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