Now I Know

I AM PISSED!!!!!!!! Aint even funny.

Lately I have been trolling a lot of sewing blogs. These women make extraordinary garments using patterns. I have had success with patterns. When I 1st started sewing, my ole Earth bought me patterns of different garments she thought would be easy and appropriate. I took a class and followed all the instructions and the garments sucked!!! I was so frustrated I stopped fooling with the machine. My father sewed (his mother taught ALL her children, he crocheted too!) and he said that I didn’t need a pattern to make clothes. Just study the clothes and copy them. I followed Daddy’s advice and became a sewing bootlegger! It was beautiful. That is the way I sew today.

But like I said earlier, I have been entranced by these various blogs. They showing off all their projects. Humph! So I go to Hancocks, find me an EZ pattern (that’s what it said on the package), buy the material and notions, cut out the pattern, cut the material based on the pattern and sewed it up based on the directions. Took me hours! Guess what? IT DOESN”T FIT!!!!!! Argh! Let me tell you why I’m pissed….

I have made skirts before. Zippers don’t scare me. For the plain pencil skirt I would have made sans the pattern, it would have taken me 1 hour tops. This joker took all evening! And I wasted my notions, money, and material. The fabric was a lovely navy blue linen caught on sale because this is the end of the summer season. I got the last bit that was on the bolt. They didn’t have anymore. If I want to make another on (which I’d be forced to if I wanted to have a blue linen pencil skirt) I have to go on a hunt for the same fabric. Y’all see how inconvenienced I am?

Well I have learned my lesson. And I’m a take the best part. The best part being is I should pat myself on the back for trying something new. Okay it didn’t work out, but now I know I’m far more competent than I led myself to believe. And the best part can also be that I am going to save a lot of money by not purchasing anymore patterns!

I’m a start a quilt tonight and I ain’t gonna fret that I do that non-traditionally either.



Peace!

The Old College Try

I sew. But I have never had success with a pattern. Since I have been on a self imposed shopping restriction for 1 year (Will be up 9/21/2009) I have been making my own clothes. I'm not bad at it. But... I never saw the need to purchase patterns.

I'm a female and I'm righteous and that means I observe a 3/4 requirement for refinement. In imitation of the planet, I cover my body 3/4 with clothes. Simple as that. I prefer to create my own clothes because I don't want to look like a Mormon or a Muslim. Not that there is anything wrong with them, it's just not who I am and I don't want to convey that impression.

I started sewing age 13. I used patterns back then. Nothing ever came out right. My father sewed. Not because it was his job, but because his mother sewed and taught ALL her children. He said my grandmother never used a pattern, just fashioned items after things she already had and relied heavily on pictures. Once I started doing that, my sewing jumped to new heights. Now that I'm sewing consistently again, and with the advent of the internet, I have been checkingout all kinds of blogs. All these women use patterns. Hmmmmmm......

I was in Hancocks (they are having a ridiculous sale) and their patterns were on sale too. I searched and bought one for a very plain skirt. A skirt I have made before without a pattern. Hmmmmm..... I'm gonna give it another try. I only bought the one. Lets see if something has changed in the last 20 years.

I'll keep you posted.


Peace

Reflections....

I mentioned in other blogs but not specifically in this one that I have been on a challenge. Afriend of mine bet me that I could not, not shop for 1 year. I can shop at thrift stores, Black owned jammies and make my own clothes, but not purchase ready to wear clothes. I'll share the link at the end. I started this challenge 10 months ago. Which means I only have 2 more months and then I can unleash havoc in the malls again. Seriously, the credit card people have been calling to check on me. These are my observations....

(1) I have too many clothes
I say this after being o this challenge for nearly a year. And I have gotten rid of many articles of clothing. Before the challenge started, I rid myself of 10 industrial garbage bags of clothes. That's a damn shame. I live in a temperate climate, I don't need more than a 1-season wardrobe. I don't need 8 coats and so on. I need to pair down my wardrobe to 1 season, but with a few categories... work, weekend, workout, etc.

(2) Shopping should not be a hobby
I really like to shop for myself. Seriously. I will travel here and there for what I want. and the browsing. That has got to stop. And I have shopping outfits. A sure sign that I have given it waaaaaay too much thought and attention.

(3) I'm not a bad seamstress
I used to make stuff. Not clothes. But I have made a lot of clothes these last 10 months and have a lot more planned. I actually am not bad at what I do, and folks can't tell that it's homemade. I am very pleased.


(4) There is nothing wrong with thrift stores.
Folks need to stop tripping. If all people could buy was new cars, there would be a lot of jokers walking. I no longer have a problem buying thrift store clothes... and shoes! I will draw the line at unmentionables... as if ithey'd have some to fit me.

(5) I need to have other hobbies
A shopping hobby is dangerous to my finances.

Okay. that's the short list for now. I'm certain I'll add on more. But I will tell you.... I'm already putting money away for September 27, 2009. that day I return to the Mall. Just not so much...



Peace

Garbage Bags

This is new experiment.

The price of everything is ridiculous! My bad, I mean utterly ridiculous. I hate having to shell out $4 for garbage bags to get ist out of the house. But what can you do? Some things you just have to pay for. Ummmm..... NO!

I have never figured out a way to recycle grocery bags. Yeah you can return them to the store but, you have already paid for them and now you just giving them back? I can't do that. You can throw them away, but that isn't envioronmentally responsible. You can save them and have a big pile of them, but that's annoying and you really can'g give them out with any reularity. Hmmmm..... I know, I'm going to use them as trash bags.

Now, I already see problems. the store grocery bags are thinner and smaller that regular bags. In order to use them as trash bags I will have to double them up. They won't fit the garbage pail I own and they will look tacky on the side of the road.

All very valid points. Now let me counteract them. I have a stack of these damn bags that is almost as tall as me, and already wider. Doubling them when I need to will not be a problem. Hell they double them in the store. No they won't fit the garbage pail I normally use. Luckily the pail came with a smaller matching pail that will fit the bags lovely. I will put all the little bags in a bigger container. I already have a big trash can with a lid. I'm good. This next point is the most crucial aspect of the experiment. It is the reason why I think this will work.... I recycle. All paper, cans, bottles, and plastics have their own recepticles in my home. So ther is very little other waste that would go in the regular trash. So those little plastic grocery bags should do the trick.

Today marked the beginning of my experiment because it is change the cat litter day. I always want that in a secure bag. Litter is heavy and will slip through the holes in grocery store bags. So I will keep this periodically updated via comments to let you know how all turns out.

Welcome

I have gone back and forth in my decision to set up a yet another blog. I have like 6 out here in internet land. I am very opinionated. Opinionated enough to give them all some love. But should I have a bunch of blogs with very little in them or a few blogs with totally unrelated postings. One of the things I hate is when I go to a blog and it has a lot of unrelated posts. Like raw food blogs that spew religion. That's false advertising. Another thing... I do most of my blogging at work and I ain't trying to get fired! I guess the bottom line is, we shall see how this baby fits in with the rest of the family.

Black Green and Tight. The purpose of this blog is to chronicle what I do to be environmentally responsible but also trick that save me money. I have heard on numerous occasions, that Black people aren't green. That we care little about the evironment. That is utter nonsense! How can we not? When folks first meet me, they find me a little over the top. This I know. But once we build, and they get a chance to spend some time in my cipher, they usually come around to my way of thinking. Not saying I brain wash or that I am the piece with the magnetic. Just saying I know my own mind and have the ability to translate what I know to others.

Folks closest to me call me cheap. In the dozens I have been accused af pinching a penny so hard that a booger comes out of Lincoln's nose. I ain't mad at that. I am the biggest Nigga-rigger I know. Like that, don't cha? I'm just real thoughtful with my change is all. The funny thing is only the folks who know me think I'm cheap. Them jokers who just peep through the windows think I'm balling. And I can see that. I do ball; just not the way that you expect.

Another thing... I know this is my blog, but I'm not trying to make it all about me. I want it to be interactive betwist me and the followers. Get in here and let me know what y'all doing to cherish the Earth! And I will post some of your responses as posts. Because whatever we can do will save us as well as the Earth.

So Peace to the positive people and I look forward to building with all of y'all!



PEACE
Positive Elevators All Cherish Earth