoyed being out and about.

  Tags: class, crochet, learning, sewing

• My first patchwork: am I mad?

  10Feb
  Categories: fabric, sewn Comments: 4

  2010 is starting to feel serious: A is back at school, M’s starting soon (it’s a Montessori school) and I’ll be back at Uni before I know it. So I’d better hurry up and show you the only Christmas present I actually handmade!

  Yes, Germaine, Mum did actually ask for a handmade gift. I suspect she knows I have more fabric/time than money at the moment … And so I took the opportunity to try my first patchwork.

  The fabrics are from a charm pack: Botany by Lauren and Jessi Jung for moda. You know, I haven’t really used craft fabrics before. Admired them, yes. Stroked them on the bolt in the shops, uh, yes. But actually sewn with them? No, I’ve basically used dress fabrics: cheap or better quality.

  So this project gave me a couple of surprises. First, I’d always thought that not using craft fabrics for dressmaking was kinda snobby: it isn’t. Roll on all the designers (actually it’s not their fault), roll on all the manufacturers offering craft fabric designs on dressmaking and other types of fabric. And second, I’d thought that combining the fabrics contained in a charm pack would be kinda brainless. I mean, they’ve been specifically designed to go together, haven’t they? Well, they probably were designed to match. But I didn’t happen to like that particular fresh Spring green with that particular turquoise. Might be just me. Or might be unrealistic expectations. Any rate, I decided one side of the patchwork bags would use mainly the fresh greens; the other mixed the turquoises.

  

  Look pretty and neat, don’t they? But they’re actually a bit wonky. I mean, I knew attaching the linings would be a problem: I’d sized them without factoring in any space needed for bulky seams, turn of cloth or any concepts like that. As a result, there’s a tuck just where the ribbons are joined. And I rather like that tuck, makes the bags a little more interesting. Next time, I’ll design in a tuck (on purpose).

  My other issue was a bit more unexpected. I’d chosen what I thought was a really simple pattern for my first patchwork: just lots of squares. Arranged in a grid. No fancy hexagons, diamonds, nothing. Just a grid. About an hour into sewing (I’m slow: I sew and think, sew more, ponder..). Anyway, about an hour into sewing I realised a grid-based pattern requires you to line things up exactly. And I couldn’t. I did try, with lots of pins. Hence my question: am I mad to worry if my patchwork is about 2mm out in places? Lots of places?

  Deep down, I know the answer. No, I should be more accurate. It’d look better. So, dear experienced patchworkers, some more questions: what should I have done? I’ll admit to treating a my fabric like paper: folding in half, scoring and cutting (with scissors). Was that my downfall? I’ll also admit my sewing may have veered from straight by about 1mm on occasion: did those slight errors multiply? Or is there some particular technique I should have known about and used?

  And yes, I did check my patchwork books, limited though my collection is. And I realised all my Japanese books are about hand patchworking. Not by machine. Even though one of them is specifically about different designs made from squares (and triangles). I also have Last-Minute Patchwork + Quilted Gifts by Joelle Hoverson which doesn’t really have a lot of grid-based designs. Perhaps so you can make them last minute, eh? And they still look good as gifts? Yes, Germaine, there’s often quite a bit of truth to what you say, however offended we get. But nine patches are a traditional grid pattern, so there must be a way to align them?

  Tags: bag, beginner, craft, design, fabric, Germaine Greer, gift, handmade, learning, patchwork, starting

• Why I don’t sew my own clothing

  31Dec
  Categories: sewn Comments: 8

  Yes, that’s a photo of me in a dress I sewed for myself (burda 07-2009-132).  I wore it at my sister-in-law’s wedding. And only 2 weeks before, I’d sewn a dress and worn it for her hen’s night.

  Sudden productivity. It’s been a long time coming.

  The backstory

  You see, in 2007, I decided I wanted to sew my own clothes. Started collecting burda magazine. Didn’t sew anything, spent the year reading about sewing. That’s OK: I’m a read-everything-before-I-start type person.

  In 2008, I made my first skirt and a couple of tops. A little too big, interfacing a little too stiff. And, admittedly, rather too complex patterns for a first-timer. An eight-piece pattern, top-stitching, self-drafted cowls. Asking a bit much of myself.

  Then we moved to Tokyo. I thought I’d sew there, but really, I was too busy going out, exploring, trying to interact (and cope)…

  And 2009? We came home. And? Nothing. I’m not generally lazy, so what’s stopping me sewing?

  Shopping vs. sewing

  OK, suppose you go into a shop, looking for clothes. You’re thinking whether the clothes will fit, look good on you, and be appropriate for the occasion. I mean, you usually know you want something for work, or something for a party, something for the beach…

  Fit? Well, you know whether something fits or not once you get into the changeroom. And flatter? By now, I know what I think looks good on me. I mean, if it makes me feel ugh, there’s no point, is there?

  So in a shop, you spend most of your time thinking about the occasion. Who else will be there? What will they wear? If I wear this, what will they think of me? Do I want them to think of me like that? It’s complicated. It takes a lot of thought, but in the end you can decide. Sure, budget’s always a factor. The rest of your wardrobe might be a factor too, if your wardrobe’s bigger than mine!

  Why is sewing so hard?

  I don’t mean sewing is difficult: it takes practice, but I’ll improve. What I mean is, mentally.

  There’s no fitting room. Sure, I can measure, “tissue-fit” (hold the pattern up to me) but, well, I’ve still made plenty of mistakes. I’m never sure what I sew will fit. And flatter me? Even reliable looks for me: V-neck, fitted top with an A-line skirt… well, it turned out horrible. I’ve never shown you. Sure, I can analyse why: I’d simply never tried on a dress like that before. So two issues that are easy to eliminate when you’re shopping, they’re unknowns, right until I’ve completely finished my sewing.

  Then the occasion. Yes, that’s still a worry. Particularly weddings, you know?

  Plus, there’s the guilt. It’s nice fabric, will I ruin it? Is this the best use for it? Should I save it for something else?

  And the decision paralysis. I mean, theoretically, I could make anything I want. I’ve collected burdas since 2007, that’s roughly, umm, 1440 patterns? In various sizes: no, don’t even get me started on sizes and the possibilities of grading! Or I could try to draft my own…

  And that’s why I wasn’t sewing. Too much thinking. Too many worries.

  How I solved my problem

  I bought the fabric specially. Silk, usually an expensive fabric, but cheap if you sew your own.

  I gave myself 3 days to worry, to re-decide a thousand times.

  And then I said to myself: I’ll stop. The deadline for worrying has passed. It’s time to focus on making the tracing accurate, the cutting neat and the sewing right.

  And so that’s what I did. Focused. And finished.
  (Even though I’d picked the wrong size and had to design extra side panels, hah!)