We meaning you and I and every other person that has amassed a large collection of books and DVDs, spent hours on the internet reading tutorials, and spent hundreds of dollars for just a single class all in the name of improving our sewing skills. We deserve better. Our skills and years of experience are worth more than just minimum wage. I'm referring of course to the practice of charging very little for sewing lessons or those that are paid peanuts to teach sewing classes at retail stores. We deserve better.
I am still unemployed and it makes me a little crazy and a little desperate. To maintain my sanity, I decided to start teaching some sewing classes. I love sewing and figured this would be a great way to earn a little extra money and keep me out of trouble while I look for a decent job. Instead, I've put myself in a very uncomfortable situation and I've got a massive headache. I applied for an independent contractor position with JoAnn Fabrics. Independent contractors aren't paid by the store. The store collects the fees for the sewing classes, maintains a classroom and equipment, and coordinates the registrations for you. You make a sample and teach the class. JoAnn supplies the pattern but you supply the fabric and notions. (You do get to keep the sample, you can make it in your size and you can use whatever fabric you like.) JoAnn's gets 40% of the class fee and you get 60%. I admit 40% is rather high for the store but I decided it was still worth my time if at least 5 people signed up for the class. Besides, JoAnn is supplying the machines, irons, ironing board, etc. (per the Education Coordinator). Each month the store hosts an open house to introduce the instructors to the customers. The instructors don't get paid for this time but they did give me two "20% off your entire purchase coupons." Hmm, coupons only have value if you buy something to use the coupon on.
I showed up for the first open house yesterday and when I walked through the door, I saw the "50% off select classes" sign. I asked the Education Coordinator, "does that include my classes?" Well of course it does and now I only get 60% of the 50% the customer paid for the class. So let's do some math:
$55/class, 4 hours total class time = $13.75/hour
Customer paid for the class at an Open House so hourly rate is now $6.88.
Per hour: JoAnn's share is $2.75 and mine is $4.13
According to the other instructors, usually only 2-3 people sign up for a class.
My hourly rate for 2-3 people is $8.26-$12.39
I must pay the self-employment tax quarterly, which is reduced for 2011 only: 10.4% Social Security and 2.9% Medicare. I must pay the federal taxes annually--depends on your total annual income so I'll leave this out of the equation.
Hourly rate for 2-3 people (after taxes): $7.16 - $10.74/hour
Factor in costs of fabric, notions, and gas to/from store.
This can vary by project but I'll use my cheapest sample as a guide.
Extra costs:
2 yards of knit fabric from stash: $4.00/yard x 2 yards plus sales tax = $8.74
1 yard of 3.25-inch lace trim I had to purchase to make the shirt the way JoAnn's wanted it: $3.99/yard x 10% American Sewing Guild discount plus sales tax = $3.92
Small spool of thread from stash: $1.33 plus tax = $1.45
Gas to travel to store for 2 class sessions and the unpaid Open House = 3.5 miles one-way x 3 round trips x $4.00/gallon with 22 mpg = $3.82
Total extra costs: $17.93
Hourly rate after taxes and extra costs = $2.68 - $6.26/hour
(FYI...U.S. minimum wage is currently $7.25/hour.)
I forgot the best part. JoAnn's has sewing machines but requests that customers use their own. They supply ONE iron and a crappy desktop half-size ironing board. Classes are only conducted during normal store hours so it really doesn't cost the store anything but the credit card charges for accepting customer payments. For all this, they get 40%. I bust my hump to meet all their demands, including not getting paid for any JoAnn employees that wish to take my class, and I get get a whopping $2.68-6.26/hour! Some may call me a snob but I've spent years reading books, watching DVDs, taking classes, learning wherever and whenever I can. My time is worth more than $6.26 per hour. I may not be certified or hold a fashion design degree, but my skill set is hardly minimum and therefore worth more than minimum pay.
Now some of you are probably saying, "It serves her right. She should have asked questions." I did ask questions. I asked lots of questions. I was told half-truths. I feel that the Education Coordinator deceived me by leaving out crucial details, such as "your classes are offered half off once a month, which means you get only half the pay we promised you," or "we don't really supply machines and your ironing board is barely bigger than a postage stamp."
Needless to say, I'm headed to JoAnn's today to tell them to take a hike. This lousy deal isn't store policy either; it's a corporate policy. I'm so disgusted that I am seriously considering never shopping at JoAnn's again. I don't buy fabric there anyway. I just shop the pattern and notion sales. I'd rather give that money to someone else. Someone who isn't trying to screw the little guy.
So in conclusion, next time someone says they'll pay you to teach a sewing class, consider your skills, experience, and added costs before you agree to it. Chances are they are receiving a much better deal than you are. Your skills are worth something and if you don't insist on proper compensation, the person receiving your services won't place any real value on your services. You are worth more.
--Julie
Showing posts with label Random Thoughts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Random Thoughts. Show all posts
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Saturday, April 23, 2011
A pathetic follow-up
It has been 13 days so time for an update.
- How many hours per day/week do you sew?
- What are you spending/wasting the rest of your free time on?
- When you do sew, how do you feel before, during and afterwards?
- What factors are you aware of that impact upon when you make time to sew?
- What are you learning about sewing productivity from this process, if anything? What tips can you share?
Sunday, April 10, 2011
An experiment in productivity
I've written about trying to make better use of my free time for sewing but I've never found the "trick." Truth is, I'm lazy when it comes to free time. I'm an efficient, organized person at work and a complete mess at home. Tilly had a neat idea to compile a list of our productivity pitfalls. I'm going to participate by airing all my dirty laundry for the next 2 weeks. Of course, now that I'm logging how I spend my time, I'm sure I'll clean up my act a little bit (kinda like dieters who eat better when they keep a diary). Maybe that is my trick, keep a log. Here goes....
- How many hours per day/week do you sew?
- What are you spending/wasting the rest of your free time on?
- When you do sew, how do you feel before, during and afterwards?
- What factors are you aware of that impact upon when you make time to sew?
- What are you learning about sewing productivity from this process, if anything? What tips can you share?
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Where did the time go?!
Wait, I know where the time went. DH and I moved further into TN last week. We now live in Eastern Time Zone so we lost an hour coming from Central. Then on Sunday morning we lost another hour. Losing 2 hours has really messed with our internal clocks. I'm adjusting a bit better than he. I've spent most of my life on EST. I will admit that CST is better because you can still watch all your favorite late TV programs without staying up too late.
The move was extremely tiring and stressful and it felt that way from the very beginning. My fat cat peed in my new car; not just in the car, but on the car seat. Resolve carpet cleaner works wonders, in case you didn't know. Before she peed, I spent 5 hours driving and listening to a chorus of yowls and whining from our little runt, the vocal cat, and our fat, older cat who is normally very quiet (and litter box trained). You would have thought I was abusing these cats based on the terrible noises they made. If you happen to only ride with one cat in the car, drape a blanket over the pet carrier. The cat should settle down in no time. Unfortunately, I had 2 cats and they were talking to each other. I'm betting the conversation went like this.
Fat cat: This sucks!
Runt cat: Dude, this really sucks!
Runt cat: Do you smell something?
Fat cat: Sorry, I peed.
Runt cat: Thanks for the stink, butthead.
Fat cat: Bite me, you little runt.
Runt cat: THIS SUCKS! I want a lap to sit in.
Fat cat: I want a snack...and a clean bed.
I couldn't be mad at fat cat, partly because I felt sorry for her but mostly because I walked into our new home to find it trashed (thanks to the previous tenants). After the cat pee and dirty house, the move went as moves typically go; many trips to Lowe's and Wal-mart, lots of boxes and paper strewn about, and endless decisions about where things should go. I didn't get a dedicated sewing room but I did get 2 closets to store my supplies and fabric, an much better fabric storage system, and great natural light for sewing. Not too shabby at all. With our next move, I'm hoping for a little more space so I can have a room all to myself.
My first sewing project is window treatments for the house. I've never successfully made window treatments before but I have 4 Singer books just on window treatments so I'm optimistic this time. Wish me luck.
--Julie
The move was extremely tiring and stressful and it felt that way from the very beginning. My fat cat peed in my new car; not just in the car, but on the car seat. Resolve carpet cleaner works wonders, in case you didn't know. Before she peed, I spent 5 hours driving and listening to a chorus of yowls and whining from our little runt, the vocal cat, and our fat, older cat who is normally very quiet (and litter box trained). You would have thought I was abusing these cats based on the terrible noises they made. If you happen to only ride with one cat in the car, drape a blanket over the pet carrier. The cat should settle down in no time. Unfortunately, I had 2 cats and they were talking to each other. I'm betting the conversation went like this.
Fat cat: This sucks!
Runt cat: Dude, this really sucks!
Runt cat: Do you smell something?
Fat cat: Sorry, I peed.
Runt cat: Thanks for the stink, butthead.
Fat cat: Bite me, you little runt.
Runt cat: THIS SUCKS! I want a lap to sit in.
Fat cat: I want a snack...and a clean bed.
I couldn't be mad at fat cat, partly because I felt sorry for her but mostly because I walked into our new home to find it trashed (thanks to the previous tenants). After the cat pee and dirty house, the move went as moves typically go; many trips to Lowe's and Wal-mart, lots of boxes and paper strewn about, and endless decisions about where things should go. I didn't get a dedicated sewing room but I did get 2 closets to store my supplies and fabric, an much better fabric storage system, and great natural light for sewing. Not too shabby at all. With our next move, I'm hoping for a little more space so I can have a room all to myself.
My first sewing project is window treatments for the house. I've never successfully made window treatments before but I have 4 Singer books just on window treatments so I'm optimistic this time. Wish me luck.
--Julie
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
I have a blog?!!!
I admit it. I gave up on the blog last fall because I was overwhelmed with school and had no sewing to blog about. Who wants to read about endless sewing ideas that never come to fruition? I've been sewing vicariously through all my internet sewing friends. Y'all have been quite productive and creative. Kudos to you!!
2011 is all about new things for me. New town, new job, new free time, new hobbies, new sewing knowledge, new sewing confidence...
I've struggled a lot over the last year with managing my time, maintaining my focus on my sewing tasks, and finding inspiration and confidence in my sewing abilities. How will I address this? I'm not going to make up a list of sewing resolutions. I did that last year and I failed miserably. I'm going back to the beginning. I have several comprehensive sewing books designed to teach someone how to sew. My favorites are the Singer Complete Photo Guide to Sewing and the Reader's Digest New Complete Guide to Sewing. Each thoroughly explains the techniques and the Reader's Digest book lays out projects for you to practice the techniques. I'm going back to Sewing 101 to get back into the swing of sewing, develop some confidence and focus on my sewing...and to finally start chipping away at the fabric mountain that has been growing in my closet.
Over the holidays I picked up an old hobby again. (What?! She can't even manage the one hobby this blog is about. Now she has 2 hobbies!!--Yes, now I have 2 hobbies, soon to be 3. Sometimes you just need to be crafty and don't want to be limited to one craft.) I figured it would be easier to bring plastic crochet hooks and yarn on the plane than scissors, pins, needles, seam ripper, fabric and thread. The TSA is funny about sharp metal objects.
I crocheted a pair of long fingerless gloves during my holiday break (pictures coming soon). They are chock full of mistakes but I still love them. My sister has even asked for a pair for her birthday. I'm also crocheting baby Converse sneakers for my nephew. My third hobby will be knitting. I knitted one scarf many years ago. My stitches were so tight that the scarf rolled up and would never lie flat. I referred to it as the "noodle" over the years. I've since retired the "noodle" but still have a desire to learn how to knit beautiful sweaters to go with my sewn wardrobe.
Crocheting and knitting means joining the Ravelry crowd. LOVE that site! I wish sewers had a great site like that so we could easily catalog our books/patterns/fabrics. Ravelry is also where I found the best, most authentic-looking pattern for baby Converse sneakers. (When I find the pattern link again, I'll post it with credit for the author.)
So that is the update from my little corner of the web. Best wishes for a great year for all of you!!
--Julie
2011 is all about new things for me. New town, new job, new free time, new hobbies, new sewing knowledge, new sewing confidence...
I've struggled a lot over the last year with managing my time, maintaining my focus on my sewing tasks, and finding inspiration and confidence in my sewing abilities. How will I address this? I'm not going to make up a list of sewing resolutions. I did that last year and I failed miserably. I'm going back to the beginning. I have several comprehensive sewing books designed to teach someone how to sew. My favorites are the Singer Complete Photo Guide to Sewing and the Reader's Digest New Complete Guide to Sewing. Each thoroughly explains the techniques and the Reader's Digest book lays out projects for you to practice the techniques. I'm going back to Sewing 101 to get back into the swing of sewing, develop some confidence and focus on my sewing...and to finally start chipping away at the fabric mountain that has been growing in my closet.
Over the holidays I picked up an old hobby again. (What?! She can't even manage the one hobby this blog is about. Now she has 2 hobbies!!--Yes, now I have 2 hobbies, soon to be 3. Sometimes you just need to be crafty and don't want to be limited to one craft.) I figured it would be easier to bring plastic crochet hooks and yarn on the plane than scissors, pins, needles, seam ripper, fabric and thread. The TSA is funny about sharp metal objects.
I crocheted a pair of long fingerless gloves during my holiday break (pictures coming soon). They are chock full of mistakes but I still love them. My sister has even asked for a pair for her birthday. I'm also crocheting baby Converse sneakers for my nephew. My third hobby will be knitting. I knitted one scarf many years ago. My stitches were so tight that the scarf rolled up and would never lie flat. I referred to it as the "noodle" over the years. I've since retired the "noodle" but still have a desire to learn how to knit beautiful sweaters to go with my sewn wardrobe.
Crocheting and knitting means joining the Ravelry crowd. LOVE that site! I wish sewers had a great site like that so we could easily catalog our books/patterns/fabrics. Ravelry is also where I found the best, most authentic-looking pattern for baby Converse sneakers. (When I find the pattern link again, I'll post it with credit for the author.)
So that is the update from my little corner of the web. Best wishes for a great year for all of you!!
--Julie
Sunday, December 19, 2010
That's me in 1994 at my high school graduation. It's not a great photo but it is a special photo. My high school graduating class was 600+. The ceremony was at a very large pavilion. I don't know how my father did it but he figured out which entrance the graduates would be entering from. He made his way through the huge crowd and secured a prime spot on the bleachers overlooking the graduate entrance. When I walked through the door following behind 500 other students, I immediately began looking for my family. I was overwhelmed by the huge crowd. I just happened to look up and see my father scanning the graduate processional looking for me. I yelled, "Dad!" Out of all the fathers standing on those bleachers looking for their son or daughter, only my father responded to the call for "dad." He snapped this photo. I later asked him how he heard me over all the noise. He said, "I know my little girl's voice." And now I'm tearing up all over again. My dad is awesome.
I graduated again for the 5th time on Saturday, December 18, 2010. This was a special one for me because I'm never attending college again. I know people say "never say never" but I'm saying it. I'm tired and still in debt with student loans. I'm NEVER attending college again. I didn't go to this graduation because I'm tired of college. I have 4 college degrees. My public service announcement for today is choose your college degree program wisely. Future employment opportunities are very important to consider, especially since lenders insist on being paid back, whether you find a good job or not.
The 2nd most positive thing about finishing my 4th degree (besides always being "in demand in the industry") is now I can spend all my free time sewing. I haven't sewn a single stitch since August! I was so in withdrawal over not having time to sew, I bought sewing books instead. I've acquired several out-of-print books, like Susan Khalje's Sewing with Knits. I also was lucky enough to locate the entire Singer Sewing Reference Library from one seller on eBay. That series is gold, by the way. Buy them if you can find them. The pictures may be out-of-date but the information is still very good and tons of ideas to get the creative juices flowing.
Looking forward to sharing some actual sewing progress with you in the future. In the meantime, best wishes for a happy holiday with your dearest family and friends.
(Flickr: Dr. Hemmert)
Be safe this holiday season. Borrow someone else's photo of their dressed up cat so you don't have to visit the emergency room yourself.
Friday, July 23, 2010
Window shopping
Darn it, I bought Vogue patterns. (banging head on desk) But I really needed these...honest.
I've been sewing (and shopping) over the past weeks but my pics are at home so I'll post more later. What have I been working on? My Chanel-style jacket, of course! So I've been hot and cold with my sewing lately. It dawned on me earlier this week that my closets are full of uncompleted projects...cardigans with no buttons, pants with no hems, and stuff that was supposed to be something but it's been so long I don't know what the heck I was making it for. No more unfinished projects! (Anyone care to take bets on how long this resolution lasts?) I desperately need pants but I want to finish my Chanel-inspired jacket before the summer is over. I'm going to work on that jacket everyday until I finish. I'm making great progress but I have to push on or it will languish in my closet for 6 months. And DH will never let me hear the end of it. I can't decide if the thrill of finishing the jacket or the desire not to be nagged by DH is pushing me along.
I couldn't bring my jacket and all the necessary sewing notions with me on my trip so I brought other unfinished projects. I've been hemming 3 pairs of semi-crappy pants (bought at Target out of desperation). I could've knocked these out in one evening but I wanted to work on hand stitching. So I've been perfecting the overcast stitch and blind catchstitch. I'm still working on the "cross your hand" (overcast again but opposite direction). My "cross your hand" stitches look more like "crazy with the needle" stitching. Yes, I'll embarass myself and post pics of my hideous hand stitching...but later.
I enjoy shopping and I enjoy enabling so for those that didn't already know, Claire Shaeffer has a 2-DVD set coming in late August, Couture Techniques Workshop Basics. You can pre-order now. I'm certain these DVDs will be a great addition to my sewing library as I am currently enjoying her book, Couture Sewing Techniques.
Happy shopping!
I've been sewing (and shopping) over the past weeks but my pics are at home so I'll post more later. What have I been working on? My Chanel-style jacket, of course! So I've been hot and cold with my sewing lately. It dawned on me earlier this week that my closets are full of uncompleted projects...cardigans with no buttons, pants with no hems, and stuff that was supposed to be something but it's been so long I don't know what the heck I was making it for. No more unfinished projects! (Anyone care to take bets on how long this resolution lasts?) I desperately need pants but I want to finish my Chanel-inspired jacket before the summer is over. I'm going to work on that jacket everyday until I finish. I'm making great progress but I have to push on or it will languish in my closet for 6 months. And DH will never let me hear the end of it. I can't decide if the thrill of finishing the jacket or the desire not to be nagged by DH is pushing me along.
I couldn't bring my jacket and all the necessary sewing notions with me on my trip so I brought other unfinished projects. I've been hemming 3 pairs of semi-crappy pants (bought at Target out of desperation). I could've knocked these out in one evening but I wanted to work on hand stitching. So I've been perfecting the overcast stitch and blind catchstitch. I'm still working on the "cross your hand" (overcast again but opposite direction). My "cross your hand" stitches look more like "crazy with the needle" stitching. Yes, I'll embarass myself and post pics of my hideous hand stitching...but later.
I enjoy shopping and I enjoy enabling so for those that didn't already know, Claire Shaeffer has a 2-DVD set coming in late August, Couture Techniques Workshop Basics. You can pre-order now. I'm certain these DVDs will be a great addition to my sewing library as I am currently enjoying her book, Couture Sewing Techniques.
Happy shopping!
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Where do I begin?
It's been a crazy month but I'm back. I attended the opening of a haute couture fashion exhibit in Nashville, wrecked my car, attended Susan Khalje's week-long sewing school, partially finished a classic French jacket (faux-Chanel), bought a new car, and went on vacation...twice.
I didn't post much initially because I was trying to finish Nancy's muslin before my trip to Nashville for a 6-day couture sewing workshop. Wednesday as I'm driving home from work thinking about errands to run, a white Lexus appears out of nowhere headed for my passenger side front bumper. Next thing I know, I'm upside down skidding across the road. My car's totaled and now I'm making car payments again because some kid was chatting on her cell phone while driving rather than watching for traffic.
I'm currently looking for a bumper sticker that says, "Hang up the phone!" Seriously, when did we become so obsessed with these things that you can't even make a 5-minute drive without calling someone. I challenge everyone to spend just one day not using your cell phone in any way while you are driving (this includes sitting at stop lights). I'm amazed at how badly people drive and I never noticed because I was on my phone, playing with the radio or eating/drinking. Once you turn your full attention to the road, you will discover what a scary thing driving is. (stepping off soap box)
Nancy's muslin wasn't ready for the start of class on Monday so I started from scratch on a Chanel-style jacket for myself. $550 in fabric/notions later and this is what I've finished so far.
By the end of the class, I was at the point where I needed to clean up the shoulder seams.
Here are my fabrics up close:
I've always wanted to make this type of jacket for myself; even planned one for a sewing contest last winter. I'm glad I got the benefit of making one with face-to-face instruction from someone who can do these in her sleep. Here's a look at some awesome buttons and trim I found for this jacket. (The trim is actually 2 trims that will overlap.)
I think it's so cool that I found buttons with a design that matches the weave of the fabric.
I enjoyed Susan Khalje's class for many reasons. You will learn about other techniques not included in your project. I'm a visual learner and some of the couture techniques I've read about were difficult to understand. Now I understand exactly how to use these techniques. I also learned some hand stitches. So much better than my usual make-it-up-as-I-go method. It was also great to meet other TN-area sewers. Sometimes I think I'm the only person in Memphis that sews clothing. It was really nice to get a fitting from someone else. DH is terribly patient while I bark orders at him as he pins my bodices but they never seem quite right. Now I have a great muslin pattern with shoulder princess seams that I can use to alter any paper pattern. DH was thrilled when I told him the news.
I finally got to see inside Textile Fabrics. I didn't end up buying any fabric there because: (1) I was overwhelmed by the selection, (2) I had already seen the perfect boucle for my project from Helen's stash, and (3) I just didn't see anything I wanted--did it finally happen? Am I officially fabric-overloaded? By the way, the owner of Textile Fabrics is very generous. Several people in the class needed additional supplies for their projects but we didn't want to sacrifice class time to shop (class ended at 5:30 pm and the store closes at 6 pm). The owner agreed to stay open late for us so we wouldn't lose any class time.
Ramble alert! I think I'm pattern-overloaded as well. I've looked at the new McCall's and Simplicity early Autumn collections and I couldn't find a single thing I wanted. Probably a good thing because my pattern drawers are packed to the max.
Anyway, I haven't worked on my jacket since returning home 3 weeks ago. Last night DH wanted to know why I haven't worked on the jacket? He wants to know if I've lost interest and won't finish it. I could've slapped him. I've been on the phone with car salesmen, insurance agents and banks for 2 weeks. What spare time I did have was devoted to catching up with my course work for my degree. What have you been so busy with? (As if he didn't know.) I've been busy trying to find this:
I've never had to work so hard to spend money in my whole life. I called 5 dealerships before I finally found someone willing to make me a decent deal and then we had to drive 3.5 hours to get the car. In the end I'm very happy with the result and even happier to put this whole wreck behind me.
Another ramble! My best advice for car buying (if you want to buy something off the lot) is to do tons of internet research on the MSRP and dealer invoice prices, all the hidden fees and then search the inventories of all the dealerships within a reasonable driving distance. Contact their internet sales managers and play the "can you match the deal I just got" game until you get a price you can live with. Get the buyer's order written up before you go so there are no surprises when you show up to pay for the car. Apologies to any car salespeople reading this but offering me MSRP and acting like I'm stealing from you is extremely infuriating.
Hope everyone had a great 4th of July!
I didn't post much initially because I was trying to finish Nancy's muslin before my trip to Nashville for a 6-day couture sewing workshop. Wednesday as I'm driving home from work thinking about errands to run, a white Lexus appears out of nowhere headed for my passenger side front bumper. Next thing I know, I'm upside down skidding across the road. My car's totaled and now I'm making car payments again because some kid was chatting on her cell phone while driving rather than watching for traffic.
I'm currently looking for a bumper sticker that says, "Hang up the phone!" Seriously, when did we become so obsessed with these things that you can't even make a 5-minute drive without calling someone. I challenge everyone to spend just one day not using your cell phone in any way while you are driving (this includes sitting at stop lights). I'm amazed at how badly people drive and I never noticed because I was on my phone, playing with the radio or eating/drinking. Once you turn your full attention to the road, you will discover what a scary thing driving is. (stepping off soap box)
Nancy's muslin wasn't ready for the start of class on Monday so I started from scratch on a Chanel-style jacket for myself. $550 in fabric/notions later and this is what I've finished so far.
By the end of the class, I was at the point where I needed to clean up the shoulder seams.
Here are my fabrics up close:
I've always wanted to make this type of jacket for myself; even planned one for a sewing contest last winter. I'm glad I got the benefit of making one with face-to-face instruction from someone who can do these in her sleep. Here's a look at some awesome buttons and trim I found for this jacket. (The trim is actually 2 trims that will overlap.)
I think it's so cool that I found buttons with a design that matches the weave of the fabric.
I enjoyed Susan Khalje's class for many reasons. You will learn about other techniques not included in your project. I'm a visual learner and some of the couture techniques I've read about were difficult to understand. Now I understand exactly how to use these techniques. I also learned some hand stitches. So much better than my usual make-it-up-as-I-go method. It was also great to meet other TN-area sewers. Sometimes I think I'm the only person in Memphis that sews clothing. It was really nice to get a fitting from someone else. DH is terribly patient while I bark orders at him as he pins my bodices but they never seem quite right. Now I have a great muslin pattern with shoulder princess seams that I can use to alter any paper pattern. DH was thrilled when I told him the news.
I finally got to see inside Textile Fabrics. I didn't end up buying any fabric there because: (1) I was overwhelmed by the selection, (2) I had already seen the perfect boucle for my project from Helen's stash, and (3) I just didn't see anything I wanted--did it finally happen? Am I officially fabric-overloaded? By the way, the owner of Textile Fabrics is very generous. Several people in the class needed additional supplies for their projects but we didn't want to sacrifice class time to shop (class ended at 5:30 pm and the store closes at 6 pm). The owner agreed to stay open late for us so we wouldn't lose any class time.
Ramble alert! I think I'm pattern-overloaded as well. I've looked at the new McCall's and Simplicity early Autumn collections and I couldn't find a single thing I wanted. Probably a good thing because my pattern drawers are packed to the max.
Anyway, I haven't worked on my jacket since returning home 3 weeks ago. Last night DH wanted to know why I haven't worked on the jacket? He wants to know if I've lost interest and won't finish it. I could've slapped him. I've been on the phone with car salesmen, insurance agents and banks for 2 weeks. What spare time I did have was devoted to catching up with my course work for my degree. What have you been so busy with? (As if he didn't know.) I've been busy trying to find this:
I've never had to work so hard to spend money in my whole life. I called 5 dealerships before I finally found someone willing to make me a decent deal and then we had to drive 3.5 hours to get the car. In the end I'm very happy with the result and even happier to put this whole wreck behind me.
Another ramble! My best advice for car buying (if you want to buy something off the lot) is to do tons of internet research on the MSRP and dealer invoice prices, all the hidden fees and then search the inventories of all the dealerships within a reasonable driving distance. Contact their internet sales managers and play the "can you match the deal I just got" game until you get a price you can live with. Get the buyer's order written up before you go so there are no surprises when you show up to pay for the car. Apologies to any car salespeople reading this but offering me MSRP and acting like I'm stealing from you is extremely infuriating.
Hope everyone had a great 4th of July!
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Inspiration
I have a problem when it comes to sewing. I have lots of great ideas (at least I think they are great) but fear of messing up the fabric holds me back. I don't mean expensive fabric, ANY fabric. I hate to waste things. Messing up fabric because I didn't plan the garment correctly or I made silly mistakes along the way...fear, plain and simple. It took me 5 months to work up the courage to cut into my lace and satin fabrics for my wedding dress. It took me almost a month to cut into the muslin for Nancy's dress. Normally I don't mind messing up muslin but Nancy paid for the muslin. The dress pattern was very different from anything else I've used so I was afraid of making mistakes.
On the flip side when I finally ignore the fear and dive into a project, I love my finished garment even if the fit isn't ideal or the fabric doesn't behave the way I thought it would. I made up four V-neck, button front, double knit cardigans in January. The armholes are too big and I didn't do a FBA so the cardigans pull across my bust in a weird way. The rayon-poly blend double knit fabric has lost it's silky feel and started pilling due to all the wash and wear. Basically, they aren't that great but the cardigans are my first knit garments in almost 20 years. Knits always scared me before and now I think I prefer them.
As for Nancy's muslin, it looked like an amateur mess last night. The side back panel was almost 4 inches too long to ease into the center back seam. The armholes were HUGE. The bustle was a big lump of fabric. I became so stressed that I didn't even sew the skirt or add the top skirt pieces to the bodice. I did work up the courage to bring my muslin disaster to Nancy's house this evening for a fitting. I armed myself with my Palmer & Pletsch Fit for Real People book, tons of pins, scissors and all my favorite marking tools. Nancy didn't even bat an eye when I pulled out the crappy muslin. I put it on her and acted like I knew what I was doing. After 5 minutes, I found my direction and went to work. I'm still patting myself on the back. That muslin may need a ton of alterations but it actually looked good on her when I was done pinning. I might actually be able to pull this off! I left Nancy's house anxious to get home and start ripping the muslin apart. (That didn't happen due to a number of errands on the way home but I'm still looking forward to working on the muslin tomorrow night.)
The point of this rambling post is fear will hold you back with your sewing. Fear will not help you improve your skills and confidence. Fear only results in a closet full of fabrics, patterns and unrealized potential. If you didn't read the career advice article on Threads today, check it out. Kenneth King's comment really hit home with me.
On the flip side when I finally ignore the fear and dive into a project, I love my finished garment even if the fit isn't ideal or the fabric doesn't behave the way I thought it would. I made up four V-neck, button front, double knit cardigans in January. The armholes are too big and I didn't do a FBA so the cardigans pull across my bust in a weird way. The rayon-poly blend double knit fabric has lost it's silky feel and started pilling due to all the wash and wear. Basically, they aren't that great but the cardigans are my first knit garments in almost 20 years. Knits always scared me before and now I think I prefer them.
As for Nancy's muslin, it looked like an amateur mess last night. The side back panel was almost 4 inches too long to ease into the center back seam. The armholes were HUGE. The bustle was a big lump of fabric. I became so stressed that I didn't even sew the skirt or add the top skirt pieces to the bodice. I did work up the courage to bring my muslin disaster to Nancy's house this evening for a fitting. I armed myself with my Palmer & Pletsch Fit for Real People book, tons of pins, scissors and all my favorite marking tools. Nancy didn't even bat an eye when I pulled out the crappy muslin. I put it on her and acted like I knew what I was doing. After 5 minutes, I found my direction and went to work. I'm still patting myself on the back. That muslin may need a ton of alterations but it actually looked good on her when I was done pinning. I might actually be able to pull this off! I left Nancy's house anxious to get home and start ripping the muslin apart. (That didn't happen due to a number of errands on the way home but I'm still looking forward to working on the muslin tomorrow night.)
The point of this rambling post is fear will hold you back with your sewing. Fear will not help you improve your skills and confidence. Fear only results in a closet full of fabrics, patterns and unrealized potential. If you didn't read the career advice article on Threads today, check it out. Kenneth King's comment really hit home with me.
"Perfectionism is a disease, and a form of fear."
I can't say I won't still have fear but I will try to be more fearless. Most of the fabrics in my stash were a steal anyway. What am I really losing if I take a chance and mess up? Or more importantly, what am I losing if I don't take a chance at all?
Friday, April 9, 2010
Updates
Not getting any sewing done this week. I had my surgery yesterday. Between the drugs and not being able to eat, I don't have much energy. I did get a few things resolved however. I got my refunds from SmartFlix and Denver Fabrics. I worked on fitting the cover for my Uniquely You dressform last weekend but it didn't go well. The boobs on the cover are weird. There are two parallel horizontal long darts from one bust point to the other. When I fit the bust to my own, I end up with pointy boobs because of the extra seams from the horizontal darts. The cover also does not come close to covering my hips. I estimate the sizing on the cover is smaller than stated by 2 inches in the hips. I didn't check the bust or waist as those were plenty big for me. It's funny but I could almost get away with not fitting a cover to the dress form. The bust and waist on the dressform are both 1 inch larger than me. The hips are 2 inches too small. I haven't checked to see where the bust falls in relation to my own. I figure a little bit of padding on the hips and a tight bra would just about fix the form.
I've decided to follow the lead of others that have bought this form. Some reviews I found on PatternReview indicated that they used an electric knife to trim down the form. Others salvaged the zipper from the cover that came with the form and then made their own cover. I'm not going to cut into my form but I will make my own cover. A fitted dress shell is all you need. It will be easier to start from scratch than to fit the cover that came with it. The inseams on the cover all face the inside so when you pin, you are pinching from the right side and then have to transfer the markings. This is not how I sew because I always make mistakes when I alter that way. I ended up with pointy boobs that were flattened above the bust point and a bit too tight below the bust point. The back panels ended up giving me a "shelf" butt. The front princess seams ended up wonky as well. Not to mention that the hip area was not wide enough to cover me to begin with. DH was a good sport though. I hope he's up for fitting me again this weekend....
I'm going to spend the rest of the day mimicking my cat.
Happy Friday!
I've decided to follow the lead of others that have bought this form. Some reviews I found on PatternReview indicated that they used an electric knife to trim down the form. Others salvaged the zipper from the cover that came with the form and then made their own cover. I'm not going to cut into my form but I will make my own cover. A fitted dress shell is all you need. It will be easier to start from scratch than to fit the cover that came with it. The inseams on the cover all face the inside so when you pin, you are pinching from the right side and then have to transfer the markings. This is not how I sew because I always make mistakes when I alter that way. I ended up with pointy boobs that were flattened above the bust point and a bit too tight below the bust point. The back panels ended up giving me a "shelf" butt. The front princess seams ended up wonky as well. Not to mention that the hip area was not wide enough to cover me to begin with. DH was a good sport though. I hope he's up for fitting me again this weekend....
I'm going to spend the rest of the day mimicking my cat.
Happy Friday!
Friday, April 2, 2010
Cat in the sewing room
This is a totally random post but it's Friday and the sun is out and the birds are chirping.
We own 2 cats. The fat, older one is a bully and kinda moody. She's my favorite. She squeaks at me and always greets me at the door. The younger one is a skinny runt that I refer to as the "junkyard kitty." She is a noisy little lap cat. She was supposed to be my cat but she doesn't like me. The older cat, that we call "Tubby" is DH's cat, but she bites him. So basically his cat is mine and my cat is his.
Since we got the second cat, Tubby has been keeping to herself a lot. She doesn't like Junkyard Kitty any more than I do. One thing I've noticed over the last year though is Tubby will come out from hiding when I sew. I like that it's just the 2 of us. It's like our bonding time.
It starts with the paper patterns. The moment I start pulling out the sheets, Tubby comes to investigate. I lay the sheets on the dining room table to figure out which pieces I need. Here comes Tubby, up onto the dining room table, walking all over the paper. As I cut the pieces out, I ball up the scraps and toss them to her. She bats them around for awhile and then comes back to lay on my pattern paper. When I iron the pieces flat, she weaves around my legs rubbing her big belly on me.
Time to tissue fit. I can only imagine how crazy this looks to her. I've got half a pant on and it's made out of paper. The only thing keeping it together is a ton of pins, which are stabbing me in the crotch and waist. I wander from bathroom to bathroom trying to get good light and a better view of my tush in my paper pants. She, of course, follows me; stopping to sniff the dirty laundry basket, door jam, trash can, tub, and all the pins falling off my paper pants. The paper pants don't fit my tush, naturally, so it's time to add more paper.
Back to the dining room table to tape more paper on the pattern. She's back up on the table, sniffing everything in sight. Just for giggles, I put a piece of tape on her paw once. (Don't judge me.) I only did it once because I felt a little guilty but it was darn funny watching her try to get the tape off. Anyway, the taping is now done so the walking paper pant parade begins again.
Back to the dining room table to lay out fabric and cut. Now this is when I fuss at her. She eventually gives up trying to get on the table and just sits on a chair watching me. I toss the fabric scraps onto a pile for her to lay on. It's like a magnet. Works every time.
I think the rest of the sewing process is a little boring for her. No new paper or fabric scraps. No space on the sewing table for her to lay down. She usually sits next to my chair with a "Mother, may I?" look on her face as she very politely asks to get up on the table. I redirect her to the bed 2 feet away. Then she just sits and supervises. She's a crappy supervisor though. I catch her napping and licking her butt quite a bit. Really inappropriate behavior. I still praise her grooming marathon though every time I get up to iron a seam. Her reward for a hard day of supervising is a good face brushing. She loves to be brushed but her favorite part is when you brush up her cheeks towards her ears. Is that weird? I've never seen a cat ram it's face into a wire grooming brush before.
What I left out of this random story is the pinning of fabric on my body before I sew the seams. That's where DH grudgingly helps me. He got fed up with it and insisted I buy a dressform. I don't know what he was complaining about though. He has gotten quite good at pin-fitting me. Now that I have the cover for my Uniquely You dressform, a marathon fitting session will start this weekend. He's griping already but I keep reminding him that the dressform will take the place of him. (When I re-read that statement, it just doesn't sound right. ha, ha) Here's hoping I have some finished dressform news to report by Sunday.
By the way, the cats' names aren't really Tubby and Junkyard Kitty. Misha is the sewing supervisor and Millie is the runt. They came from the shelters with those names. I don't have kids so I'll bore you with cat photos instead.
This is my sweet baby, Misha. In addition to laying on my patterns and fabric, she enjoys shopping bags...
Open drawers...
Christmas tree skirts...
And paper bags.
This is Millie, the noisy lap cat, getting her "Welcome to the family" bath.
Misha didn't like Millie much when we brought her home.
Glasses of water are not safe in our home.
She had a problem with eating too fast when we first got her. I got tired of cleaning up vomit so I took the vet's suggestion to spread out her food in a dish. (I improvised.) The dingbat sat on her food.
She's also afraid of the vacuum cleaner.
Happy Easter!
We own 2 cats. The fat, older one is a bully and kinda moody. She's my favorite. She squeaks at me and always greets me at the door. The younger one is a skinny runt that I refer to as the "junkyard kitty." She is a noisy little lap cat. She was supposed to be my cat but she doesn't like me. The older cat, that we call "Tubby" is DH's cat, but she bites him. So basically his cat is mine and my cat is his.
Since we got the second cat, Tubby has been keeping to herself a lot. She doesn't like Junkyard Kitty any more than I do. One thing I've noticed over the last year though is Tubby will come out from hiding when I sew. I like that it's just the 2 of us. It's like our bonding time.
It starts with the paper patterns. The moment I start pulling out the sheets, Tubby comes to investigate. I lay the sheets on the dining room table to figure out which pieces I need. Here comes Tubby, up onto the dining room table, walking all over the paper. As I cut the pieces out, I ball up the scraps and toss them to her. She bats them around for awhile and then comes back to lay on my pattern paper. When I iron the pieces flat, she weaves around my legs rubbing her big belly on me.
Time to tissue fit. I can only imagine how crazy this looks to her. I've got half a pant on and it's made out of paper. The only thing keeping it together is a ton of pins, which are stabbing me in the crotch and waist. I wander from bathroom to bathroom trying to get good light and a better view of my tush in my paper pants. She, of course, follows me; stopping to sniff the dirty laundry basket, door jam, trash can, tub, and all the pins falling off my paper pants. The paper pants don't fit my tush, naturally, so it's time to add more paper.
Back to the dining room table to tape more paper on the pattern. She's back up on the table, sniffing everything in sight. Just for giggles, I put a piece of tape on her paw once. (Don't judge me.) I only did it once because I felt a little guilty but it was darn funny watching her try to get the tape off. Anyway, the taping is now done so the walking paper pant parade begins again.
Back to the dining room table to lay out fabric and cut. Now this is when I fuss at her. She eventually gives up trying to get on the table and just sits on a chair watching me. I toss the fabric scraps onto a pile for her to lay on. It's like a magnet. Works every time.
I think the rest of the sewing process is a little boring for her. No new paper or fabric scraps. No space on the sewing table for her to lay down. She usually sits next to my chair with a "Mother, may I?" look on her face as she very politely asks to get up on the table. I redirect her to the bed 2 feet away. Then she just sits and supervises. She's a crappy supervisor though. I catch her napping and licking her butt quite a bit. Really inappropriate behavior. I still praise her grooming marathon though every time I get up to iron a seam. Her reward for a hard day of supervising is a good face brushing. She loves to be brushed but her favorite part is when you brush up her cheeks towards her ears. Is that weird? I've never seen a cat ram it's face into a wire grooming brush before.
What I left out of this random story is the pinning of fabric on my body before I sew the seams. That's where DH grudgingly helps me. He got fed up with it and insisted I buy a dressform. I don't know what he was complaining about though. He has gotten quite good at pin-fitting me. Now that I have the cover for my Uniquely You dressform, a marathon fitting session will start this weekend. He's griping already but I keep reminding him that the dressform will take the place of him. (When I re-read that statement, it just doesn't sound right. ha, ha) Here's hoping I have some finished dressform news to report by Sunday.
By the way, the cats' names aren't really Tubby and Junkyard Kitty. Misha is the sewing supervisor and Millie is the runt. They came from the shelters with those names. I don't have kids so I'll bore you with cat photos instead.
This is my sweet baby, Misha. In addition to laying on my patterns and fabric, she enjoys shopping bags...
Open drawers...
Christmas tree skirts...
And paper bags.
This is Millie, the noisy lap cat, getting her "Welcome to the family" bath.
Misha didn't like Millie much when we brought her home.
Glasses of water are not safe in our home.
She had a problem with eating too fast when we first got her. I got tired of cleaning up vomit so I took the vet's suggestion to spread out her food in a dish. (I improvised.) The dingbat sat on her food.
She's also afraid of the vacuum cleaner.
Happy Easter!
Saturday, March 27, 2010
I give up!
So I thought March was a great month for shopping since all my sewing projects fell apart. Not so much. This has also been a terrible month for shopping.
This first shopping story isn't really a problem, just weird. Consider it a warm-up for the latest shopping disasters.
Back when I was trying to make a nice evening outfit for DH's banquet, I purchased 10 yards of Bemberg black lining and 2.5 yards of a tan Bemberg. This is how it arrived.
Huh? I love that they rolled the black lining. Awesome, thanks! But why is the tan lining haphazardly wrapped around like a Tootsie Roll. This is just weird. I'm guessing they have men who don't sew working in the orders fulfillment department. I know it doesn't really matter but if you were fulfilling fabric orders, would you ever treat someone's fabric like that?
So then I ordered several wool jerseys and cotton lawn fabrics on clearance from Denver Fabrics on March 5th. I still haven't received this package...because they chose to ship by FedEx SmartPost. I've only received one other FedEx SmartPost package and that was a disaster too. I ended up having to go pick it up myself. The way it works is FedEx rapidly delivers your package to the destination city and then the USPS is supposed to take over from there. You do get a tracking number from FedEx that tells you what is going on when it is in FedEx's hands. After that you should expect another 2-3 business days before USPS finally delivers it to you. So the last scan on the Denver Fabrics order is from March 12th and it says the Memphis USPS has it. I gave it 6 business days before I called the post office to find out where it was. They claimed they have never received it. So then I called FedEx. Their rep says they delivered it as far as Memphis and then sent it to Arkansas, where it has sat in a warehouse for 7 days. Folks, Memphis is the freakin' NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS for FedEx. The airport is busiest at night because of FedEx. You can't find one person in this town that doesn't know someone who works for FedEx. Yet, they can't manage to deliver to Memphis. "You'll get it in a week or two." No apology. No "how can we make this up to you?" Just a "take it or leave it." And that's the answer I got from Denver Fabrics too. They could care less that I still haven't received my order. They just lost a customer. I've spent hundreds of dollars with them in the past but I'm finding lately that I would rather spend a little more and be treated fairly. Bye, bye, Denver Fabrics!
So next up is my dress form. I finally caved and bought a dress form. After much online research and consideration of my budget, I opted for the Uniquely You. I bought from Atlanta Thread & Supply Company for $159.00 USD and they threw in a free pair of Mundial 8-inch bent trimmers. The scissors arrived immediately and the dress form came faster than expected. I was giddy with excitement. Until I opened the large box to find my dress form isn't complete. This is what I have:
A foam dress form and the base. No cover. No alteration instructions. This dress form doesn't work without the cover. A little bummed but still optimistic, I called Uniquely You and left a message. I called a few days later and left a message. I called ATS and asked for their assistance. They promised to re-fax my order to Uniquely You to "pressure" him to fulfill my order. "He's a one-man operation and doesn't return phone calls." So why the hell are you doing business with him?!! I paid you, ATS, and at no point did you indicate that another supplier was filling this order. You simply said it was shipping from another warehouse. I've had this big-busted foam contraption in my home for a week now with no cover and no return call from anyone. I'm glad I put this on my Visa because I have a real bad feeling about this.
And there is the SmartFlix drama, of course. Apparently they have cancelled my subscription but I have yet to see a refund.
And lastly, not a sewing or shopping-related issue but money to spend nevertheless. I'm scheduled for a minor surgery on April 8th. Yesterday I went to the hospital to complete my pre-surgery work-up. They had the nerve to ask for my deductible and co-insurance...2 weeks before the surgery, even before they drew any blood or anything. "We haven't done jack for you yet but we want to be paid now." (I'm paraphrasing, of course. They didn't actually say that.) I've spent hundreds of dollars over the last month and don't have much to show for it so no, you won't get my money until you actually provide me with the agreed upon service.
I love to shop. I mean L-O-V-E to shop. I love it even more than chocolate, which is saying a lot. Yesterday was payday and I didn't want to buy anything. These retailers have killed my shopping spirit! I guess I don't really need anything (except all the crap I've already paid for). I guess it's back to sewing now since shopping isn't going well for me. I did finally watch my Palmer & Pletsch pants-fitting DVDs (fitting and sewing) and they are AWESOME! I wanted to buy the rest but I'm not shopping...until I get all the other crap I've paid for.
This first shopping story isn't really a problem, just weird. Consider it a warm-up for the latest shopping disasters.
Back when I was trying to make a nice evening outfit for DH's banquet, I purchased 10 yards of Bemberg black lining and 2.5 yards of a tan Bemberg. This is how it arrived.
Huh? I love that they rolled the black lining. Awesome, thanks! But why is the tan lining haphazardly wrapped around like a Tootsie Roll. This is just weird. I'm guessing they have men who don't sew working in the orders fulfillment department. I know it doesn't really matter but if you were fulfilling fabric orders, would you ever treat someone's fabric like that?
So then I ordered several wool jerseys and cotton lawn fabrics on clearance from Denver Fabrics on March 5th. I still haven't received this package...because they chose to ship by FedEx SmartPost. I've only received one other FedEx SmartPost package and that was a disaster too. I ended up having to go pick it up myself. The way it works is FedEx rapidly delivers your package to the destination city and then the USPS is supposed to take over from there. You do get a tracking number from FedEx that tells you what is going on when it is in FedEx's hands. After that you should expect another 2-3 business days before USPS finally delivers it to you. So the last scan on the Denver Fabrics order is from March 12th and it says the Memphis USPS has it. I gave it 6 business days before I called the post office to find out where it was. They claimed they have never received it. So then I called FedEx. Their rep says they delivered it as far as Memphis and then sent it to Arkansas, where it has sat in a warehouse for 7 days. Folks, Memphis is the freakin' NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS for FedEx. The airport is busiest at night because of FedEx. You can't find one person in this town that doesn't know someone who works for FedEx. Yet, they can't manage to deliver to Memphis. "You'll get it in a week or two." No apology. No "how can we make this up to you?" Just a "take it or leave it." And that's the answer I got from Denver Fabrics too. They could care less that I still haven't received my order. They just lost a customer. I've spent hundreds of dollars with them in the past but I'm finding lately that I would rather spend a little more and be treated fairly. Bye, bye, Denver Fabrics!
So next up is my dress form. I finally caved and bought a dress form. After much online research and consideration of my budget, I opted for the Uniquely You. I bought from Atlanta Thread & Supply Company for $159.00 USD and they threw in a free pair of Mundial 8-inch bent trimmers. The scissors arrived immediately and the dress form came faster than expected. I was giddy with excitement. Until I opened the large box to find my dress form isn't complete. This is what I have:
A foam dress form and the base. No cover. No alteration instructions. This dress form doesn't work without the cover. A little bummed but still optimistic, I called Uniquely You and left a message. I called a few days later and left a message. I called ATS and asked for their assistance. They promised to re-fax my order to Uniquely You to "pressure" him to fulfill my order. "He's a one-man operation and doesn't return phone calls." So why the hell are you doing business with him?!! I paid you, ATS, and at no point did you indicate that another supplier was filling this order. You simply said it was shipping from another warehouse. I've had this big-busted foam contraption in my home for a week now with no cover and no return call from anyone. I'm glad I put this on my Visa because I have a real bad feeling about this.
And there is the SmartFlix drama, of course. Apparently they have cancelled my subscription but I have yet to see a refund.
And lastly, not a sewing or shopping-related issue but money to spend nevertheless. I'm scheduled for a minor surgery on April 8th. Yesterday I went to the hospital to complete my pre-surgery work-up. They had the nerve to ask for my deductible and co-insurance...2 weeks before the surgery, even before they drew any blood or anything. "We haven't done jack for you yet but we want to be paid now." (I'm paraphrasing, of course. They didn't actually say that.) I've spent hundreds of dollars over the last month and don't have much to show for it so no, you won't get my money until you actually provide me with the agreed upon service.
I love to shop. I mean L-O-V-E to shop. I love it even more than chocolate, which is saying a lot. Yesterday was payday and I didn't want to buy anything. These retailers have killed my shopping spirit! I guess I don't really need anything (except all the crap I've already paid for). I guess it's back to sewing now since shopping isn't going well for me. I did finally watch my Palmer & Pletsch pants-fitting DVDs (fitting and sewing) and they are AWESOME! I wanted to buy the rest but I'm not shopping...until I get all the other crap I've paid for.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
What is your favorite decade for fashion?
Don't get me wrong. I'm pretty happy with today's fashions, particularly for sewing. I've been toying with sewing some vintage fashions lately but I can't see myself wearing them. I've bought several of the Butterick and Vogue reproduction vintage sewing patterns lately.
I just don't know when and where I would wear these. I'm guessing I'll just have to make them and find excuses to wear them. What I've noticed about several of the reproduction patterns available in stores right now is they include full skirts mostly. If you're 64 inches tall with a VERY large rear, bulk on the bottom half is not a good idea.
I stumbled onto a vintage sewing pattern website today and realized I'm not even a huge fan of the 1940's and 1950's. I love the 1930's! From my brief internet "research," the fashion of the 1930s was impacted by the Great Depression and resulted in more conservative, womanly clothes. Shoulders were emphasized, rayon became a popular fabric and the zipper was introduced. Skirts were longer and more A-line and waistlines were returned to a more natural position. Gloves were worn with evening and daywear. (In today's germophobe society, those gloves would be a great idea!) Bias cut was all the rage and Madeleine Vionnet was its master.
(Source: www.metmuseum.org)
I found much within the 1930s that I would wear day-to-day.
Are you thinking what I'm thinking? Exactly! Time to find some books about 1930s fashion and pattern making. Glad we're on the same page.
I ordered these today:
Pattern Making Drafting 1930s Lingerie Blouses Skirts & Sportswear Fashions
Fashions of the Thirties 476 Authentic Copyright Free Illustrations
(Source: amazon.com)
I wonder though...how glamorous do these fashions really look without the hat and gloves? Purse and shoes, no problem but I don't wear hats and gloves are for winter only.
What is your favorite decade for fashion?
I just don't know when and where I would wear these. I'm guessing I'll just have to make them and find excuses to wear them. What I've noticed about several of the reproduction patterns available in stores right now is they include full skirts mostly. If you're 64 inches tall with a VERY large rear, bulk on the bottom half is not a good idea.
I stumbled onto a vintage sewing pattern website today and realized I'm not even a huge fan of the 1940's and 1950's. I love the 1930's! From my brief internet "research," the fashion of the 1930s was impacted by the Great Depression and resulted in more conservative, womanly clothes. Shoulders were emphasized, rayon became a popular fabric and the zipper was introduced. Skirts were longer and more A-line and waistlines were returned to a more natural position. Gloves were worn with evening and daywear. (In today's germophobe society, those gloves would be a great idea!) Bias cut was all the rage and Madeleine Vionnet was its master.
(Source: www.metmuseum.org)
I found much within the 1930s that I would wear day-to-day.
Are you thinking what I'm thinking? Exactly! Time to find some books about 1930s fashion and pattern making. Glad we're on the same page.
I ordered these today:
Pattern Making Drafting 1930s Lingerie Blouses Skirts & Sportswear Fashions
Fashions of the Thirties 476 Authentic Copyright Free Illustrations
(Source: amazon.com)
I wonder though...how glamorous do these fashions really look without the hat and gloves? Purse and shoes, no problem but I don't wear hats and gloves are for winter only.
What is your favorite decade for fashion?
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
I must speak...Project Runway is definitely a designing, not sewing challenge
Did you see the latest episode of Project Runway? I was astonished by how poorly all the garments fit their models. The construction was pretty crappy on most too. I've seen several mistakes made by contestants again and again. The two worst ones are (1) not understanding the properties of the fabric you have chosen and (2) not comprehending construction techniques well enough to fully execute your design. I'm convinced that many of these great designs on paper would look fabulous in person IF the designers had a better knowledge of fabric and construction. With this episode, the designers committed a third sin: not understanding a woman's body. Here's a tip, anything more than an A cup needs support.
I actually like Jonathan's design but the low-hanging, ski slope boobs were very distracting.
Other designers with boobie issues: Amy's winning design (floppy, loose bodice on a full-busted woman?!), Emilio (mashed boobies with seams out of place), Jay Nicholas (covered up the boobies with a distracting design that won't lay flat), and Jesse (more mashed boobies but they are also popping out of an ill-fitting dress).
Seth Aaron got the boob placement right but the dress has gaping at the armholes. Real women have REAL curves. I'm starting to sound like Heidi--it's all about the boobs! If you get the boobs right, it will make up for other problems.
Best boobie award goes to this week's loser, Jesus. The man can sew but his designs were always just a little off. I guess it's fitting that the hooker dress has the best boobies.
Maya's design was my favorite. The boobs were where they belong. The construction was good and the draping was beautiful. The choice of fabrics was great. I love how she incorporated the heart shape on the chest without being really obvious. I've often thought adding layers of fabric to a hip area was a bad idea but this woman can pull it off because she has a nice, lean shape. This dress was very different from all the others and different from anything I've seen elsewhere. Maya was robbed and I think she knew it.
I think Mila, Emilio and Amy are my favorite designers. Mila is the most consistent. Her Campbell's soup dress immediately makes you think of Campbell's soup so she accomplished this task the best but I'm just not a fan of a huge star on a dress.
This post was especially catty for me but I couldn't help noticing how many designers had so much trouble with boobs...and any other curve on a real woman. Here's hoping future challenges reveal better results.
I actually like Jonathan's design but the low-hanging, ski slope boobs were very distracting.
Other designers with boobie issues: Amy's winning design (floppy, loose bodice on a full-busted woman?!), Emilio (mashed boobies with seams out of place), Jay Nicholas (covered up the boobies with a distracting design that won't lay flat), and Jesse (more mashed boobies but they are also popping out of an ill-fitting dress).
Seth Aaron got the boob placement right but the dress has gaping at the armholes. Real women have REAL curves. I'm starting to sound like Heidi--it's all about the boobs! If you get the boobs right, it will make up for other problems.
Best boobie award goes to this week's loser, Jesus. The man can sew but his designs were always just a little off. I guess it's fitting that the hooker dress has the best boobies.
Maya's design was my favorite. The boobs were where they belong. The construction was good and the draping was beautiful. The choice of fabrics was great. I love how she incorporated the heart shape on the chest without being really obvious. I've often thought adding layers of fabric to a hip area was a bad idea but this woman can pull it off because she has a nice, lean shape. This dress was very different from all the others and different from anything I've seen elsewhere. Maya was robbed and I think she knew it.
I think Mila, Emilio and Amy are my favorite designers. Mila is the most consistent. Her Campbell's soup dress immediately makes you think of Campbell's soup so she accomplished this task the best but I'm just not a fan of a huge star on a dress.
This post was especially catty for me but I couldn't help noticing how many designers had so much trouble with boobs...and any other curve on a real woman. Here's hoping future challenges reveal better results.
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