Ginger Skirt

Well, we're nearing the end of Sew Grateful Week and today's topic is the Sew Grateful Project, namely one that's utilised something gained from the online sewing community. Here's mine, the Ginger skirt from Colette Patterns:

(Hmmm, probably should have taken photo before a full day of wear. Or at least ironed it first...)This was my first experience with an independent pattern company. I only discovered they actually existed when I started reading sewing blogs two months ago. Verdict? Thank you Online Sewing Community - I am absolutely and utterly sold! I think I mentioned in an earlier post that I haven't sewn much for myself; this is because a) I got right into costuming instead (ran a small business for a few years until it became inescapably clear that I am not a, shall we say, natural businesswoman), b) it's much easier to fit other people, and c) I got fed up with so many of the commercial patterns on offer that needed so much design and fit tweaking before I was happy with them. Forgive me if this sounds like I'm yelling, but THIS IS THE FIRST PATTERN I HAVE EVER MADE THAT FITS WITHOUT ANY ADJUSTMENT! It actually is the size it says it is! I am beyond excited about this, and have already bought some patterns from two other independent companies on the strength of it (with several others also in mind). To me that's a big fat win-win - an outstanding product plus supporting small business. Woo hoo!

Since the mock up - as I've gleefully said and don't mind repeating - fit perfectly, I figured I could play a little. When I saw the fabric, thick cotton with a bit a stretch, it was rolled up so that the wrong side was outermost or visible. I really liked the colour of it; it was soft without being too pale. Then I unrolled it slightly. It was really, really ORANGE. Not just orange. ORANGE. (I'm yelling again, but only to give you an idea of just how intense a shade it was). Now I have no particular quarrel with orange per se, but a skirt that colour in my wardrobe would have ended up a sad and lonely shut-in very quickly. So after a quick conversation between Head ("is it really ok to sew a skirt inside-out??") and Heart ("it's my skirt and I can do whatever I like"), I grabbed it and ran with it. (Heart felt quite smug when a friend who saw me wearing the finished skirt exclaimed, "that's such a pretty colour!". Heart 1, Head 0)

I added pockets, because pockets are important. I'd seen on the Colette website a tutorial for sewing flat piping, which I'd never tried before. I thought that a was a handy way to use some of the ORANGE side (sorry, can't help it). I'm always intrigued by ways to use the main fabric of a garment as a design element rather than trims. Excellent tutorial - I highly recommend it. Plus, there was another tutorial on how to make bias tape using the continuous method. I read it and frankly, my jaw dropped. Genius. I tried it and it worked beautifully. The only hiccup was that using the 10" square left rather a lot of joins. It was fine for the pocket sections, but I wanted one long continuous piece along each side of the waistband. So I just cut strips from leftover fabric for those. I'm thrilled to have found the method though, and next time I use it I'll just start with a larger square.

I did notice that annoyingly some of the piping is a little uneven in places. I've gone back and measured minutely and I'm pretty sure I can chalk that up to my cutting rather than my sewing. Even a millimetre out can make a noticeable difference at this scale. Lesson learned for next time, and anyhow, I'm satisfied with for a first attempt.

So there we are. Definitely a new piece of Wardrobe Cake to figuratively munch on. And I have two more Gingers lined up on the desk. Hurrah for go-to patterns!

Have a wonderful week :)

Sew Grateful Week - Grateful Reflection

Hello again! Something a little bit different today - I'm taking part in Sew Grateful Week 2013 (fashionsfromthepast.blogspot.com) and today's topic is a Sew Grateful Reflection. It's been lovely to take the time to recognise what gifts sewing and the online sewing community really are. So here's my two cents:

I'm grateful for a whole new appreciation for sewing lately. It's always been something I've loved to do, but mainly as a creative outlet or challenge, or even as a way to help out friends and family. Last year though after reading Lucy Siegle's book To Die For, an expose of the global fashion industry, sewing took on a whole new sense of purpose. It's become my way of opting out of the whole insane, exploitative juggernaut that the fashion industry has become. Sewing is my way of making a difference, however tiny in global terms, of ensuring that my wardrobe isn't at the expense of the environment or some of the world's most vulnerable people. Sewing has become empowering, and thus satisfying, in a way that it really hasn't been before. And that's something to be grateful for, I think!

I'm really just getting to know the online sewing community, so it might seem a bit odd to writing a Sew Grateful reflection on it. But I'm already incredibly grateful for the wealth of inspiration I've found. People are just so generous with their projects and knowledge (and whoever first thought up online tutorials deserves a special place in heaven...) I've never been more motivated to sew! I only have one other friend who sews, so it's lovely to think that there's a whole online world of amazing, creative and talented people to meet out there. even after only a month or so, I'm grateful to be part of it all.

Funny how satisfying it is to stop and "count your blessings" like this. I must remember to do it more often in other, non-sewing areas...

Have a wonderful week :)