A few thoughts while sewing...
Buttonholes ~
Have you ever noticed how many choices you have to make when sewing a buttonhole? Not only is the color of the button important but the thread and color you use to make it? Which style do you choose? Is there a particular style for the type of garment you're making that's preferred? Is this a time where you can use a more funkier, fun buttonhole? Or are you worried that it will look to artsy craftsy? See choices...and we didn't even discuss buttons!
Silhouettes ~
I don't know about you but the Big 4 pattern releases have done nothing for me recently. I know they're working on updating their selections since their acquisition but no....nothing inspires me. Although recently I realized that I've gone back to using patterns like I did in my youth. I select them by the silhouette and then proceed to make the garment I see in my mind or the one that inspired me by adding or deleting construction techniques. Rarely do I make a garment that looks like the pattern envelope anymore. Honestly I just need the patternmaker's expertise to design my own garment.
Pictures ~
Pictures are becoming the bane of my existence. I had six garments to shoot three weeks ago. Only four were actually photographed because it was so hot outside. I know I need to figure out my picture taking situation here...well I know where it can be...I'm just dragging my feet on buying MORE equipment. Haven't I shared this whine before! *LOL* I'm so missing that white fireplace wall right now! Also, my neighbors here spend way more time outside than where I use to live. What's up with that!?!
I understand now how people sew and barely document what they make. I'm actually starting to wonder how much longer I will do this because of pictures. Almost everything I've shared this month was worn prior to pictures being taking or making it to the blog. Such a turn around from times past...
My Cut Pile ~
I have to tell you my cut pile is the truth right now. When I want to sew, I don't have to think about it. I just go to the pile and see what I feel like working on. There are two pieces in my current cut pile that I'm going to move into the drawer to wait for next summer. They're just too summery but there are two pieces in the drawer that I will bring out and add to my fall/winter cut pile. Somewhere in here I have to schedule another cutting session so I'm ready for fall/winter sewing.
I highly recommend making a cut pile! It really helps. I didn't photograph everything in the last photo taking session with my daughter, so there are more garments coming to the blog.
...as always more later!
I’m going to take your advice on the cut pile!
ReplyDeleteBarbara - you should! It's been life changing for me!
DeleteI, too, would love a cut pile. Why don't I do this?? I really love your photos, but love your sewing so much, a photo of the garment on a hanger, front and pack, will do when posing causes difficulties. I know, I am greedy for the Sewing Fanatic expertise, and loving what you do with Style Arc. Big 4 are dead to me now, lol
ReplyDeleteI too recommend a cut pile. Every so often I pull out a set of fabrics that I fancy working with - a mixture of knits and wovens, so that I've got some quick projects and some meaty ones. I then spend a day matching patterns and fabrics - it's time-consuming, but fun. I then clear off the kitchen island unit and spend a day or two everything cutting out, whilst the ideas are fresh in my mind. I then do all the interfacing in another session because that's a job I hate and I don't want it to spoil my sewing pleasure. At the same time I sort out/purchase threads, buttons and other notions for each item. Each project is put into an A3 zipped bag, so it's ready to go when the fancy takes me. It works for me!
ReplyDeleteJane - I do the same! It makes sewing so much easier afterwards! When the urge strikes, I pick a project and sew!
DeleteBrilliant - thanks for sharing!
DeleteLike Patricia, I too am greedy for your expertise, Carolyn! Would photos of the garment on your dressform be an option if "real life photos" aren't? How inconsiderate of your neighbours - don't they realise you have photo shoots to do!?! Lol!
ReplyDeleteSamantha - I think my neighbors are inconsiderate too! LOL!
DeleteThat's interesting, that you're encountering so much resistance to photos. There's a lot to unpack there and explore.
ReplyDelete1. Is it really the weather? If so, that's only a temporary problem. However, there may be other places you could take photos that allow you to have climate control, like an office or a museum.
2. Is it the fact that your neighbors are outside more that makes you feel a little shyer about taking photos? If so, what is it about their presence that affects you?
3. Are you feeling hypercritical about your appearance or an overall dissatisfaction? Those can affect how we approach taking photos.
4. Has taking photos become drudgery because you feel the time could be better spent elsewhere? If so, is there a way to streamline the process (maybe taking the cut-pile concept to photographing!).
5. Has the novelty worn off? Maybe you feel your photos are just photos whereas your previous photos documented some technique or detail up close so you felt like you were teaching an unseen audience (and so it had a payoff of providing a sense of mastery or competence and sharing the joy of sewing with others).
Maybe resistance to taking photos is like losing your sewing mojo. It's just a point in time and the joy of documenting your wins and losses, what worked, what didn't work so well, and what to do next time will return in its own time and on its own schedule.
I'm sad to hear your frustration with the photo situation. I love to see what you make, but if all you did were to take a picture on a hanger from your phone and include it in your blog, I'd be happy. It's what you SAY and describe and talk about that draws me into your blog the minute I see you've posted. I love to see your cut piles, your fabric/pattern layouts, and your process -- none of which needs to be shot outside. You bless us all. Please know that.
ReplyDeleteI feel your photo dilemma. I am very self conscious when taking photos of myself and prefer taking photos of my creations on my dressforms but I know not everyone wants to see that. I love your photos and photos of you wearing your creations. You're real, and I like seeing real people wearing what they make. Just do what makes you happy! Happy Sewing!
ReplyDeleteI so understand your photo situation. Losing the ability to step out the door and snap a few good shots with a nice background, or stand in a good place in your own home, can make it tough. And to get up the energy & time to go to a park or other place can also be a pain, besides - who's to say once you get there it wouldn't be too many people around? And if you go elsewhere, does it make sense to photograph one garment? But if you want to do more - where do you change?
ReplyDeleteFor inside, would it work to make a curtain you could unroll and hang from the resource center railing work? Nothing fancy, even a bed sheet hung from the rail. Outside might be tougher. On one hand, asking the neighbors to be involved might be an option, maybe you'd end up with a new sewing convert and sewing buddy. OTOH, there's always the fear of once they know you sew, they'd be asking for hemming and other repairs.
I know, some HATE dress form or hanger photos. I'd rather have those than no photos at all, or worse - no blog posts due to no photos!
I can still just step out the door and take a few pictures. All the pictures on the blog this year are from my apartment complex's grounds...except for the bridge ones and they are a five minute walk away. My challenge is that my photographer (my daughter) has a really full life now (4 kids will do that!) so I need to schedule time with her to take them...and sometimes the weather just doesn't cooperate or I don't feel like it.
DeleteBecause taking pictures is a production. Think about it, these are images you're putting out into the digital universe forever. It's one of the reasons why sewists take such care with them. It's one of the reasons I take care with them. Also, I realize that sewists can see how a garment fits better if it's on a real person. My last consideration is that plus size, older sewists are under represented in online photos. I want to do us proud.
As for inside photos...I have a spot in my apt that I could leave set up full time. I've just dragged my feet on spending the money to make it work. So many considerations about it and I've purchased SO MUCH STUFF since I moved last year. There will be no final photos on dressforms. I dislike them too but that's my preference and not my choice to make for other sewists.
As with all things, this will be resolved. It just takes time.
Hi! Do not beat yourself up about pictures. I certainly understand all the previous posters to this specific blog entry of yours but, my gawd people, no amount of your pressure and examination is worse than her own!
ReplyDeleteshakinground - THANK YOU!
DeleteI hope you never stop doing your sewing blog! haha I find it so inspiring and I'm also plus sized so it's important to see how other curvy ladies are sewing, designing, and styling. I love your blog!
ReplyDeleteMy cut pile is on hangars. Lol. I am not a friend of buttonholes. Lol. I have not bought a 'Big 4' pattern in a decade and the last one was a medieval costume. You, Ms. Carolyn, inspire me, to try new things, to do more, to think of possibilities. No pictures required! Thank you. Thank you for sharing your talents and skills. You are amazing! Truth.
ReplyDeleteshakinground - I actually had to think about the cut pile on hangers cause it could be done! LOL! Thanks for your very kind words!
DeleteYou are very welcome, Carolyn. You are very very talented. 'Mad skills' my hipster son would say. Lol. I think you are very strong and innovative to use social media. I m truly honestly grateful you share. I make do with what I have. Years ago (9-14 yrs ago) I sewed and sold garb while my 3 boys were in SCA and other similar orgs. The long cut pieces worked well on hangars. Used food storage bags for shorter ties and trim I made, and thread. Large safety pins or cloths-pinned bags to hangars. For limited space and 4 - 10 yards of cut washed/dried/ironed linen, it worked well and stuck with me.
DeleteYou are brilliant, thank you so much for sharing. I did hang some fabric up but never concluded I could take it farther, so much farther.
DeleteI actually wrote a letter to Vogue Patterns last year regarding their new fall pattern release. Their response was mediocre -- basically that I could find something somewhere else. Last Vogue pattern purchase ever. I've experimented with Burda but just can't get a good fit, so now I'm using Style Arc. Positives are good basic patterns that I can play with; negative is high cost and high shipping, so I only purchase what's on Amazon. Believe me, it gets harder as you get older. Housedresses, anyone
ReplyDeleteGood morning Carolyn. Thanks to you and the cut pile idea, I have become a thousand times more productive. As a busy teacher sewing time is hard to get and precious. I hate cutting out, it’s my most detested part of sewing, go figure. Now, using the cut pile idea and spending time getting everything prepared, I use the 20 minutes each day to sew. This has resulted in a complete me made wardrobe. Win win! I love your blog and look forward each and every post. I have learnt so much from you on how to fit my plus sized body. Arohanui much love from New Zealand
ReplyDeletejacquianne - that's soooooooo awesome that you're more productive with a cut pile! Thank you for your kind words!
DeleteHow pretty your cut pile is! Thanks for the inspiration. Wishing you well.
ReplyDeleteCut piles are the bomb. I love being able to go from one project to another by just pulling out a project bag which is ready to go. I'm working on a few new patterns so I will be building my cut pile next weekend.
ReplyDeleteOooh project bags! What a great idea! I love the way this community has such good ideas.
DeleteI totally understand where you are coming from in terms of taking pictures! I feel like back in the late 2000s when all of this blog stuff was just taking off, even having a means of creating digital images was exciting and new, and not everyone was doing it. I think there was less general concern for photo quality before the whole "influencer" scene took off. Now, we all take 50000 images a day with cell phones, and while most of them are not good, there is some level of wanting to up the quality in terms of what lives on the blog for forever. It's been a mental shift for sure, and it does make photo documentation feel like a lot more effort than back in the day. I've also lost my favorite photographer (my sister) to living life (she's moved twice for work and looking to move again soon), and it's just not the same with other photographers, so I tend to drag my heels to get started on the process.
ReplyDeleteWith my most recent set of makes (my "white shirt summer" project) I batched the photography for all of the projects, rather than photo documenting after each project was sewn. I think this worked a bit better for me, and seemed to function sort of like your cut pile - I had a period where I was sewing, then a period where I was photographing and blogging projects. I think that this sort of batched production might have to be how I approach things moving forward. I haven't really been making "cut piles" but I do really like that idea. I've started batching pattern making and drafting, but it also makes a lot of sense to batch the other parts of the process too. It would also help with motivation to keep sewing if there is something already cut and ready to go; then if you don't really want to cut fabric there is something else to work on, but if you have the energy to do the physically demanding aspects (for me it's cutting - even with a work table it's hard on my back), you can get more things prepared and ready for the next time you only have the energy to sit down at a machine. I will definitely have to try this for my next batch of projects!
Back when the Zoom meetings started, I bought a backdrop of a white brick wall and and expensive holder. You could also hang it on the wall with push pins, if you didn't want to buy a stand (and don't ming a few small holes). I'm self conscious and tend to take pictures of my finished makes on a dress form, but I should probably work on that.
ReplyDeleteModel your own makes if you can, we like to see you! I get it tho, I do. Batching will be the wave of the future for me and cut piles on hangers yay !!!!!!!
DeleteYou are all so great I have learned so much from Carolyn and from all of you.
ReplyDeleteMy son used to be in a club called "Great Lakes Jeep Thing" he was president for awhile and did really well at it. I just have to tell you all that my son was actually called "The Truth" by one of the members at that time. It was a long time ago now. His daughter is all grown up now at 23 or so and she was only a little then. I just had to say that, too funny. And Carolyn your cut pile is now "The Truth"
ReplyDeleteOh! Cut pile! This might be life changing for me. I hate cutting g the patterns out. It is my least favorite part of sewing and if I just batch it, I might be able to get further!!! So brilliant, thank you!
ReplyDeleteI am so sorry you are frustrated with photographs. I wish I lived near to you. I’d suggest that we could schedule regular photo shoots, maybe combined with brunch. I know there must be people like me near you. COVID has kept me isolated and so lonely and depressed. An outdoor photo shoot with a new sewing friend sounds like heaven. Just please don’t quit. Your posts light up my day.
ReplyDeletePlease don't let your negativity toward documenting with photos (right now anyway) drag you out of the whole blogging thing! Your posts are excellent. Just one or two quick shots to get your idea across. A lot of bloggers go too crazy with modelling poses which bore me to death.
ReplyDeleteCarolyn, you are such an inspiration, I look forward to your posts. Although the modelled photos are wonderful, the finished projects on hangers are fine, too. I will take whatever you can manage!
ReplyDeleteI've enjoyed your blog for many years now, and thank you for the joy and expertise you share.
ReplyDeletePhotography became the bane of my sewing too. My photographer daughter grew up and moved away, and I just failed to muster up the interest to find an alternative photography arrangement. Hence, I stopped blogging.
The cut pile approach to sewing is one I have started on since I realised that cutting out was the step I procrastinated with most. I cut out 3-4 projects at a time. Highly recommend.
I also don't want you to stress over taking photos of your inspiring garments. Relax and do what, where, and when you can. We all love your posts with or without pics. And, like you, the latest Big 4 patterns so nothing for me so I'll just continue to use my favorite TNTs adding my own embellishments. Karen in Austin
ReplyDelete