High Front Low Back Oddity

For a gazillion different reasons, the digital camera is one of the greatest tools ever invented. It allows me to stand back and in a non-judgemental, non-emotional (mostly), and unbiased way look at what is really going on. It was invaluable for creating textile art and it's equally invaluable for fashion sewing.




When I ran into Ann from Stitcher's Guild the other day, she said that she recognized my hair. Her comment surprised me. It was also somewhat intriguing because I'd just been looking at this photograph and thinking about my hair - that even though it's natural, the color is quite dark. I'm not willing to dye it however, I think a softer style would be more flattering now that my face is less round. The straight lines of the hairstyle are emphasizing how square my face has become with weight loss. That may change if my cheeks continue to hollow. Time will tell. Right now, something angled or feathered or softened in some way might be better.

Pondering that idea, I tucked my hair behind my ears yesterday morning in order to try out a softer line and get feedback from the friend I was having coffee with. When I returned home, there was an email from my daughter. She wrote...

I was just reading your blog. I like the blue dress you were wearing. It looks good. I was thinking maybe a different haircut to go with your fabulous new clothes? Since you have the clothes and accessories thing down pat. Maybe a flip or an angled cut or something? You know young and perky.

How fun that she thinks I have the clothes and accessories thing down pat. I'm still playing with ideas wishing I had a much bigger budget but... great minds thinking alike and all - we're on the same page. I have the world's most wonderful daughter. She'll be home for a visit soon and I'm looking forward to a face-to-face conversation and a real live hug and - if my hairstylist can fit me in - I might even have a new haircut by then too.




I have an unreasonable number of pictures of my behind - probably more pictures of my butt end than my children. The pictures are helpful except that the more I worked on the pant pattern, the further from the truth it felt like I was getting. Above is the back of my RTW jeans. Below is the front.




Except for the wrinkles under the butt, I don't mind these jeans. These are one of the better pairs I've bought and those wrinkles aren't nearly as big as the ones on my muslin. I thought it might be valuable to compare images... and it was... and yet I still feel frustrated, confused, and further from the truth. BUT... here are a few of the things I've learned so far with this jeans journey:

... keep a journal
... number your photographs
... record the adjustment you're trying against the photo number in the journal
... be persistent
... get help (books or people)
... compare to known factors like the RTW jeans or previously sewn pants
... be realistic - if you need more room, you need more room
... if it's not stretch denim, you need ease
... if your derriere is dropped, it's dropped - GET OVER IT
... try one adjustment at a time
... remember that EVERYTHING affects EVERYTHING
... alter in the correct order
... follow the 5-step solution to eliminating baggies in PFRP
... Pati and Marta know what they're talking about - read the book
... Sandra knows what she's talking about - read that book too
... trim off the hem so the pants hang freely without touching the ground
... retreat to the familiar when you can't remember what you're doing anymore

My "retreat to the familiar" was to compare the front crotch curve on the KwikSew pattern with the front crotch curve on the Vogue 2925 trouser pants sewn last fall. The Vogue curve is substantially flatter and lower. That's exactly what I was pinning out. Remember the current pattern is narrower due to weight loss since sewing the Vogue pants.




In Pants For Real People, Pati and Marta refer to this adjustment as a Front Bubble which basically means the seam needs to be flatter and closer to the body.




Comparing the back crotch curves, the Vogue was the exact L shape from my "radical" crotch move yesterday. However, I also have what they call a high front, low back oddity. Don't you think they could have come up with a better name for that? NOT very flattering.




The less ease the style has and the less stretch the fabric has, the more obvious, irritating, and difficult an "oddity" it is to deal with. Basically, my butt end is flat, dropped, angles steeply, and I'm wider across the back than the front. THAT's what's frustrating me. Perhaps I should wear skirts - LOL - except that...




... I become consumed by the question. I want to make it work. SO, next, I thought about all the changes and adjustments I'd made to the muslin trying to get it to work. It seemed as if the back leg width was not wide enough or that there was insufficient ease through the hips. I made the changes and then tissue fit the pattern and discovered that the back pattern was too small and that the crotch curve needed to go even lower.




After making the adjustments, I sewed a second muslin. Here it is - improved and still needing work. This fabric is broadcloth which has no give. I thought that might help. In this image the hips appeared to need more ease so I made the side seams narrower last night before going to bed. That allowed another 3/4" each side. I'll get a picture and start there this morning.

I woke up to this comment from Carolyn. She wrote - Wow, I wish you good luck with your jeans. That's like a "holy grail" for me, something I'm just not capable of. I have huge admiration for ladies who've made their own jeans. I would just be buying those cute Anthropologie jeans, except we don't get them here! Keep up the posting on your jeans journey. I look forward to your destination!

That was encouraging Carolyn. Thank you. We don't get Anthropologie here either or I just might have rushed down there. The nearest store is clear across the country. If I'm completely honest, I not only have huge admiration for those ladies who've made their own jeans, I'm jealous. They make it look so easy but who knows. I wasn't there in the studio seeing it happen. The Selfish Seamstress posted her second pair of jeans yesterday and they look gorgeous on her. There I was shouting ME TOO at the screen - LOL.

Jeans are a challenge. There's no way around that. The reason I can't buy pants and jeans easily is because my figure is hard to fit. That's also the reason why it's not a breeze to sew them. BUT... I am smart, I can figure this out.... eventually... some how. If it takes that long, I know I can get in person help at the Sandra Betzina workshop in April only I'm like a little kid - I want them NOW. More tomorrow, hopefully some kind of success.

Talk soon - Myrna

Grateful - persistence

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Personal Growth - That means we have to wake up to the fact that our only protection lies in educating ourselves about our own bodies and what we are putting into them. We are the cause, and we are the cure. Our only real insurance policy is ourselves. - page 90, The Cure by Dr. Timothy Brantley.

In his book, Timothy talks about how close different people have been to discovering a cure for cancer in 1920's or the cause of heart disease in 1940's as well as other issues and in all cases, the cure came down to what people were eating. I'm paying attention to what he's writing because the effect of food on how well I function has become SO OBVIOUS in the last fifteen months.

For example, last night I had ice-cream with chocolate sauce. This morning I woke up with a headache, an aching body, congestion, a rash through my upper mouth and nostrils, and a few other symptoms. It will take all day or longer to rid my body of this reaction to dairy. I rarely "cheat" anymore. Over time, I doubt I will because...

... I'm learning so much about the impact of food. Yesterday, I started the chapters on water. Not only are we 70% water and need to remain hydrated but sufficient water helps us to produce the stomach enzymes needed for breaking down food. If the food isn't broken down, it sits in our system and rots and without more water, it can't be flushed out. That leads to issues like leaky gut syndrome and food allergies. That sounds like me so you can bet I'm drinking more water AND...

.. beginning to cut out coffee. Along with causing a few other issues I'm dealing with, it is apparently quite dehydrating. I've been struggling to stay hydrated this winter. That means that coffee has to go. This will be hard. I love coffee. When I say I have one in the morning, I don't mean a cup. I mean a pot. From now on, it's one cup and decaffeinated after that.

A Wear It Once Wardrobe

Kyle knew that I was going to Fabricland after I drove him to work yesterday and since we'd been talking about finances earlier, he asked how much are you spending this time? When I said I was buying denim for jeans, he asked wouldn't it be cheaper just to buy those? Sometimes I wonder - LOL.

Last fall, I tried on a pair of Not Your Daughter's Jeans in a trouser style that were absolutely wonderful. They were just under $200.00 which I think is completely ridiculous. The jeans I've been buying are around $50.00 although I try to get them on sale. Neither pair fits perfectly. Anthropologie has these Bright Button Jeans with similar outer lines to the pair I'm sewing. They're $118.00.




This pile of denim is factory ends. There are flaws to work around but nothing unmanageable. There's enough for three pairs of jeans and at least two skirts. Total cost - $32.00. Yes, it's cheaper to sew them AND with a little work, they'll fit and flatter not wrinkle and roll.




Fit and flatter includes some major work on the crotch curve. Below is the pattern piece with a shallow crotch curve. Mine is more L shaped like the ruler placed over top. After making several gentle adjustments, I took a hard look at that curve, compared the differences, and pinned a really deep - looks like it's taking a huge chunk out of the fabric - curve. When I tried that on, it was WAY better. I didn't get a picture. It was a prickly situation. Hopefully tomorrow.

I'm using an absolutely gorgeous linen to make the muslin. Think heavy, expensive tablecloth. It's gorgeous and it's also a light, yellow based, green in a bottom weight fabric. So not me. Why did I buy it?

It was about four or five years ago and the fabric was on sale 90% off. I bought two meters each of a dark blue and the yellow green. The blue piece was used in the Palmer/Pletsch pant workshop. The green piece has sat around. It wasn't a good buy. Even though it was the right weight and the right drape and one of my favourite types of fabric, it was the completely wrong color and a lot of right things does not make up for that one major wrong thing.

I knew, I've always known, and apparently I wasn't listening... on sale does not a good deal make. The lists that I'm making are great. They clearly point out which impulses to ignore. Now I must listen. The next time I am in a fabric store I must NOT be seduced by the price or the fabric - VBG.

And then there's thread. LOOK at how much white and beige thread is in my studio. Really? What for? I know that some is left over from quilting but still... this is a LOT. Normally, when I sew a muslin, I just use whatever thread is in the machine. Yesterday, I decided to start using up some of these threads or they'll get too old before they're used. From now on all muslins are stitched in light thread - LOL.

I want to use not waste what's in the studio whether that's thread or fabric. The sort of real but not quite right jeans were cut out of the fabric shown above. There wasn't enough width to cut the pieces side by side however, there was enough to cut out a skirt. That's how I'll work with the denim I bought yesterday to maximize it.

In the studio closet, there are boxes labelled Children's Fabric, Bits & Pieces of Potential, and Purse Fabrics. The daisy dotted denim muslin from the weekend was taken apart and, along with any scraps, put in the Children's box. A half meter of the jean fabric went in too. When I'm done with the linen from my current muslin, I will try over dyeing a scrap. Depending on how that goes, I'll decide how best to re-fashion the muslin and use up the rest of the fabric. It'll either become a skirt, a jacket, a children's garment, or several purses.

I've learned to view mistake purchases as an opportunity. For example, the prints I showed yesterday can become linings for skirts, jackets, or purses. Almost anything is usable for a muslin. Since I rarely buy expensive fabric (because it's on sale) even though it's not broadcloth, it was often less expensive than broadcloth. Working like this, the garbage scraps are minimal and the use of my finances is maximized. That's a win-win.

Scraps of Bali batik left over from textile art became the facing on the Vogue 8603 skirt sewn this weekend. This skirt has princess seams which makes it perfect not only for fitting but for fitting around larger pieces. It's the skirt I cut out from the left over width of denim. It's also the same skirt I sewed at the end of February.




This picture was taken on March 1st. I'm wearing the Vogue skirt with a New Look 6735 t-shirt and a purchased sweater and belt. Yesterday, when I put that skirt on, it was too big. Below, the line of the pantyhose follows my waist. You can see that...

... it's drooping down too far. In this next picture, I've pinned a half inch tuck at each side seam and the waist comes closer to being back in position. I'm learning some interesting things about weight loss - about what adjustments and measurements change that you weren't expecting.

I wasn't expecting my tipped waist to become less tipped however as there is less and less "fluff" on my high hip, the angle is changing. With this current pant muslin, I'm not sure I'll need to tip the waist at all. Enough tip is already built in.

I've also noticed that my t-shirts are getting too long, especially in the back. I've been cutting them 23" finished with a 1 1/2" extension at the back for my high hips. I am about to try 22" with a 1" extension.

When we sew, two dimensional fabric is stretched around a three dimension form. That pulls the fabric in some way so it makes sense that when there is less form vertically and horizontally to be stretched around, the exact amount of fabric needed, and the pull extended, shifts. Intriguing and a little frustrating because it seems as if I'm sewing a wear it once wardrobe. Before I can wear this skirt again, I need to take in the side seam which means taking down the hem at the sides. I thought I was safe sewing the hem across. Apparently not. Oh well!

Talk soon - Myrna

Grateful - yesterday, as I walked into Fabricland, I heard someone say "I want to talk to that woman" and call my name. I turned around and it wasn't someone I recognized however, as soon as she said her name, I knew who she was - one of the women on Stitcher's Guild who I've talked to online and never met in person. She recognized me. Imagine. She was visiting Kamloops. What are the odds of us being in the same place at the same time. What fun.

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Personal Growth

Lois K wrote - I am interested in knowing how you select the scripture (or other passage) for your personal growth section each day.

What I write in this section is about what I am learning. I don't edit it toward whoever I think might be reading it. The content depends entirely on what's going on in my life. Throughout the day, a specific scripture might come to mind as it did yesterday. If so, that's what I share.

Otherwise, it might be a quote or a passage from a book that I'm reading or a thought gleaned from a book or a conversation or it may be scripture from the section of the bible that I'm reading at that time. If that's the case, how that works is that I continue reading from where I stopped the time before until I get to a verse that impacts me and then I think and pray about why did that verse stop me and what is here for me to learn.

Janice wrote - I too have a heavy burden to carry that I can't share with anyone - I just can't.

Not knowing the burden, it would be completely inappropriate of me to advise you in any way. I'm sending a GREAT BIG HUG and praying for God's guidance so you'll know the correct path to take. Remember to take care of yourself.

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Over the past year and a half, it has felt like one thing after another has piled up in my life. Much of it has been change that I didn't ask for. Change is always hard. It requires work. Change that we didn't initiate takes a LOT of work.

What I wrote yesterday was about my feelings of overwhelming not only for myself but for my friends. I value friendship and I need my friends in my life. I am aware of not driving them away with what might be interpreted as constant whining and complaining. When what you're talking about is a series of "camel straws", the conversation can sound that way.

Since I don't see my situation changing in the near future - hopefully in a few years - there are some things I do to help myself. Prayer is a big one. Talking to God is both a source of inspiration and comfort. Time alone to reflect is another. That might be through walking or through journal writing. Writing "it" down and then shredding the pages has been hugely cathartic. I do a lot of self-help type reading and work daily at improving myself. I set goals that will take me in a positive direction. For example, one goals was to learn to listen. Right now, a goal is to drink more water. Both improve my health. I've become aware of and focused on holistic health and on attaining/maintaining emotional, physical, spiritual, relational, and financial balance. I work toward that.

I have only ever talked to a counsellor once in my life and that was prior to another family member visiting her. I have talked to my current pastor a few times and he is an amazing and non-judgemental listener. There are very few professionals I feel comfortable talking to because even with counsellors, who I talk to about what is very important - along the lines of I'm not going to an overweight dietician for nutritional advice. There's something wrong with that picture.

When I really need to talk, I pray that God will lead me to the right person and that he will show me the correct path. As I get older, I'm hopefully also getting wiser. I believe that I am because I see that I'm learning how to let things go, how to not make too big a deal out of what isn't, how to hold my tongue, and when to push forward. I'm (still) learning more and more how to - as the hymn goes - trust in Jesus. I'm not all the way there however, it's a learning that makes life easier.

There's a lot of stuff going on in my life and even so, it's an amazing life. I am so blessed and very thankful. God is good even when...

My Jeans Journey

One muslin and one - sort of real but not really there yet - pair of jeans and already I have a list of do's and don'ts. What a shock hey! Learning is like that.

My jeans journey starts with these Vogue 2925 trouser pants sewn last fall. The trouser style is by far my favourite. I like the way that they make my waist look small, curve over my hips, and fall straight. I think it's a flattering style for my figure and now that I've discovered that I have a flat derriere, forward thrusting thighs, and protruding calves - all of which don't look as great in other styles - I feel even more that way.




Sal's posting on Already Pretty yesterday was called Wear What Suits You which is something I believe in and have been talking about/exploring a lot lately. Since many of us read the same blogs, it should come as no surprise that we have similar trains of thought. I like what Sal wrote...

Fashion may exist as an art form, but clothing exists to make you look your best. Any clothing that does not make you look your best is absolutely not worth your time. When you look amazing, you feel amazing, and clothing that works with your natural assets - not against them - will help you look and feel amazing more often.

Even though I feel amazing in trousers, the style of jeans I've been wearing has been limited by the RTW styles available in the stores. For a year or so, the style was a trouser but mostly, it's been a boot-cut or straight leg. The front of these styles looks not too bad on me. The back is horribly wrinkled under the butt. I thought that was entirely due to fitting issues and that once I sewed my own jeans all would be well. Apparently not.




Burda 7590 is a fitted style similar to the jeans I've bought. I started with this pattern because it's simple which - I hoped - would allow me to focus on fit. Below is the front straight out of the envelope with no changes. In the second version, I took 1 1/2" off the center front length, shortened the crotch extension, and narrowed the thigh.




Here's the back straight out of the envelope. In the second version, I lowered the back crotch curve, made a flat derriere adjustment, and narrowed the thigh. Narrowing the thighs felt strange since I've never thought of myself as having thin thighs however, that seemed to be moving in the right direction.




Here is the front sewn with the adjustments. See that wrinkle below the waistband and sitting on the hip? That's important to note. The front appears to be a bit tight however, this is stretch denim. I had just put them on in this picture and by the end of the day, they felt at least one size too big.




Here is the back sewn with adjustments. See how the waistband appears to be sitting way too high, well above the indent of my waist? That is more important information to note. Normally, I take out an inch across the top of the pattern because my hip depth is 8" and not 9" which is what patterns are drafted for. I didn't do that with this pair and, in fact, I added an inch to the back crotch length. As you can see, it wasn't needed and...




... when I sent these images to Pati Palmer for feedback (as a former student) she wrote to let out side seams in thigh area, lower back (crotch) more, and pull up at CB waist. May need to let inseams out. Do you see how her advice plays into what I'd already discovered? Letting out in the thigh area is moving toward a trouser style and the exact opposite of what I'd done by making the thin thigh adjustment. While I didn't need a thin thigh adjustment, by the end of the day the denim had stretched so much that I didn't need to let the thighs out either! However...




... when I used a tight elastic at the waist to pull up the center back as Pati suggested, and eliminated that extra inch, there was an improvement. Seeing this image, it appears that all I needed to do to correct the butt wrinkles on the "out of the envelope" muslin was to pull the center back up higher and lower the crotch even further. I over corrected. Ever done that? It's so easy to do.

The pictures is too dark to see well. There are the butt wrinkles as well as wrinkles where the fabric catches on my calves. You can see those more clearly in the earlier image. I hadn't realized that my calves protruded significantly more than my derriere. That is never going to change and since the adjustment for protruding calves is to add more width through the back, that again points toward the trouser style looking better on my figure.




I debated sewing the Burda pattern again to see if I could perfect the fit however, looking at these pictures where I look like a ball on a stick and comparing them to how I look in the Vogue 2925 pants, the trouser style is MUCH better. It seems that for way too many years, I've been walking around in an extremely unflattering style. Seeing that, I've decided to wear what I like - trouser style jeans - and hope they don't look like Mom jeans. Just in case, I Googled "trouser jeans" and above are some of the images I came up with. Not too bad especially in dark denim.


Vogue 7608 by Sandra Betzina has good reviews. I don't have this pattern. It's one to buy for the workshop with Sandra in April. I do own McCalls 5592 below. I'll compare the finished leg width and see if there's much difference. The McCalls one appears to be wider but drawings can be deceptive. I like both patterns. Perhaps the Vogue pattern could be made from denim and the McCalls one from a more fun "jean" fabric. I have an abstract turquoise print with gold glitter highlights that I'd like to try.


After I wrote that paragraph, I was curious so I pulled out the pattern to see just how wide the McCalls pants were and they're really wide - 3" wider than the Vogue 2925 ones above - WAY TOO WIDE. My other choice was Kwik Sew 3625 and after reading the reviews, I'm inspired with this picture of Christa's jeans. What a great job she did. Hopefully mine look as wonderful.




Today would normally be knitting however it's also spring break so Kyle is off school and I'm home with him this morning. He goes to work around noon. I'll sew after that. Sewing has so completely consumed my time over the last few weeks that I've made absolutely no progress on my green sweater. I need to design the front in order to go on. That requires some studio time. Designing in public is never easy. SO... I started a scarf just to have something to take to knitting with me. I guess I'll be working on that again tonight.

Talk soon - Myrna

Grateful - The days are getting longer. Mornings have become brighter. I'm wake up to sunshine not dark. YES YES!

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Personal Growth - Pile your troubles on God's shoulders - he'll carry your load, he'll help you out. He'll never let good people topple into ruin. Psalm 55:22

Sounds good. I'll take that.

Boundaries: When to Say Yes, When to Say No to Take Control Of Your Life by Henry Cloud is an amazing book about the importance of established boundaries that define who we are and who we are not. Boundaries are important in a healthy lifestyle.

The book talks about our daily load, which is our responsibility to carry, and about boulders, which we require help carrying. I've found that a boulder can sometimes be a composite of way too many "daily load" items piled up together - the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back. Because of that, when talking about them, it feels as if I'm complaining about minor issues when it's the combined weight that's dragging me down.

I'm learning to be careful who I talk to about what and that I can't talk about everything. Unless a person "gets it" they're not going to "get it" and thinks you're making a big to do out of nothing. Not talking is difficult. I'm a talking kind of person. It's how I process ideas. Even so, I am learning to be less transparent.

How wonderful to know that God will carry both my daily load and my burdens. Definitely, I'm counting on that. I just wish we didn't have such a difference of opinion on how much is too much for me to handle. I certainly feel we've reached the edge - in fact, a long time ago.

Patterns & Patterns And How to Choose

Creatively speaking, last week was absolute bliss. As I said at the beginning, the energy gathered from re-fashioning the cardigans was both familiar and welcome.

Being both creative and practical isn't always a good mix. For the past few years, I've found it increasingly difficult to create textile art pieces because even with an exhibit opportunity, the majority do not sell. Eventually, they come home and are stored in a closet. This doesn't work too well for a person who prefers to avoid excess stuff and wants to be financially responsible. Textile art is expensive to produce.




Last week, I realized that sewing fashions could truly provide - in an entirely different way - as much creative stimulation as creating textile art and that a creatively challenging studio life is just as possible now as it was a year ago. YES YES!

By allowing my imagination the freedom to experiment, I can sew unique, individualized, and one of a kind garments and if I love the piece, I can keep it and wear it and if not, pass it along. That in itself is good enough but what a bonus that sewing fashions is way less expensive than creating textile art - especially when shopping in the bargain center. It's a more for less, win-win, situation.




As I mentioned on Friday, jeans are at the top of my need to/want to sew list. Above is the muslin fabric I used on Friday to test Burda 7590. What was I thinking?

Even if I bought this yardage the minute that stretch denim started showing up in the fabric stores, it's still not all that old - 10-15 years max. Either way, daisies on a 47 year old behind is NOT the look I'm going for. Instead of sophisticated, it would be a case of butt measles!

I'll talk more about how the jeans are working out tomorrow. Meanwhile, how completely un-ME that fabric was - and yet still in my stash - had me thinking about patterns & patterns and how to choose. By that, I mean the pattern on the fabric and the pattern style since both are major contributors to the impression we give through our clothes about who we are.




Apparently daisies were on my mind because here's another one in this pile of not likelys. The motif is too big and there is way too much contrast with the background for me to wear this comfortably. Together, they scream I AM A DAISY. If I remember right, I bought this for a summer dress. Summer jammie pants maybe. The fabric on the bottom? Big dots on a white background? HELLO BULLS EYE! Probably not although possibly as a flirty skirt.

The top fabric in this pile of maybes is a knit and the bottom one is a rayon challis. Both were bought for the paisley print more than anything. I am such a sucker for paisley. You can see that the knit will work well with my denim (personal neutral) jean (pending) wardrobe. The possibility that I'll sew and wear it is high. The other one looks a lot busier, I'm not sure it would get worn a lot and it's not calling my name too loudly unlike this grey paisley below. Yummy.

This is a pile of favourites. The top is a tone on tone paisley and the bottom a monochromatic knit. LOVE them. Both have patterns however, they're not busy or overpowering. They are quite likely to get sewn soon. The knit was bought with my 30th high school reunion in mind and that's this summer. The middle fabric is one that I've had for quite a while. I like it and yet I wonder if it's too high contrast. I'm waffling. If the design was more abstract and less defined, I'd be more comfortable with it although I can see it as a dress.

Pulling these prints out of my fabric stash made me really look at what was there. Since I'm working on the Basics & Bonuses List of garments. I thought about each fabric as a basic or a bonus fabric. What I discovered is that my fabric collection is as unbalanced as my sewing has been. I'm heavy on the bonus - dress-up - types of fabrics and low on the basic - daily activities - types of fabrics.

The same lack of balance is evident in my pattern stash. My patterns are sorted into CD baskets. The blouses, skirts, and dresses baskets are full. T-shirts are in with the blouses except there's very few of them. There's barely anything in the pants basket. Either I need to change what I wear at home and sew to match that decision or I need to change what I'm buying because it doesn't match what I actually wear - or a happy balance of the two - which is really what I'm going for by taking my wardrobe up a notch.

Even though I cleaned out my fabric and pattern stash not too long ago, I'm ready to go through them again with fresh eyes, eyes that are aware of the information I've been writing on the Basics & Bonuses List about what I actually wear and on the Fashions Pros & Cons list about the style lines I'm drawn to. As I expected, the lists are proving interesting.

Things like V neck, 3/4 sleeves, waist defining, close or semi-close fitted, and softly flowing are on the Pro side while things like crew neck, ruffles, loose fitting, and tailored jackets are on the Con side. Information from the lists can be combined resulting in garments that I will wear on a daily basis as well as a few for dress-up. It also means that some fabrics and patterns need to move along. They don't work for ME anymore.

I bet many of them - especially those not likely prints - were bought before I read The Triumph of Individual Style by Carla Mason Mathis and Helen Villa Connor. The big take away from that book was that since my features are soft, small, and close together, those are the types of prints I should choose. I've paid attention to that idea ever since reading about it and, in my life, it's true. When I stray into larger, bolder, more defined prints, I tend not to wear that garment or not to sew that fabric. Knowing why helps me to avoid buying the wrong things.

Next to sewing, I love reading. One of my favourite subjects is sewing and personal style - obviously, LOL - and I have a small collection of favourite books on the topic. Each seems to come with a quiz of its own. On the weekend, I re-did the quiz in Looking Good which is - IMHO - not the greatest of quizzes. My answer was often none of the above which wasn't an option so I went with the most likely answer and came out classified as a dramatic just as I did in the quiz in Staging Your Comeback although it's much better written. The quiz in Nothing to Wear classifies me as a Chic-Avant Garde which is a little calmer than a dramatic and much nicer sounding than an aging dramatic.

I love personality type testing of any kind. I'm always intrigued by what I learn. The Meyers-Brigg test helped me understand why I need so much personal space and that I'm introverted even though it appears to many that I'm extroverted. It was fascinating. By reading the findings, I can determine if the statement is or isn't valid. Like my lists, there are always surprises that make me sit back and think. Truths that create an ah ha moment and help me understand a part of me better or truths that I didn't think were, or don't want to be, truths. These sometimes mean work and sometimes means self acceptance.




spottedroo wrote - ... Working on jeans and other basics sounds good but it's also good to experiment with what counts as an everyday piece. You seem to like sewing richly detailed tops and I bet a lot of these would work great with jeans. Or maybe you'll find that a long simple skirt can be dressed down as jeans and can become a new basic for you. Just a thought!

sdBev wrote - ... Once I realized that I had the freedom to determine what I wanted to wear at home, my sewing took off and I've never regretted it, never looked back. Please sew what you would enjoy wearing. It's okay to wear the clothing you truly love at home.

What lovely comments. Thank you. I don't wear shorts (except to garden) which means that I'm already comfortable wearing simple skirts almost full time in the summer and occasionally in the winter. I love details and enjoy feeling both unique and feminine which will help me to transition my wardrobe up a notch now that I'm sewing fashions again. The jeans and t-shirt had become a safe and familiar rut but were never what I really wanted to be wearing every day. They were easy and inexpensive since I didn't have the time to sew clothes or the money to buy the ones I really enjoyed. Having time to sew now is amazing. It means there's a whole new world of possibilities before me.

While I realize that I don't have to sew only practical garments and that I can sew whatever appeals to me, reality is that after losing so much weight I have next to nothing to wear. That means that what appeals to me right now is a combination of practical and pretty. My current exploration of self is helping me to connect the dots and bring together a wardrobe and a sewing adventure in which the end result will - I hope - be clothing that I really enjoy sewing and wearing. That's the journey I'm on - one that allows me to determine the details so that I can actually sew those garments so that I can actually wear them. What fun!

Talk soon - Myrna

Grateful - I can see that my research into, and attention to detail around, fashion sewing is going to result in both a more wearable and a more creatively satisfying wardrobe. That's exciting. Even though I'm still bringing it all together, over the last few months I have felt more like myself, that the disconnect is narrowing, and that my clothes are beginning to outwardly expressing my inner self. YES YES

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Personal Growth - Get along among yourselves, each of you doing your part. Our counsel is that you warn the freeloaders to get a move on. Gently encourage the stragglers, and reach out for the exhausted, pulling them to their feet. Be patient with each person, attentive to individual needs. And be careful that when you get on each other's nerves you don't snap at each other. Look for the best in each other and always do your best to bring it out. Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live. - 1 Thessalonians 5

One of the things I really enjoy is the way in which God encourages us to be uniquely ourselves. While as a Christian I am one part of the bigger family of God, individually I have a purpose and a way of expressing myself and a set of talents, gifts, and abilities that is customized. I am not a carbon copy; I am uniquely me. That suits my personality well. It's also a struggle.

As much as we might like to believe that society accepts individuality, I don't actually see that as the norm. What I see is the acceptance of individuality extended toward those who excel in their area of expertise such as a fashion designer or business mogul - those who have done well for themselves out on the edge.

Otherwise, society tends to classify people who are different within the average flow of humanity as weird and try to bring them back to "normal". What is normal (and acceptable) is a big subject and certainly there have to be standards of behaviour to help people to get along however more than there is acceptance of and striving for individuality, there are trends in almost every area of our lives - clothing, hair styles, colors, architecture. If you're not "on trend" you're "outdated".

Some individuals who walk to a different drummer are able to do that with absolute confidence. Others find it divisive and isolating. If I had to pick a group, I'd say I was in the later one because along with being uniquely me, I'm a straight talking person. I will deal with what comes up and I'll say what others might only be thinking. When you're holding someone accountable (such as warning freeloaders and encouraging stragglers implies) and questioning their actions, it's not usually well received. That's something I've had to come to terms with. On a good day, I do well. Not always.

What is, is. This has been a huge area of acceptance in my life. When something happens that I find unfair or just completely wrong, I have a choice to fight against it or to work with it. Depending on the situation, I have learned that there are times when it's much simpler to accept that this is a battle I don't want to fight. Usually, it's another persons area of authority and I realize that they are going to do whatever it is they are going to do. I rarely like that idea so I'm learning - attempting to learn - how to work with it.

I refer to these types of situations as "the break-up call". What these calls have in common is that the person calling is only concerned with their personal agenda. They want something that doesn't include you and how you feel is not critical to the decision. In letting you down gently (or not), there's always a story, a "let's be friends" version that is either believable or not. Typically the next time you meet that person, you'll know. If they can't look you in the face, something is off. That makes me angry and I'm working on how to "get along among yourselves, each of you doing your part" when someone has just changed the scene and taken my part away without asking what it means to me or caring about the impact.

What Works For Me?

This is a really long post. You might need a coffee. It kept growing. I finally moved some info to Monday. Obviously, we're on a topic that excites me. Too fun and too true. Each of us, individually, being all that we can be and uniquely ourselves is something that I'm very passionate about.

Open to Opportunity is one of the lessons in my workshop Women Art Life. Similar to listening to our inner artist, it talks about allowing the universe (God in my opinion) to bring the answers that you need - to ask and then wait expectantly. Asking can be subconscious. I didn't say out loud God I need an answer for the front of this sweater. It was an internal conversation since talking to God is an ongoing part of my day. The question was naturally out there as I worked on bringing the sweater together and the answer came.




Above is one of the outfits that Sal at Already Pretty posted yesterday. The minute I saw it, I knew how to finish off the front of the sweater. As you can see below, my version is not at all the same. That's because hers was simply an inspiration that provided direction that led to answers. Inspiration is everywhere. If you're open to ideas (opportunities), there's a never ending supply of them. If you're closed to ideas, they're hard to find.

There are five small buttons holding the lower front flap of the sweater closed, the same ones you see in the image below along the back waist. They're sewn through both layers creating a false opening while adding subtle interest to the bottom half of the sweater.

Originally, I put a large button at the "collar" only it didn't add enough to the overall look to make up for what it took away from in my ability to wear jewelry with this outfit. Even with the ribbing and lettuce edge, the front is rather plain. It'll need something with punch and pizazz. Without the button, I have that ability.

The peplum idea was perfect. There are ten pleats across the back each with a button embellishment. At each side seam, there are two pleats that fold together similar to center back with one button at each meeting point. The pleats allow sufficient width for the sweater to transition from the fitted waist to my wider hips.

Yesterday, I said I was going to play with color on the design wall. Hmm... well... I started to create a color chart and then thought this is ridiculous. I have studied the color wheel in some form or another for over thirty years. I know the theory of color and - more importantly - I know what colors I like and what works FOR ME. There was no point going through a set of color exercises again when these color cards below illustrate so well what I mean.




See the group at the top? Along with black... in the medium to dark range of each card... these are the colors that I wear the most often. In their darkest form, they are personal neutrals and in their lighter forms, they are accents.

See the group to the right? These are the colors that you'll never see me wear in any form other than as an accessory and even then probably not. Because this group contains colors that are the direct compliment of my favourite colors, they might occasionally be punch colors but they'll never be core colors. They are not me.

See the group to the left? These are colors that I hardly ever wear and only in their darker tones except for the blue based lime. That is my absolute favourite color in the whole world. Three rooms of my house are painted that color - my studio, my bedroom, and the kitchen. This is the color I wear as a neutral in the summer and as an accent in the winter although to be completely and totally honest, I have to be increasingly careful with it as I age. In large doses, it overpowers me so it's becoming more and more of an accent or an away from the face color.

Even though that top group is of the colors I live in and seems pretty narrow, that doesn't stop me from playing with color, trying different schemes, accents, working with the compliment, exploring. Many people are scared of color. It's like a big box of crayons. Understanding comes with playing.

I'm very comfortable and confident with color so it's not something that I personally need to spend a lot of time on. If you're not, the 3 in 1 Color Tool illustrated is a FABULOUS tool along with any of Joen Wolfrom's books such as Color Play. You'll learn a lot from them.




In contrast, when I started the Basics & Bonuses List, it made me burst out laughing. Since my wardrobe needs to match my activities, I started with a breakdown of my time. I spend between 1/2 to 1 day a week at church or at a dress-up event. If we include knitting, we can stretch that to 2 days but that's it. I occasionally dress up for knitting. Dress-up meaning a skirt or dress.

Otherwise, I spend 5 to 5 1/2 days a week at home where I'm rarely dressed up meaning I wear jeans. Again, if we include knitting, we can stretch that to 6 1/2 days. That's interesting data. If I'm home so much, why is it that I've sewn more skirts than anything else? Am I sewing the clothing I need? Apparently not and if not, why not and what works for me?

Unless I'm going dress up more for at home, what I really need are more jeans and casual pants. I would like to take my wardrobe up a notch and I'm finding that difficult to do after spending so much time in jeans and a t-shirt. When I go to get dressed, it's hard to see myself in anything different and a real stretch to imagine going beyond a jean skirt or a sundress in summer. It feels funny. Like I'm overdressed. Oh well... I want to and I can change.

Thinking over my sewing in the last six months, it seems that I've been sewing what's easiest. To a certain extent that makes sense. With my continued weight loss, I have an ongoing shortage of clothes. T-shirts are quick and fun. I've sewn quite a few and wear them almost daily. Sewing a slew of t-shirts filled in a whole lot of gaps.

Next easiest would be skirts. With only the waist and hips to fit, these are a cinch. Since October, I've sewn six or seven skirts. One is a long, trumpet style in a denim-ish color and another is a short, above knee length, pencil skirt in a denim - but not a dark denim - more a Mom jean type denim - not the best color. It was a trial run. Neither skirt is what I would consider a casual, every day, jean skirt. I need one - or more but let's start with one - of those.

After t-shirts and skirts, pants are the easiest to make. I've managed to figure out the whole crotch curve thing (I think) so pants are only slightly more difficult than a skirt. Right now, I'm seriously lacking in the pant department and in about five pounds, the situation will be dire. Luckily the weight loss is slowing down because even my yoga pants are getting too big. SO... when I say serious lacking, I mean SERIOUSLY lacking as in I have one pair of jeans that fits for about an hour and one pair that somewhat fits and I'm constantly washing them. The situation is about to get desperate. Jeans just might have to be my next project. That's an exciting idea. I've been wanting to sew jeans for years and I'd like them in denim and in some fun fabrics EXCEPT THAT...

... I really, Really, REALLY want to finish up the top section of the SWAP with a blouse. Blouses are THE most difficult garment for me to make. With narrow shoulders, a full bust, a short torso, a small tipped waist, and high wide hips, good fit is difficult to achieve. What I need is a basic pattern that fits and can be adapted in numerous ways only experience tells me that finding and fitting that basic pattern will be quite a job.

SO... either jeans or a blouse are up next. Most likely jeans. I have enough tops to get by on. The pant situation is more critical. While I'm sewing the jeans, I can think about the core basics in my wardrobe and the question what is an essential wardrobe FOR ME.

You can look at any number of wardrobe lists and they're going to show two things for sure - a white button up blouse and black pencil skirt - and typically something suit-ish like a matching jacket and/or pants. Just this morning, I read on Stitcher's Guild that matched suits are making a comeback. What I find interesting about that is that dressing is make a come-back. That's good. However, knowing what you know about me already, you can see those basics are not MY basics. I have no need for a suit. I don't wear jackets. I don't and won't wear a white button up blouse. And, while I'd enjoy a black pencil skirt, it wouldn't be because of its everyday mix and match possibilities. Time wise and wardrobe wise, black pencil skirts are more dress up than basic for me.

SO... what should I, could I, would I wear?

As always, there will be the question of balance. I'm a minimalist in most areas of my life. I don't want to transition from too few to an overabundance of clothing. Core ingredients to me are jeans, jean skirts, numerous black t-shirts, numerous black cardigans, t-shirts in accent colors, cardigans in accent colors, and LOTS of accessories with a focus on chunky necklaces and fun shoes.

I work with a tight budget and due to my changing size, I don't even have those basics right now. With summer approaching, designing and completing a solid wardrobe of core essentials along with some flirty skirts (my summer shorts) would take me a long way. I've started making notes with the goal of developing a plan for moving forward. First, I have to answer questions like...

... how many pairs of jeans?

... what colors?
... capris?

... how many t-shirts?

... what colors?

... how many cardigans?

... what colors?

... how many skirts?

... what length?

... what colors?

... more accessories?

... how many pairs of shoes?

... heel height?

... what color?
... what else?

Ruthie K wrote - I think you would be best off giving away the pretty sweater and then someone who looks good in that colour and fine detail could enjoy wearing it. Since it's acrylic attempts to change the colour are unlikely to produce results of the high quality you desire. And the detailed edging will always be there, a lovely feature, but just not very you.

Wonderful comment. Thanks Ruthie. I hope you won't mind if I take it in another direction and please understand that I'm not trying to put words in your mouth. I'm not saying that you're saying this. I'm using your comment as the starting point of a discussion.

When I first starting cutting up my older art pieces and transitioning them to new ones, quite a few of my friends got really uptight. To their way of thinking, the original piece was too good to wreck. To my way of thinking, it was not good enough to save. They couldn't figure out why I'd want to risk what was for what might not be.

The assumption was made that the exercise would be a failure. However, what I've learned over the years is that if I just keep pushing through, and stay with the project, and keep trying this and that, that success is almost always just around the corner. Very few pieces are complete and utter failures. As my friends watched me successfully transition more and more pieces and saw the incredibly growth and development of my art that came from those experiments, even they started making why don't you chop it up type comments.

I love challenging questions. The green sweater has a lot of positive elements. The things that I dislike about it can be changed. The idea of transitioning it into a look similar to the denim knit lace above has been tickling at my brain for a while. Because I have a love hate relationship with that picot edge, I wonder if through the use of value and intensity I could create something I'd really like. Yes it might be a failure and perhaps giving it away is the safer route. However, even though I'm a very generous person and believe strongly in caring through sharing, I also believe in using what you have.

This idea is tickling my brain. It's not going to go away if the sweater goes away. Instead, I'd end up looking for another sweater that had similar properties. That doesn't make sense when this sweater is already mine, paid for, available, and - in my opinion - not good enough to save especially as I already have supplies in the studio for working with synthetic fabrics.

To me, this sweater is a blank canvas full of potential and exploring that potential is a huge part of the way in which I am creative. One thing I taught over and over in my Self Expressions and Fundamentals of Design workshops was that to learn and grow, the student (and the teacher) has to risk failure. We don't learn nearly as much by playing it safe. Learning to risk takes work. There are a lot of itchy anxious moments to go through before getting to those creative bubble bursts. And surprisingly, after a while, you crave them. They're familiar and you know what to do next - keep going.

Doing the work, playing, experimenting, risking, living a little over the edge, and following up challenging questions teaches me a tremendous amount and leads to interesting places. For example, if I wasn't willing to risk what was, I would have two - yawn, yawn - boring sweaters instead of the two unique and interesting pieces I created this week and all the learning I've gathered from them. Perhaps I should have just given away the sweaters but I don't think so. They were here, in the studio, bought and paid for, available, and... not good enough to save. Now, they are.

Have a great weekend - Myrna

Grateful - Jeans are next. Wow! Sewing jeans has been on my "want to learn" list for an incredibly long time. Exciting.

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Personal Growth - Yesterday something came up that I can't talk about (not even with you dear daughter) and don't want to deal with. We're not always given a choice. It's exhausting and requires me to be out of control and to trust God to provide a way. I'm not good at out of control. Trusting is easier. Hopefully 50/50 will get me through.