This weekend, I cleaned. We've been so busy lately that housekeeping kept getting put off and the place was VERY dusty and dirty, the kind of so dirty where you really want to clean. It's not my most favourite thing to do but I love the look and smell of a clean house. It's a nice pay-off for the effort.
And I painted. I always think I'm in pretty good shape until some activity - like climbing up and down a ladder - uncovers muscles I didn't know I had. Shifting furniture further destroys the illusion and clearly illustrates the need for weight training. I'm not sure that will happen but I am sure that climbing ladders uses different leg muscles than running.
One of the best New Year's resolutions I've ever set was so many years ago that I can't remember the year but the benefits have been fabulous. It was to learn to listen, to learn to agree to disagree, and to learn to say I'm sorry. One of the benefits is being able to hear what another person has to say and learn why they think the way they think and then evaluate the information, decide for myself, and move forward in my direction.
In one of her webcasts, Peggy talks about being opinionated. And she is. She constantly makes statements about how all women should do this or that and those statements are her opinion. I'm okay with that. I'm opinionated myself but I also enjoy evaluating if this is new information and if so, how it changes what I think. Cleaning and painting are full of thinking time. Mostly, I was thinking about sewing.
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Peggy feels that we should buy and sew fabric immediately and stop stashing. I disagree plus I find that a rather hilarious perspective for the owner of a business that sells fabric to take but - LOL - it's not going to happen in my studio. I buy for my stash and I sew from my stash and I couldn't tell you the last year, even the last decade, in which I bought a fabric and sewed it immediately. If it happened, it was either a fluke or for a special occasion. Perhaps my daughter's wedding.
I do limit how large my stash is so it doesn't get unmanageable but I can't imagine not having a stash. It's my collection and comfort. I love looking at it and going through it and imagining the possibilities. VERY often a piece does not become what I bought it for; it becomes something better.
All the fabrics in my stash are ones that I like and enjoy. They're Myrna fabrics and that's not likely to change no matter how long they're in there so why stop stashing. I am aware that if I buy a fad fabric I need to sew it quickly or it may never get sewn or it may need to evolve in some way. I rarely buy fad fabrics but if I did - and it became outdated - that's what surface design is for. Fabric can be evolved. Right now, I have a few ruffle fabrics that need that kind of attention but the world won't stop turning if I never sew them and they can become something else. Little girl skirts and dresses come to mind.
The picture above is a typical cross section of my stash. The fabrics shown have been in there between one and fifteen years. The brown piece is the only strange one in the mix and it's so gorgeous that I've kept it for years AND... surprisingly... it came to mind while I was painting as a possible fabric to go with a top I love that's more brownish than most of my other clothing.
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Another opinion Peggy expressed that I disagreed with was that as sewists we should be interested in fashion and we should be sewing the latest colors and styles. For me, one of the greatest benefits of sewing is wearing what I want when I want regardless of what's in style. I've spent considerable time figuring out what is my style and that's more important to me. If I'm in style, it's merely by osmosis and exposure because I'm not investing much energy in it and apparently osmosis and exposure is enough because I am not hopelessly out of style. For instance...
... I do know that if I don't sew a peplum top soon, I won't be sewing one or if I do, it'll have a less obvious peplum. I am aware in terms of obvious things - like peplums - but what happens with a pattern like OOP Vogue 8397 above that doesn't seem particularly dated and in fact appears more timeless to me. I'm talking about the middle view in particular. The reviews start in 2007. It's been around a while. I love this pattern and just pulled a fuchsia woven to sew that center view.
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The skirt above left - Vogue 8499 - is one of my favourites. This pattern is not out of print but it's not new. I've sewn two already and will most likely sew more plus I like the other views in both of these patterns. While I might not top stitch pockets depending on the year and the trends and might alter the length for the same reasons, these just look like comfortable, fun pieces. Here's my thought...
... it seems to me that - within reason - clothing that is unique and individualized doesn't go out of style because our style is always our style and there are ways to choose appropriate fabrics, combine garments, and accessorize our outfits that will keep our look fresh and current. Am I wrong?
Talk soon - Myrna
Grateful - fabric and pattern stashes
And I painted. I always think I'm in pretty good shape until some activity - like climbing up and down a ladder - uncovers muscles I didn't know I had. Shifting furniture further destroys the illusion and clearly illustrates the need for weight training. I'm not sure that will happen but I am sure that climbing ladders uses different leg muscles than running.
One of the best New Year's resolutions I've ever set was so many years ago that I can't remember the year but the benefits have been fabulous. It was to learn to listen, to learn to agree to disagree, and to learn to say I'm sorry. One of the benefits is being able to hear what another person has to say and learn why they think the way they think and then evaluate the information, decide for myself, and move forward in my direction.
In one of her webcasts, Peggy talks about being opinionated. And she is. She constantly makes statements about how all women should do this or that and those statements are her opinion. I'm okay with that. I'm opinionated myself but I also enjoy evaluating if this is new information and if so, how it changes what I think. Cleaning and painting are full of thinking time. Mostly, I was thinking about sewing.
Peggy feels that we should buy and sew fabric immediately and stop stashing. I disagree plus I find that a rather hilarious perspective for the owner of a business that sells fabric to take but - LOL - it's not going to happen in my studio. I buy for my stash and I sew from my stash and I couldn't tell you the last year, even the last decade, in which I bought a fabric and sewed it immediately. If it happened, it was either a fluke or for a special occasion. Perhaps my daughter's wedding.
I do limit how large my stash is so it doesn't get unmanageable but I can't imagine not having a stash. It's my collection and comfort. I love looking at it and going through it and imagining the possibilities. VERY often a piece does not become what I bought it for; it becomes something better.
All the fabrics in my stash are ones that I like and enjoy. They're Myrna fabrics and that's not likely to change no matter how long they're in there so why stop stashing. I am aware that if I buy a fad fabric I need to sew it quickly or it may never get sewn or it may need to evolve in some way. I rarely buy fad fabrics but if I did - and it became outdated - that's what surface design is for. Fabric can be evolved. Right now, I have a few ruffle fabrics that need that kind of attention but the world won't stop turning if I never sew them and they can become something else. Little girl skirts and dresses come to mind.
The picture above is a typical cross section of my stash. The fabrics shown have been in there between one and fifteen years. The brown piece is the only strange one in the mix and it's so gorgeous that I've kept it for years AND... surprisingly... it came to mind while I was painting as a possible fabric to go with a top I love that's more brownish than most of my other clothing.
Another opinion Peggy expressed that I disagreed with was that as sewists we should be interested in fashion and we should be sewing the latest colors and styles. For me, one of the greatest benefits of sewing is wearing what I want when I want regardless of what's in style. I've spent considerable time figuring out what is my style and that's more important to me. If I'm in style, it's merely by osmosis and exposure because I'm not investing much energy in it and apparently osmosis and exposure is enough because I am not hopelessly out of style. For instance...
... I do know that if I don't sew a peplum top soon, I won't be sewing one or if I do, it'll have a less obvious peplum. I am aware in terms of obvious things - like peplums - but what happens with a pattern like OOP Vogue 8397 above that doesn't seem particularly dated and in fact appears more timeless to me. I'm talking about the middle view in particular. The reviews start in 2007. It's been around a while. I love this pattern and just pulled a fuchsia woven to sew that center view.
The skirt above left - Vogue 8499 - is one of my favourites. This pattern is not out of print but it's not new. I've sewn two already and will most likely sew more plus I like the other views in both of these patterns. While I might not top stitch pockets depending on the year and the trends and might alter the length for the same reasons, these just look like comfortable, fun pieces. Here's my thought...
... it seems to me that - within reason - clothing that is unique and individualized doesn't go out of style because our style is always our style and there are ways to choose appropriate fabrics, combine garments, and accessorize our outfits that will keep our look fresh and current. Am I wrong?
Talk soon - Myrna
Grateful - fabric and pattern stashes