"Thanks so much for sharing your sewing adventures in your blog. Seeing your fabulous creations for a plus size body have really inspired me to stop waiting around for my shape to change before I make my own clothing. Tonight, I finished (aside from hemming) a simple sundress...it's the first garment other than PJ pants that I've made for myself in years, and I'm looking forward to doing more."
I have to tell you that this comment made my day! I know that sometimes I come across as self assured and confident...but there are times when I'm posting pictures and gritting my teeth hoping and praying that people will be kind!That was definitely the case with last night's post. Although I don't know how I can encourage other plus size sewists if I'm not willing to share my unflattering fit pictures. I'm sure that I'm not the only one that posts them, but somehow in my mind my pics look worse than others...but isn't that always the case! *smile* So I just want to thank Tanya for her wonderful words and for all of the sincere and helpful comments that came afterwards.
And Tanya...once again thanks for your very kind words...they are sooooo appreciated! But mostly, I'm so thrilled that you are sewing again for yourself! That is the real prize!!! And please check out Tanya's pretty new sundress here!!!
...as always, more later!
Awwww....so sweet! It's nice for you to know how much you influence and encourage others (we already know (smile))!!! It goes to show that you get back what you give in life. BTW, you don't have anything to grit your teeth about--your clothes are FABULOUS and you represent the Plus Size beauties well!!!
ReplyDeleteCarolyn, you are definitely an inspiration to all sewists - or you wouldn't have so many devoted followers. It is brave to share the way you do and I appreciate it.
ReplyDeleteAnd YAY for Tanya!!!! I am so happy she has decided to sew for her body NOW. That is *such* a powerful enabling place to be. We all deserve nice, well fitting clothing!
C - I have to agree with Shams that you are in inspiration to all sewists. I for one definitely appreciate your blog even if I don't comment all the time.
ReplyDeleteKudos to Tanya for using your inspiration to appreciate her body and sewing for herself!
I would be encouraged by this, too! It's wonderful that she took the time to bring refreshing to you. I enjoy keeping up with your adventures, too.... Continue to share....
ReplyDeleteYou encourage me!!! I love to read. I feel your enthusiasm. Thanks for sharing them.
ReplyDeleteOh Carolyn More of us should be thanking you. The fact is you have fitting challenges and by sharing your adventures and solutions I am inspired and encouraged to work on my own. I've also been inspired to do something, I've longed to do for years. That's taking my TNT's and adding design details. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteCarolyn -- There are a lot of sewers who make their own clothing so that they can get what they see in their minds' eyes but never see on the rack in the store. and then there are a lot of sewers who make their own clothing because they have fit issues and then there are sewers who have both. When I look at the amazing things you make, I'm constantly reminded that it's really not enough to just copy something I saw in the store -- because a lot of times, that would not work well for my anyway. Your sewing is always so inspirational in terms of boiling things down to the details that will give you what you want - that's the one area where I get lost and have to work on a lot. Tim Gunn has NO idea what 'Make it work' means in comparison to YOU!
ReplyDeleteCarolyn, I read you every day and should comment more often. You inspire everyone, and I am so happy Tanya! NObody should run around in pajamas, although I've had times in my life when it would have been the easiest way to go (scrubs runs a close second.) Thanks for being such a great role model. K
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome!
ReplyDeleteHere's my first recent dress, inspired by YOU! Certainly not corporate chic, but perfect for playing around with my little boys.
Carolyn I too read you every day, well except for a stint or two when I read no one and you always inspire me. We should all thank you buckets.
ReplyDeleteI like checking on your sight. It gives me some type of inspiration. I am plus size. I should say boxy. I have a hard time with patterns because I'm dyslexic and get really frustrated so most of the stuff I make is without patterns. I'm at sewforreal-mamafioreblogspot.com and I wear my mistakes. Some of them are funny and I look like I'm a linebacker for the Greenbay Packers. Everyone thinks I can sew. When I look your blog....it makes me feel good, then I attempt to make something. Keep up the good work.
ReplyDeleteTanya is so right - you ARE such an INSPIRATION!
ReplyDeleteDitto what everyone else has said! Brava to you for being brave and posting your wins and your problems. You have a great eye, and your wins are almost 100%, but perhaps your readers learn even more from your problems that you solve.
ReplyDeleteI'm putting my hand up to being inspired by you too! I got into sewing a couple of years back and tried googling plus size sewing blogs and was seriously not impressed. I ended up spending my needle time making housey things, bag & purses.
ReplyDeleteCan't even remember how/when I found this blog but in direct response to reading about your wins (and the occasional flop!)
I have recently bought a whole bunch of tunic & dress patterns on ebay (first one arrived yesterday - Yay!) and am gonna go for it.
PLEASE carry on doing what you do!
PS how on earth do you manage to make SO much stuff? How many hours do you have in your day???
xx
Carolyn, you are an inspiration to sewists of all sizes! I don't think your muslin fitting pictures look particularly bad, anyway. Sharing your process helps us beginners. So thank you.
ReplyDeleteReading your posts makes me consider how much I love reading sewing blogs generally. They are so much more inspiring than fashion magazines; So much more interesting than a trip to the mall.
you are appreciated Carolyn, I hope you always know that.
ReplyDeleteCarolyn,
ReplyDeleteI always love your creations, and you always look beautiful in them. You are truly an inspiration to us all. Keep up the wonderful work.
The Other Carolyn
You truly are an inspiration to all. I admire the way you churn out one outfit after another, facing the challenges that come with each piece. We all come in different sizes, but everyone of us has our own issues with fit that need to be dealt with. Every well-fitting garment, every thought through outfit is a boost for the self esteem, and everyone needs that.
ReplyDeleteI have to dash to work but I will come back later and read all of the comments. I must decloak however, and tell you that you are on my daily check in, you are such an inspiration and so prolific! I sew much slower, but live vicariously thru you. Please continue to share you wins and tribulations.
ReplyDeleteCarolyn I cannot express to you how fantastic it is to see patterns sewn up and fitted to a woman such as I would see anywhere, every day. Fashion models are lovely to look at and display the small sizes of the clothing well, but they do not give me any indication at all of what an outfit would look like ON MY BODY. You and I don't necessarily have the same body type, but I get a better idea of the fit issues a pattern has from seeing it on a body type I can relate to.
ReplyDeleteLet me add my voice to the others. You are such an inspiration and we are so lucky that you take the time to share your downs as well as your ups with us. Add good for Tanya! I agree with Shams, we all deserve nice well fitting clothes.
ReplyDeleteGoing to chime in here. Carolyn, you are definitely an inspiration to us all. I show your site to my "divalicious" clients. I use it as a teaching tool for them and myself. You always exude style, grace and elegance. Besides, your smile is quite contagious. Many yards of fuchisa polyester satin has been returned after a gander through your blog. For that I say, thank you!
ReplyDeleteAngela
A kind spirit always shows through not matter what you're wearing. You sew and fit your garments so expertly that it only compliments your sweet and very sharing spirit. Tanya expressed appreciate on behalf of all of us.
ReplyDeleteisn't it great to be an inspiration to someone. This is so great. you and so many other sewists bloggers in blogosphere have inspired me as well. I am a very novice sewist and i just love seeing what you do especially because your body is like my body and your style is like my style. Keep being an inspiration.
ReplyDeleteYou are such an inspiration.
ReplyDeleteCarolyn - you always look fantastic in your photos. You have nothing to grit your teeth about. You are an absolute inspiration to all of us who read your blog. You are incredibly productive (how DO you sew all those clothes and still work?) and have given me many ideas on what to sew, and would look good, for myself. We all need to stop beating ourselves up for not looking like some anorexic pre-pubertal waif that a magazine editor used to sell magazines. Please please keep doing what you are doing.
ReplyDeleteYou are such a sweetheart. I wish my mother would read this. She frustrates me sometimes. I try to stress that she is beautful just the way she is! Keep it up girl!
ReplyDeleteThat's exactly why I post my fitting muslin shots.I'm hoping that I can encourage more plus-sized women to sew for themselves. You're doing something fantastic here Carolyn. That's why we love you!
ReplyDelete