The cape is hung up in the closet ready to go. Thanks for all the wonderful compliments. I'll get a picture of me wearing it as soon as possible although that always seems to take far longer than I'd like... especially an outdoor shot. It's definitely time to find a remote for my camera and figure out how to smile pretty without feeling self-conscious in public. Maybe my barista could take it - LOL - but not today. It is snowing like crazy outside. Something warmer will be necessary.
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Lately, I've been thinking a lot about how I sew. I've given up on the sewing with a plan type projects because they never seem to happen and I've become increasingly cautious about saying I'm going to explore this or that new technique, series, or way of working because it never goes quite the way I imagined.
Why do I make the things I make? Most often, it's via the loudest tickle, the thing that is dancing and waving and hopping up and down and saying make me. It may fit into one of the plans I was thinking about but the projects are not consecutive the way I'd imagined and I think that's just fine.
Right now, the loudest tickle is something to wear to Sew Expo. I've settled on a dress. The OOP pattern above is Marcy Tilton's Vogue 8637. I've been wanting to sew it for YEARS... and I haven't... and isn't that so often the case ? ? ? The aspect I love the most about this pattern is the hemline. The points are great only I've sewn a lot of pointed patterns lately and I'm not in the mood for another one so I'm taking the soft hemline of this skirt and adding it to...
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... my T & T favourite, Katherine Tilton's Vogue 8691. I've played with this pattern for so long that I'm not sure Katherine would even recognize my variations as originating with her however... it does AMAZING things for my figure... minus the ruffle that is. As you can see, the top has princess lines and the skirt does not so....
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... I'm also incorporating some of the seams and shaping from Marcy's Vogue 8499. The princess seams in the front lined up fabulously and in the back, I'm inventing new lines. What will I end up with? I have no idea. Will it look good on me? We'll see.
More than anything else, this compilation of patterns is an exploration of a possibility and the answer to a tickle however... as the pictures of my Koos skirt show... sometimes a garment that feels good on you might not necessarily look good on you. It was a shock to see because I feel amazing when I wear that skirt - which I'm not wearing anymore now that I see how un-amazing I actually do look - but, obviously, there is a happy balance to be discovered between those two things. How do I make a garment that feels good emotionally - as in this feels flirty and fun and just like me - look good physically and how do I make a garment that looks good physically - as in it flatters my figure - feel good emotionally?
SUCH an interesting question. The answer is not all about the fabric or even the style. Sometimes, it's the sizing or the styling or the color or the mood we're in or the accessories we put it all together with which leads me to another conversation, one where Myrna wades in where perhaps Myrna shouldn't, BUT... this really struck me and it's my opinion and I'm entitled to it so here goes.
Several years ago, I wrote a posting about a pattern of Sandra Betzina's that was based on a shirt by a Canadian designer. At that time, I was upset that she had copied the shirt and made it into a pattern without giving credit to the designer. I have since learned that not only is this common practice, there is in fact no copyright protection on clothing. I have a high level of respect for Sandra Betzina and was glad to learn that neither she nor any of the other pattern designers I know who are following a similar practice are "stealing".
I have an equally high level of respect for Pati Palmer. She has had a long and solid career and several of her books - Fit For Real People and Pants for Real People - are on my must have list. If my house burned down, I'd replace them immediately and I recommend them to any new sewist. The workshops I've taken with Pati have been phenomenal and taught me a tremendous amount. Palmer Pletsch also published Looking Good by Nancy Nix-Rice and this book is also on my must have list. I've heard it ridiculed for the outdated pictures. Let me just say that it's the information you're buying. Pictures are outdated the minute they are taken however....
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... pictures can also say interesting things that are perhaps not what you meant to say. In the recent advertisement for Nancy's new book - Looking Good Everyday - my eye was caught by the picture above. Andrea appears to be wearing Marcy Tilton's Vogue 8499 skirt in the before picture and that's an interesting choice. The message I get is that the skirt is frumpy and...
... when such a recognizable pattern is chosen...
... that message has an overtone that could be interpreted as being applied to the designer. I'm not saying that's what happened. I have no idea if this is an accidental or a deliberate message. For all I know, these women could be the best of friends but that's not the message I'm getting and this particular image really impacted me - in part because this is one of my favourite skirts, in part because I have a high level of respect for the designer, and in part because sewing is a big business with a small pond.
Having been in the small pond of another big business, I know that extra care should be taken to play nicely. The before/after example struck me as a version of if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all. I wondered - and perhaps that's just me - if there was some kind of subtext going on and the fact that I wondered means someone should have thought this through just a little better because that's not good marketing - IMHO.
And then...
... the before/after contrast is skewed. The before photo is taken from above making Andrea look shorter and squatter and her torso longer while the after photo is taken from a far more flattering angle. This is nowhere near comparing apples to apples.
I wear this skirt all the time and it's incredibly flattering and gets numerous compliments. Andrea appears to have a lovely, curvy figure with a fuller bust line than mine. If the skirt looks good on me with my bottom heavy, narrow shoulder figure, there's every possibility it could look good on her because its bell shape is reminiscent of the hourglass shape she appears to have. ONLY...
... I don't wear it several sizes too big, in a dull fabric, with glaring zippers and an ill-fitting, baggy shirt and flat, unflattering, gladiator sandals. What I would really like to have seen is a before and after image that took that same skirt in the correct size with color co-ordinated zippers and put it with a fitted top of the correct length, color, and fit that had a flattering neckline and then added accessories that worked and the fancy new hairdo and shot the image from the same flattering angle as the after image. THAT would have given a totally different message overall and would have been incredibly helpful because we don't walk around in heels and pantyhose everyday.
BUT... even if it's frumpy in their opinion, it's still my favourite skirt...
And I'm still working with it...
And I'm still going to sew what I want....
And I'm still going to have fun following up tickles...
And my dress may or may not flatter me...
And so what ! ! ! ! !
It matters but...
It's not the only thing that matters
Sew what you want to sew.
Happy Valentine's Day. Next time you look in the mirror, give yourself a kiss and a big hug. You're amazing. I recently read an interesting book by Judy Ford. It's called Single: The Art of Being Satisfied, Fulfilled, and Independent. In it, Judy talks about how we are all born singular and how sometimes we are single in a relationship and other times we are single and not in a relationship but we will spend all of our lives with ourselves. Think about that. Every single day of your life, from beginning to end, you will spend with one person - yourself. That thought illustrates how important it is to know and love ourselves and to fulfill our passion and purpose, to be our own Valentine.
Talk soon - Myrna
Grateful - lessons in learning to play nicely
Why do I make the things I make? Most often, it's via the loudest tickle, the thing that is dancing and waving and hopping up and down and saying make me. It may fit into one of the plans I was thinking about but the projects are not consecutive the way I'd imagined and I think that's just fine.
Right now, the loudest tickle is something to wear to Sew Expo. I've settled on a dress. The OOP pattern above is Marcy Tilton's Vogue 8637. I've been wanting to sew it for YEARS... and I haven't... and isn't that so often the case ? ? ? The aspect I love the most about this pattern is the hemline. The points are great only I've sewn a lot of pointed patterns lately and I'm not in the mood for another one so I'm taking the soft hemline of this skirt and adding it to...
... my T & T favourite, Katherine Tilton's Vogue 8691. I've played with this pattern for so long that I'm not sure Katherine would even recognize my variations as originating with her however... it does AMAZING things for my figure... minus the ruffle that is. As you can see, the top has princess lines and the skirt does not so....
... I'm also incorporating some of the seams and shaping from Marcy's Vogue 8499. The princess seams in the front lined up fabulously and in the back, I'm inventing new lines. What will I end up with? I have no idea. Will it look good on me? We'll see.
More than anything else, this compilation of patterns is an exploration of a possibility and the answer to a tickle however... as the pictures of my Koos skirt show... sometimes a garment that feels good on you might not necessarily look good on you. It was a shock to see because I feel amazing when I wear that skirt - which I'm not wearing anymore now that I see how un-amazing I actually do look - but, obviously, there is a happy balance to be discovered between those two things. How do I make a garment that feels good emotionally - as in this feels flirty and fun and just like me - look good physically and how do I make a garment that looks good physically - as in it flatters my figure - feel good emotionally?
SUCH an interesting question. The answer is not all about the fabric or even the style. Sometimes, it's the sizing or the styling or the color or the mood we're in or the accessories we put it all together with which leads me to another conversation, one where Myrna wades in where perhaps Myrna shouldn't, BUT... this really struck me and it's my opinion and I'm entitled to it so here goes.
Several years ago, I wrote a posting about a pattern of Sandra Betzina's that was based on a shirt by a Canadian designer. At that time, I was upset that she had copied the shirt and made it into a pattern without giving credit to the designer. I have since learned that not only is this common practice, there is in fact no copyright protection on clothing. I have a high level of respect for Sandra Betzina and was glad to learn that neither she nor any of the other pattern designers I know who are following a similar practice are "stealing".
I have an equally high level of respect for Pati Palmer. She has had a long and solid career and several of her books - Fit For Real People and Pants for Real People - are on my must have list. If my house burned down, I'd replace them immediately and I recommend them to any new sewist. The workshops I've taken with Pati have been phenomenal and taught me a tremendous amount. Palmer Pletsch also published Looking Good by Nancy Nix-Rice and this book is also on my must have list. I've heard it ridiculed for the outdated pictures. Let me just say that it's the information you're buying. Pictures are outdated the minute they are taken however....
... pictures can also say interesting things that are perhaps not what you meant to say. In the recent advertisement for Nancy's new book - Looking Good Everyday - my eye was caught by the picture above. Andrea appears to be wearing Marcy Tilton's Vogue 8499 skirt in the before picture and that's an interesting choice. The message I get is that the skirt is frumpy and...
... when such a recognizable pattern is chosen...
... that message has an overtone that could be interpreted as being applied to the designer. I'm not saying that's what happened. I have no idea if this is an accidental or a deliberate message. For all I know, these women could be the best of friends but that's not the message I'm getting and this particular image really impacted me - in part because this is one of my favourite skirts, in part because I have a high level of respect for the designer, and in part because sewing is a big business with a small pond.
Having been in the small pond of another big business, I know that extra care should be taken to play nicely. The before/after example struck me as a version of if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all. I wondered - and perhaps that's just me - if there was some kind of subtext going on and the fact that I wondered means someone should have thought this through just a little better because that's not good marketing - IMHO.
And then...
... the before/after contrast is skewed. The before photo is taken from above making Andrea look shorter and squatter and her torso longer while the after photo is taken from a far more flattering angle. This is nowhere near comparing apples to apples.
I wear this skirt all the time and it's incredibly flattering and gets numerous compliments. Andrea appears to have a lovely, curvy figure with a fuller bust line than mine. If the skirt looks good on me with my bottom heavy, narrow shoulder figure, there's every possibility it could look good on her because its bell shape is reminiscent of the hourglass shape she appears to have. ONLY...
... I don't wear it several sizes too big, in a dull fabric, with glaring zippers and an ill-fitting, baggy shirt and flat, unflattering, gladiator sandals. What I would really like to have seen is a before and after image that took that same skirt in the correct size with color co-ordinated zippers and put it with a fitted top of the correct length, color, and fit that had a flattering neckline and then added accessories that worked and the fancy new hairdo and shot the image from the same flattering angle as the after image. THAT would have given a totally different message overall and would have been incredibly helpful because we don't walk around in heels and pantyhose everyday.
BUT... even if it's frumpy in their opinion, it's still my favourite skirt...
And I'm still working with it...
And I'm still going to sew what I want....
And I'm still going to have fun following up tickles...
And my dress may or may not flatter me...
And so what ! ! ! ! !
It matters but...
It's not the only thing that matters
Sew what you want to sew.
Happy Valentine's Day. Next time you look in the mirror, give yourself a kiss and a big hug. You're amazing. I recently read an interesting book by Judy Ford. It's called Single: The Art of Being Satisfied, Fulfilled, and Independent. In it, Judy talks about how we are all born singular and how sometimes we are single in a relationship and other times we are single and not in a relationship but we will spend all of our lives with ourselves. Think about that. Every single day of your life, from beginning to end, you will spend with one person - yourself. That thought illustrates how important it is to know and love ourselves and to fulfill our passion and purpose, to be our own Valentine.
Talk soon - Myrna
Grateful - lessons in learning to play nicely
