Maybe Sew

I haven’t been up in the studio for a long while now, no real reason just blah, but Jason needed a new hole punched in his belt and all that stuff is up there (also Lex had taken over the space to do some screen printing). I walked into a mostly tidy space (thanks Lex) and forgotten stacks of things I got for Christmas.

Like smelly stickers and a new glitter sticker book ..I haven’t had a sticker book since the 80s, so I’ve just been shuffling cute things around feeling like it’s my birthday. 💕

I think it was around October of last year when I had a bunch of pdf patterns plotted and they’ve sat it their giant cardboard tube in my studio ever since, I didn’t even open them. It’s now sometime in March and I’m thinking about them again, I can’t quite remember but I think there’s some Trigg Shorts by Elbe Textiles for Jason in there, a few Muna and Broad patterns (including the Kapunda undies which probably didn’t need to be plotted, but whatever), a few from Style Arc like the Hope Woven Dress (that raglan is everything) and the Bob Pants – but I’m fat and easily annoyed with most pants, and now think dang should I have gotten the Muna and Broad pant patterns? Oh and I think the Sew Liberated Hinterland Dress is in there too, gosh so much cute stuff!

This is the US based pdf plotting service I use to print my full size Copy Shop/AO patterns. Most indie patterns come with both a Print at Home patten file that you have to print, cut out and tape together to form the full size pattern pieces (and can be upwards of 25+ 8½”x11″ pages!) and a Copy Shop/AO version that needs a special large format printer to produce life size pattern pieces (most patterns are only 1-4 pages when plotted).

Fabric pictured above is Double Wedding Ring Cheater Print in Blue Ribbon – Honey Collection by Alexia Abegg for Ruby Star Society.

Now I just need to figure out how to get beyond always making my self drafted sometimes pleated, sometimes gathered, sometimes not, sleeve or sleeveless, easy wear standard uniform dress, the slipover comfort it gives me knowing it will fit exactly the way I love with zero fucking around is hard to beat. I don’t want a bunch of handmade clothes that never get worn.

Today I’m a picnic, a late winter picnic in a wonky plaid millend that was printed slightly askew to the grain ..always fun times with those. I decided to cut keeping the plaid in check, knowing sections would be cut partially on the bias, all while making sure those red squares didn’t end up centered on my boobs. It went alright, there were some hairy moments with unpredictable stretchy hems, but my frustrations were soothed by the fact that this cute fabric was clearanced at a dollar a yard (a fricken dollar a yard!) and I knew going in it was a misprint ..it’s so much worse when you pay full price and haven’t a clue of your future misery. Ok, going to make this plaid my entire personality now.

..anyways, big sewing thoughts today..