Clothing, Identity and Memory

When I was in college, I took a class about memory. Oddly enough, I don't remember much about it, except that we learned about the falsity of our own memories. Things we thought happened a certain way that aren't actually true. Ten years later and I still think about that class I can't remember, because that one fact I learned keeps coming true for me. This week I was putting laundry away throwing clothes into a pile and scratching my head about why I have so little closet space. I rifled through some stuff and realized exactly why.

Mama Monkey is back in the hospital.

The just-in-case clothes. The when-I-start-working-again blouses. The need-this-for-a-cocktail-party dresses. The so-and-so-bought-me-that t-shirts. I realized that I'm not hoarding things. I'm hoarding memories, and, by extension, I'm hoarding a former identity. The tops pictured above are all things I wore regularly when I worked full-time. Y'know. Four and half years ago. Unless our situation changes, the plan is for me to stay at home until our youngest is in school. Y'know. Six years from now. Ten years? Was I really planning on keeping these tops for ten years?? And we all know that even if I do, no way will I want to wear them!

So why are they here? They're here for the memories. They're here so that when I look in my closet, I'm reminded that I used to have a job that did not involve diapers, Goldfish, and spit up. But if I'm being honest, what good does that memory do me? I'm never going to be that person again. I'm never going to be 25 and without life's most serious responsibilities. Wouldn't it be better to just...move on?

As it turns out, my memory is not so good. One shirt is frayed. Others are too small. One was never that comfortable anyway. One I will keep, because my husband bought it for me, and because getting to keep one is the deal I made with myself. If I'm going to stuff my closet with questionable items, I'd much rather that they were things I've sewn. Those memories, of learning a new skill and trying different styles, make me happy. Me-mades can stay. Everything else, well, I'll forget I ever had it in the first place!

This Post is No Fun

There's only one thing worse than not blogging, and that's not blogging because you have nothing to blog about. You may have noticed a large dip in the amount of posting I've done. It's not you--it's me. At first, adding a second child into my routine/life wasn't too bad. Newborns really do sleep a lot (it's SO awful but it is true...comparatively). But age has caught up with both AB and Baby H. Nap time, that most sacred time to any stay at home mom, is elusive. AB is almost 4 and doesn't nap every day. Thus, she is awake and loud and temperamental when I need the baby to sleep. "Nap time ping-pong" is what I call it, bouncing between children so that they sleep in 20 minute increments.

No surprise, but sewing has taken such a backseat that it's not even in the vehicle anymore. I think I've made one garment in the last month. I've stopped buying patterns. I've stopped buying fabric. I've stopped reading blogs. And obviously, I've stopped blogging myself.

This is not even mentioning the weeks I've spent sick this fall. I swear I'm going to start sending AB to preschool in a bubble.

It's not fun. It's not glamorous. But it is a season. I waver between packing it all up and forcing myself to forget sewing, and feverishly ignoring my housework so I can find ten minutes of sanity. Like all parts of mothering, it's mostly an exercise in expectations.

Can I sew as much as I used to? No. Not even by half.

Can I blog? No. What is there to blog if I'm not sewing?

These are hard realizations. Sewing found me at a time in my life when I was redefining my identity. It's been a passion for almost four years. The thought of putting that on hold, however temporarily...sucks.

You may think that you're raising children, but really, becoming a mother means raising yourself quite a bit as well.

So it's time for adulting. That terror of terrors. Time to pull back on me and focus on my family. When your plate is too full, you have to take some things off. That's just how it is. And I like sleep, when I can get it.

If you see less of me in this corner of the internet, please forgive me. It's not that I don't want to be here. I just can't right now, emphasis on the right now.

Use your best Arnold voice..."I'll be back."

My Most Important Project--Ever!

I often ask myself, "if I had known how to sew when I got married, would I have made my own wedding dress?" Luckily, self does not have to answer this question for reals, as I imagine it would involve a lot of sleepless nights. So what's one step less important than a wedding dress? How about three bridesmaid's dresses?

One of my sisters (I have two) is getting married next month, and after much debate over dresses I volunteered my services. The matron of honor is already sewing my sister's dress and her own dress, which leaves three dresses for me. Well, three and a half. AB is the flower girl and I'll be making her dress as well. At three years old, she's already an old pro at the flower girl game.

Fairytale Dress

Because I have a newborn, I do have some special requirements for this special occasion dress, mainly that I need to be able to nurse in it. This led me to consider knit dresses, especially since the wedding is outdoors, in August (it will be HOT!). We ended up choosing the Delphi Layered Maxi Dress, from Named Patterns.

It will be shortened to knee-length. My sister's dress (sorry, but I will NOT be showing a picture!) has roses on it with an overlay. We were looking for a dark green knit with roses to coordinate.

Eventually we found this beauty:

Sadly, it's only available from an overseas seller, and would have been upwards of $75 per dress (for only 3 yards per person) with shipping. Price wasn't necessarily the main concern, but that was a lot of money for fabric that we couldn't swatch, that might not even be here on time (yes, I just found it last month!).

Instead, we decided to go with a solid green. We found a lovely bamboo jersey from Nature's Fabrics and I placed the order over the weekend...only to have a problem with it, too. The remaining yardage was in two cuts, and the colors were inconsistent between them. Whomp whomp. So now we're considering different shades of green for each dress.

I already have a great hack in mind for making sure I can nurse in my Delphi dress, so stay tuned for that. I hope this week to finally have the fabric on order, and buy/print/trace the pattern. I've read reviews and it seems the biggest issue is excess ease in the bodice, particularly under the arms. I will certainly muslin the bodices for all of us (myself, my other sister, and the groom's sister). 

I keep reminding myself, it's only three knit dresses! But in truth, I'm looking forward to the challenge and to contributing to my sister's big day in such a special way. And I know we can all agree that the world doesn't need anymore polyester chiffon crowding our thrift stores ;)

Have you ever made a VERY IMPORTANT garment? How did it go? Any words of encouragement for me?

Is it pool weather yet?

It's not quite time to hit the pool yet in Indiana, but I can tell it's coming soon! I've got swimsuits on the brain, thanks to a few random sunny, window-open kind of days. I know what you're thinking: Beth, you're 32 weeks pregnant, doesn't that throw a wrench into your spring and summer swim plans? Or maybe you're remembering last year when I made a Bombshell swimsuit and ranted about it.

I have answers to both of those questions that nobody asked. In case the opportunity arises for swimming before my due date, I'm currently testing the Bahama Mama swimsuit from Peek-a-Boo Pattern Shop. The non-maternity version is out now (tankini and boyshorts sold separately so you can mix and match as Amy adds more swim patterns) and after testing there will be a maternity add-on pack. I have to tell you, this suit is coming along amazingly, and with a surprisingly low amount of curse words. Much easier than the Bombshell. I can't wait to show it off!

Most of the public pools around here won't open until Labor Day, or after my due date. Last summer AB and I could frequently be found poolside in a nearby state park, while my husband mountain biked. I'm dying to get back to the peace and quiet of the 2 foot toddler pool, sun shining, nothing but trees all around...happy sigh! Even if you add a newborn to this scene, I'm still looking forward to it. And part of the fun is having a zillion swimsuits to wear!

I picked up this vintage swimsuit pattern on ebay a few weeks back. I LOVE the cut on the leg, and also the back.

The little keyhole in the front is pretty adorable as well. I'm a little hesitant to work on a vintage swimsuit, but the directions are very thorough. And then of course there's this beauty, recently released from Named Patterns, the Beverly Twisted Bikini:

I haven't purchased the pattern yet, as I'm having a hard time getting past the price tag for a single-view PDF. But again, I love the cut, especially of the bottoms. Anything that gives plenty of booty coverage (without being high-waisted) makes me happy, and the unique top would be so fun. Not to mention nursing-friendly, though I doubt that feature was what they were going for!

When it comes to fabric, I'm hoarding two special pieces. One I've had since last year, from The Fabric Fairy.

The colors are so vibrant and interesting in person! The Fabric Fairy has the BEST swim fabrics, I seriously want them all. This one has potential for the vintage pattern, since it's a one piece it can show off the print. The other fabric I purchased recently from Mood:

Yes, friends, this is a neon pink stretch nylon lace. Commence swooning. I have some neon pink lining in the mail to me, but I'm dying to make this in to some sort of paneled suit so I can play with lined/unlined sections. Kinda like this suit from Nordstrom's that I found via Pinterest.

Am I the only one with swimsuits on the brain? I'm not going so far as to say that they're easy to sew, but they are fulfilling and MUCH cheaper than buying RTW. Any other patterns I should check out?

Two Year Blogiversary!

Woohoo! Happy Blogiversary to me! Two years ago I started blogging about my then-newish sewing life and projects. I've worked hard to grow a blog of which I'm proud, and it's such a fulfilling way to share my garments with the world.

My most popular post in the last year was this Plantain Tee Hack. That was a fun one! I like that top a LOT but it ended up a bit tight across the bust, and I don't wear it as much as I should. It's funny how hesitant I was initially about the Plantain, as I LOVE that pattern now.

In the last year I did a lot of fun things with my book, which I never would have published without this blog. I released the kid's version, appeared in Threads magazine (!!!) and partnered with the Coletterie/Wardrobe Architect project on a free download.

In May, I redesigned the blog with new artwork from my talented friend Janelle at re:find joy. After all these months I still love the work she did and my cleaner, pretty blog design.

I sewed a lot more indie patterns in the last year, which was a goal of mine. Click the tag "indie pattern project" in the sidebar to see the full list.

Looking ahead, I've got a TON of stuff planned with my book (check back tomorrow!) and I'm looking forward to sewing more wovens once I'm not pregnant. I have no idea how my blog and sewing will be impacted with a second little one, so I might sew up some summery items well before s/he arrives. I'd love to continue working on my photography so my photos are as pretty as my me-mades :)

A BIG thank you to everyone who reads regularly, and to those who comment. This blog means a lot to me and it wouldn't be possible without you!

Surprise!

via Instagram

Or maybe not? A few friends were not surprised when I called them up with the big news. Perhaps you're as observant as they are and have noticed a bit of a bump in my recent photos?

I found out I was pregnant almost exactly 24 hours after learning that I was selected for the Fabric Mart Fabricista contest. It was my own special kind of challenge to sew garments, photograph myself, and be judged all while trying to hide a baby bump that grew a lot faster than the last time around (apparently you show sooner with a second pregnancy...who knew? Not me!). Pretty much any photo of me that you've seen in the last three months, I'm sucking in my belly as much as possible!

Expect a change of pace here on the blog over the next few months (or year...). I'm struggling with the question of what to sew, as all my fancy fall wardrobe plans went out the window. My thought is to make some maternity clothes with stash fabrics that I don't totally love, or to make a dent in my upcycle bag. Luckily for me I still have a small amount of maternity clothing from my previous pregnancy, which was also over fall/winter. Currently, I'm working on a coat, since my old winter standby is too fitted to make it through a pregnancy. 

Muslin for B6104

Baby #2 will be arriving in May, just in time for me to run happily back to all my me-made summer dresses. Would it be crazy to sew that far ahead? I'm sure my coat will keep me busy for a while, but I have no queue in front of me for the first time ever!

Draped Maxi Skirt

Hey! I draped something!

I don't have a dressform, so I've always assumed that draping isn't something I can do. That's probably true for dresses, but apparently I can drape a skirt, because I did!

I've had this skirt planned for over a year. I saw the fabric on Emma One Sock in January of 2013, and placed my one and only order there right away. Linda carries GORGEOUS fabrics, but sadly they're usually out of my price range. Anyway, as soon as I saw the fabric online, it was screaming "hi-low skirt with elastic waistband and rolled hem!!!" at me. It was very vocal. I ordered 2.5" wide black elastic from Hart's Fabrics (no longer available, but similar here and here) for the waistband, and then...it sat. All last summer. Tragic. The guilt finally caught up with me this month and I whipped up this little beauty in two days. What took me so long?!

As you can see, it's not a hi-low skirt, and that's because the reverse side isn't that pretty. Instead I went with a maxi skirt with a side slit. Ooo-la-la!

It was windy when I took these photos, which helped!

To drape the skirt, I basically just wrapped it around myself and pinned it. There is only one seam and that's the one above the slit.

This is my "AB, what are you doing over there?" face.

The fabric is a drapey rayon knit print. It's the perfect weight. It's light but also opaque, so I didn't need to line it.

I think I'm developing "mom arms". Toddlers are heavy!

The selvedge edges are used at the slit, so I didn't have to finish the edges. The print went all the way to the selvedge, so that strategy won't work with every fabric, but it did here!

This shot shows the print the best. I know, it's kind of crazy, but that's why it's paired with a basic black tank top.

The advantage of draping it myself is that I could end the slit in the exact place I wanted. Yay for sewing your own clothes!

Here you can see wide elastic waistband a bit better.

I gathered the top edge of the fabric on my serger before joining it to the elastic. If you've never tried gathering with your serger, then let me be the first to tell you that it is a.maze.ing. Turn up your differential feed all the way, disengage your knife, and ZOOM in two seconds the whole piece is gathered evenly.

The elastic was cut to fit my waist and then zig-zagged together. I simply butted the edges and widened my ZZ to catch both ends. This finish is much less bulky than overlapping.

Then I used my coverstitch machine to sew the gathered skirt to the elastic. If you look back at the close-up above, the right side of the elastic had horizontal parallel rows on it. The wide two-needle setup on my coverstitch perfectly fit in two of those rows, so the stitching is basically invisible on the outside. Above, you can see the inside, or the reverse side of the coverstitch. Since the coverstitch stretches, it's perfect for this kind of stretchy waistband/knit skirt combo. If you don't have a coverstitch, you could do the same thing with a zig-zag stitch.

Now for something not so pretty: the sewing on the slit. I slightly overlapped the fabric, pinned it, and then handsewed it closed. It was meant to be basting, but it was working well so I kept the long stitches, and went back over with shorter stitches.

In retrospect, this probably could have been done by machine, but I wasn't that sure how it would turn out so I did it by hand.

The skirt is finished with a rolled hem, sewn on my serger. I used Maxi-Lock Stretch Thread in the lower looper to help "fill in" the rolled hem, which is something I've read in many books and saw in my Craftsy class on serging. The only tricky bit was finding something to do with the thread tails, since the hem isn't a complete circle. I ended up handsewing them on the back.

Is there any interest in a tutorial for this skirt? I didn't take pictures as I was draping/pinning/sewing, but I could make another and do a tutorial if anyone wants to make their own! Let me know in the comments :)

Sewversary: Goals

How did I do on last year's goals?

Quality over quantity

This one is basically ongoing. I struggled with it, because I'm impatient and like to see results. However, I did spend three months making one coat, so I give myself a pat on the back for that. I've also chosen to hand-sew in a lot of situations where something else would have been faster.

Sew something with a lining

Woohoo, I can check this one of the list! I made this lined flower girl dress for AB, and a lined coat. I definitely still need to work on linings, I'm not overly confident with them and they still intimidate me.

"Master" my serger

I think I can say I accomplished this one. I used my serger a lot for construction and finishing. I played with tensions, stitches, and fancy threads.

Learn special occasion sewing

Ehhhhh I made one flower girl dress and hemmed a bridesmaid's dress, so...success?

Get better with fit

Another ongoing one. I've identified some issues with my narrow shoulders and have strategies for dealing with them. Still tweaking. I also suspect I have a long torso, but haven't done much research besides "hey, this seems short". It might be a personal preference instead of an actual issue.

Make my sewing useful for my husband

YAY a big fat success! A coat, a shirt, hemmed pants...okay, that's only three things, but for this predominately selfish seamstress that's a lot.

I didn't note this, but I was sure I'd resolved to sew a vintage pattern (done!). I see that I had planned on a swimsuit and jeans. I still plan on a swimsuit (I have the fabric!). Jeans? Well read on...

Goals for the next year:

1. Sew a pair of jeans. No more excuses! 

2. Sew fabrics that aren't knits.

3. Do the right thing. Not the fast thing.

4. Sew more pants.

5. Learn my coverstitch.
6. Do some charity sewing.

These aren't insurmountable goals, although sewing jeans feels that way sometimes. I feel like I'm in a good place right now with many skills, but I could use more experience with complicated projects. I need to be confident enough to challenge myself and patient enough to learn even when I'm frustrated. 

What to bring to a sewing party?

Next weekend I'm signed up for a "Sewcial" event at a fabric shop about an hour away from me. About 10-15 people show up and sew for 3 hours. I've never done anything like this and I'm pretty darn excited! I've never sewed for 3 hours at once without a toddler or doggie interrupting me. So now the hard part: deciding what to sew!

You know me and my love for knits. But anyone who owns a Brother 1034d (affiliate link) knows that its volume is slightly below "motorcycle". I figure that it would be more polite to bring my regular ole (quiet) sewing machine, which means no knits. Once you go serger, you never go back. I also don't want to sew anything that requires in-the-moment fitting. I doubt these ladies want me sewing in my underwear.

So here are my choices:

New Look 6216, the pants, with a lovely lightweight non-stretch denim I got last week from Fabric Mart. With Me-Made-May coming up, I definitely need these done ASAP. I've compared the flat pattern to another pants pattern that fits well and have noted any adjustments. There's still a small risk in terms of fit because I haven't made a muslin.

If you follow me on Instagram then you've seen this pattern, a vintage Butterick. My lovely and sweet reader Candace sent this to me because she knew I'd been searching for a good jumpsuit. I have some black linen for this one and I've already made a muslin, which fit almost perfectly.

Last but not least, a few possibilities for Easter dresses for AB. I've made these patterns before (here and here). But for both of these I need more/contrast/lining fabric and I'm trying to impose a fast on myself for the rest of the month. I'd either have to break my fast or use something "just okay" from my stash. Or maybe just be more creative! Oh, the other downside to this one is that Easter is 2 days after the event, which is sort of cutting it close.

(Speaking of a fast: someone tell me that I don't need to pre-order the bundle of the new Colette book on knits plus the two knit patterns being released next week. Haaaaaaalp! I want but probably don't need or maybe I do need?!)

What do you think of these patterns? I plan to have whatever I choose cut before I go, so I'll need to get on that next week. Have you ever gone to an event like this? Want to take bets on the one essential item I'll forget to bring?

My new toy!

Please everyone don't hate me for this purchase...I know I feel awfully jealous whenever I read about someone buying one of these!

You're looking at a Brother 2340cv, better known as a coverstitch machine! Now before you get TOO jealous, I'll let you know that I haven't sewn anything with it yet. Long story short, when it arrived there was a broken piece.

It's the plastic thread tree, which holds up the thread while you sew (like a serger). Kind of important. I'm waiting on a replacement and THEN I'll be gushing about sewing with it, I'm sure.

Half of you reading this probably don't know what a coverstitch machine is, which is understandable! I still feel a little guilty for buying one, since it seems to have a reputation for being a "luxury" purchase. Basically, a coverstitch machine sews hems. "What? A whole machine for hems?" you say. Well...yeah. If you happen to be wearing a t-shirt, look at the hem. On the outside of the shirt are two parallel lines. On the inside are a bunch of messing-looking threads. Now pull the hem. It stretches, right?

That's what a coverstitch machines does. It makes two (or three) rows of stitching on the outside, and produces loops of thread on the inside. The loops ensure that the hem stretches, as well as provide a finish to the raw edge of the hem. This kind of hem is not possible with a regular sewing machine.

Whether or not you "need" a coverstitch machine probably depends on your sewing habits. I sew garments almost exclusively, and 75% of my projects are with knit (stretchy) fabric. Coverstitched hems are the most professional for knits. Frankly...I was at the point with my sewing where I couldn't stand messy hems anymore. It sucked to spend time on a project, get to the end, and be unsatisfied with the hem. Of course there are work-arounds, but I hated all of them. There. I said it.

I've been saving money for a while (more on that here) and ended up going with a "barely used" model on ebay. Even though I was a bit nervous, I saved a ton of money by purchasing used and it came with most of the extra feet that can be quite expensive alone. Time will tell, I suppose, if buying used was a bad idea, but for now I'm pretty darn happy. By the way, the thread tree was obviously broken in transit (thanks for nothing USPS) and the seller refunded me the cost of the part. I ended up paying $275, which included shipping and the extra feet. The machine alone, new, retails for $349 on Amazon. I've seen package deals with the feet for $499. For $275 I'm willing to take a risk on used :)

Lots more to come as I actually use the machine! The amount of information online about coverstitch machines is limited. Most of it is about the Janome CoverPro, not the Brother. I'd love to be able to provide some more information as I learn my way around it. Wish me luck!

I'm Kind of a Big Deal

I think we all can agree that talking about yourself, when you've done something worth talking about, can be a bit awkward. A "hey everybody lookie what I can do!" mentality is socially acceptable mostly for 5 year olds and professional snowboarders, of which I am neither. But I'm SO excited about this, that I can't possibly act all demure and like it's not a huge deal to me. Just know that I'm not bragging, I'm excited, okay?

This is my book, my work, my name, in Threads magazine. This tiny little idea I had, and now it's grown into something worth publishing in a huge national (worldwide?) magazine.

!!!

If you're a Threads subscriber, then you probably already received your issue. If not, you can buy the April/May issue (#172) starting today (you can buy it here). You can also preview it online (go to page 16 to see my book).

I first spoke with the good people of Threads way way back when the book initially launched. (By the way, the people at Threads are amazing! It was great working with them.) Obviously, they work on issues far in advance, so I've been chomping at the bit waiting patiently to hold this magazine in my hands, and it was SO worth the wait!

Most of all, I'm humbled that a book I published has been so well received in the sewing world. Each time I sew, I feel grateful for the sewing community that taught me everything I know. Without them, I might not have learned to sew, and without sewing, I'd be missing a huge source of joy in my life. It feels great to give back, to introduce something useful that other sewists like and need.

To those of you who already have A Sewist's Notebook, keep posting your experiences with it. You have no idea how cool it is to see someone else's handwriting inside! If you don't have a copy yet, you can order here.

Lastly, thank you to my husband and my parents for helping me get to this point. It was scary putting my little idea out into the world, but with their encouragement, honesty, and support it was not so scary anymore. Love you guys!