Plus, it's the end of September - we're back to school and well into the swing of things!
Kids Clothes Week Challenge is happening from 8-14 October and I'm signed up. Who's with me?
Recykleren (= making stuff out of old clothes, in Dutch) is happening now, but as by far my preferred thing to make from reycled clothes is clothes for children, I'm going to slack off and merge this with my KCWC efforts. I'm already identifying clothes to cull, though!
I've seen a lot of really interesting discussions recently about sewing (women's) clothes. Specifically, the pull between everyday wardrobe sewing, or sewing for the life you want to have (otherwise known as cake vs. frosting). It's struck me that, although I started sewing again out of frustration with the lack of decent "occasion dresses" on the high street, this kind of issue hasn't really been what's preoccupied me as a home sewer of clothes.
For me it's been the more mundane, how do I know that this pattern will work? How is it that yet again I have made a garment, with such high hopes, only to find I hate the result? This applies particularly to clothes for myself, but sometimes also to things I've made for the kids. And it applies whether I'm sewing a dress to wear to a wedding or a t-shirt to wear all the time. It still happens regularly! And I was really hoping it wouldn't once I had a couple of years' trial and error behind me :-)
So, I'm mulling over my ideas to see if I could come up with some Tips for (Successfully) Sewing Clothes - whether you're sewing cake or frosting or something in between. Putting some thought into what's worked and what's not could be helpful for others as well as my little self, right? I would probably include reviews of books or other resources that have been particularly helpful, too. What do you think?
Once I started thinking about it, I realise I have also a ton of little sewing tips I would pass on to friends who sew: all those small but useful ideas you come up with to make life easier and wish you had someone to tell. So I'll start telling you!
Of course, actual sewing is on my to do list too - in fact, it's basically a permament state of affairs. I've already got one or two things on the go, plus there's the usual and ever-changing mountain of things I want to make next, all at once. And I might - just maybe - come up with a tutorial or two. I have an idea for the kids, and an idea for me that would probably make a good Christmas gift too.
Yes, Christmas! Or insert your midwinter holiday of choice. Approaching, more quickly than we think...
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Who's on top of their Christmas sewing plans already? What have you done, what'll you be doing?
Is permanently sewing (or other crafting) your default setting, too? Surely I'm not alone in occasionally finding my actual life an encumbrance?
Hi Joe, yes I'm doing KCWC and looking forward to it. I enjoy reading the conversations around frosting and cake.. but the reality for me though is that like you maybe, my default setting is permanent sewing ..but for me it borders perhaps more on frosting than cake.. not that it's outlandish, but I can't imagine myself making jeans for example when I can easily buy a fab pair. I don't yet (and can't imagine) making something that I've seen at the shops.. I'll just buy that. I make things that I can't find in the shops or that I think are original. And yes, I am constantly wondering why a project worked or didn't.
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