Thoughts While Sewing - Fall/Winter 2025

I've written a number of these posts over the years on this subject.

I love these words from a December 2015 post:

I love the space I occupy when I'm knee deep into a sewing vacay.  I love how my mind starts to clear out the driftwood of life - those concerns that overburden us - and makes way for the soul cleansing that spending time being creative brings me.

Lately I've had similar thoughts now that I've started sewing again.

• I'm making way more mistakes now than I have in a long time.  One is definitely fitting challenges. My body has changed on me yet again. My mind is working to keep up and not doing a very good job. I still see myself as heavier than I actually am.
• Recently pulled a pattern and almost rejected it because the finished hip width was 53 inches. I thought too much work to add 12 inches. Measured myself and almost passed out. I only needed to add 3 inches and that was for ease. So yes, I'm using the pattern.
• I hate cutting out interfacing.  I don't know why but it's right up there with cutting out fabric. Not a favorite.
• My coworker showed me a cartoon from Reddit about a man using his wife sewing shears.  She innocently asked me if I had two pairs of scissors, too?  I laughed so hard and told her basically yes.  But in actuality I probably own 10 pairs of scissors that I use for various functions. She was shocked.  I had to use my painter & paintbrushes/paints analogy for her to get it.
• I'm sewing so I've been buying more fabric.  Why is that?  It's not like I don't have PLENTY of raw materials to use already! But fabric's siren song has been calling to me and I've been answering.
• I'm finally taking my time. Yes, I need some new pieces BUT I really want to enjoy this sewing journey. I'm making samples. I'm not forcing myself to sew. If I want to, good.  If I'm not feeling it, that's fine too.  I don't want to scare my sewjo away.. I like having that part of myself back.
• I'm concerned about how the tariffs are going to affect sewists abilities to purchase items we need to sew.  So much is made overseas or in Mexico. Shop after shop were issuing tariff updates and it worries me because how will new sewists get the materials they need. Or even someone who is sewing because it's cheaper than purchasing new.  Not all sewists shop at Walmart & Target. 
• Even after a trip to Lancaster, PA where everything is cheaper than in the metropolitan area where I live, the prices have gone up.  Buttons that I purchased in bags of a dozen use to be 98 cents are now $1.39 or higher. 
• Which brings me to my sewing spaces.  Because I turned my loft into sewing storage, I realized after I visited it the other day, that I own a lot of everything.  Trim, zippers, bias bindings, elastics, thread, zippers, patterns...I've collected them all.  Yes, they are nicely stored away but there is a lot of it.
• I want to make a couple vests for fall.  I've gathered a variety of patterns and comprised a list of fabrics I want to use.  This should be fun.  I've made several vests over the years, and a couple are still in my wardrobe. 
• I also want to make lounge wear for this fall/winter. I get cold very easily, and even though I dislike wearing pants at home, I want to make some lounge wear with oversized tops and wide leg pants.  I have plenty of patterns and just added some cozy wear fabric to the collection after a recent trip to Lancaster, PA.

We're coming into that time of the year where we can just stay inside and chill. I'm looking forward to the upcoming months because I'm sewing again and I have time off from work that I can use to create.  While I don't need much, I do want some new things, and to spread my creative wings so I'm going to sew.  

I am taking it back to a lot of what I've previously made, reusing patterns that have already been fitted with some fabric from the collection and some new pieces. Not many new patterns interest me these days.  Either I already own something like it or it doesn't fit my lifestyle now.  All that to say, I'm not sewing a lot of trends. I want this to be a season of using what I have especially since I've spent decades accumulating it!

As we approach Thanksgiving week, I'm off for most of the week and will be creating, so hopefully more to share with you soon!  To everyone who celebrates this holiday, I hope you have a wonderful time with friends & family, eat a lot of good food, and enjoy this time.

photo credit: https://www.farmersalmanac.com/when-is-thanksgiving-day

 

...as always more later!

Do I?

I'm in a quandary.  Do I continue to add to my wardrobe by making new?  Because we all know I own the raw materials to do so.  Or do I deconstruct and remake?  I've made some beautiful dresses over the years using some amazing fabrics.  During my weight gain, I gave a lot away because I could make new. But now that the weight is gone and will probably stay gone...do I give away again?  Or do I remake?

Y'all I've never been a remake sewing woman. The alterations always annoyed me so I made new.  BUT some of these summer dresses are just gorgeous and I don't want to say goodbye...

Dresses like this:

I loved this Hope Dress.  It and every iteration I've made is now being packed away.  I can honestly say I'm not dealing with those tiers!

Every McCalls 7969

You get the drift. I did reclaim a few dresses and skirts:

Made this skirt in 2019.  Re-wore it last week.  Wearing the denim version next weekend.

A rayon crepe version of my TNT flare skirt made in 2017 went on vacation with me and has been worn to work this summer. I've pulled the pattern to make more.

A couple of Myosotis dresses have also been reclaimed:

From 2020

From 2019

From 2018

While I have reclaimed some older pieces that I thankfully didn't give away, there are so many more that will go in the donate pile.  So do I reclaim or do I donate. I will keep you updated.

...as always more later!

Notes from my Sewing Machine - Early Fall Update

While I was on my sewcation, I needed buttons for one of my garments. So I went searching amongst my extensive button collection. As I was describing it to one of my sewing friends, she didn't realize that the last job I had in the Garment District was for a button company. Rochester Button Company to be exact.

During my three years there I learned a lot about button making, the different types of materials used to make buttons, how buttons are dyed, etc. I also accumulated A LOT of buttons. Sample buttons were ordered in gross amounts (144 pieces) and we typically ordered 5 gross. Which meant that my boss allowed me to take 2-3 dozen buttons, no problem. Three years of collecting free buttons, means that 23 years later, I still own a lot of buttons.

The other day I happened upon a history of Rochester Button Company and if you're interested it's here. Another article on the updated history once RBC left Rochester, NY. The second internet piece is for the reincarnated version of RBC with some of the team members I worked with in the 90s.

I've since purchased buttons especially during Frocktails weekend. I go through a lot of them for shirts and my TNT maxi shirtdress BUT I still use a lot from the collection too.

* * * * *

Sometimes when I look at my fabric collection, I KNOW deep down in my soul that I'm never sewing all of this before I pass on.  Yet, I continue to add to it. I'm definitely YOLOing in this circumstance!

I've also made the decision that I'm going to downsize some of my collection. Still thinking about how and when but I'm definitely thinking about sharing some of my goodies with my friends.

* * * * * 

I didn't sew half as much as I wanted to because work kept contacting me...and since I'm now the only one doing my job...I ended up working several hours every day for the first 10 days. I didn't sew or barely sewed until the Thursday before my vacation ended the following Tuesday.  To say I was upset in the way things turned out would be an understatement.

So I never got around to the Farm Rio dress. I knew that I needed time and space to work out the particulars and I didn't get it. I've shelved the project until next year. It was the only way I could move forward and sew the few pieces I did complete.

I did make a few dresses...which I've worn but still not photographed for the blog. With school starting and after school activities my daughter's availability has been slim to none. When she has been available either the weather wasn't cooperating or I just didn't feel like going through the process.

The Rivera Dress

Sewhouse 7 Romney Dress

Style Arc Montana Dress

Then work intervened again. I've been really busy and my sewjo fled. It turned back up this weekend. So I got this McCalls 7969 finished which I started during my sewcation.

 *****

BTW, I did attend NYFrocktails on October 1st. I wore this dress and had a wonderful time reconnecting with sewing friends I hadn't seen in over 3 years. You can see my recap here.

If I can get my act together and schedule a little time with my daughter, I have a bunch of blog posts about garments I've sewn in the last 2 months to share. That's my update. To all who reached out and asked where I was, thank you!

...as always more later!

I'm a Camouflage Sewist

That's an intriguing title isn't it! Well what I mean is that when I learned to sew we "camouflaged" our "flaws" to give our garments a more perfect look. Now I know you're going what?  Aren't you out loud and proud about your body. The answer to that question is, "yes I am."

However, I also absolutely believe in a garment's silhouette.  Maybe it's my background in sewing or my college courses in design and silhouette. But to me silhouette is KING.  And a silhouette that covers a body part but enhances the garment is even KINGLIER to me.

I'm fat. I've gotten fatter due to health issues and the pandemic. I know I should do something about it but while I can still clothe myself and get amazing garments that are complimented in these streets, I'm gonna sew first!  

I have old lady fat arms and lately I've been sewing more sleeved rather than sleeveless garments. As an aside, I can also tell you that the Style Arc Nova will probably be worn with a short sleeve cropped sweater.

Anyways, I'm finding I like an interesting sleeve especially when it works with the dress design. It gives the garment a cleaner, more sophisticated look. 

Dress Length ~

My dresses are all maxi length these days to hide my swelling ankles. Some days they're fine and some days they look like extra tires around my ankles.  This swelling is due to the medication I'm on so they're here to stay and an inconvenience I can manage.  A maxi dress hides that and doesn't allow anyone to question why my circulation is doing weird things!

Waistline - what's that?  

Yeah mine has been gone for some time! So I sew garments that emphasize my bustline and make me feel fierce. I sew a lot of shirtdresses and the key to making them work for me is the "waistline" seam is raised on all of them. Even if I like a pattern and the waistline seam is lower, I shorten the bodice piece then add the amount back to the skirt.

Accessibility ~ 

Making pieces easy to get in and out of is very important to me. I've discussed this before because aging has made some things harder to do. So easily accessible clothing is necessary for my peace.

I've been sewing for 50+ years now. I've sewn through all the stages of my life.  Teenager, college student, young working woman, motherhood, wife, middle ages and now as I head into retirement. My body has changed with each stage of my life and I've adjusted my sewing to match it. This is why I think of myself as a Camouflage Sewist. I make my garments fit and enhance my body as I move through the stages of life.

So what about you?  Has your body changed during your sewing journey?  Have you changed techniques, pattern types, views, etc. to make clothing work for you now?

This is the Question of the Day.  So talk back to me!

...as always more later!

So it begins...

I posted this to Instagram last night.

...while it says 15 days, I'm actually off 20 days...dayum near three weeks.  However, I knew I would barely do anything today. I needed a decompress day or two from work.  It's where I sleep late, lay in bed, crawl out, veg on the couch, watch TV and read a few pages of my book.  Then and only then am I ready to actually dive into the all immersive sewing I've been craving.

Usually when I have 7-10 days off, I do have a decompress day or two but I make up for it by having a cut pile. When I'm ready to sew, I can just start.  This time I have a pile of fabric, 2 half finished garments, 1 item left in my cut pile and a grand idea to reproduce an inspiration dress.

So a plan but not a plan. I really want to sew what I feel with no pressures. I want to go on creative journeys not worrying about a timeline. I want to sew unhindered. I need this time. I need to reignite my creativity. This whole pandemic, post pandemic, learning to live a new way has upset my creativity. Also, the way I work has changed. I went into my office twice in the last month. 

Am I making clothes for home that I wear to work? Do I need to sew as many things as I have in years pass? Do I sew more for the granddaughters? Do I sew to sew? Or do I choose more engaging projects that stimulate me? I knew sooner or later I would be making these decisions since retirement is rapidly approaching. As an aside, I've set a retirement date in my head - still a few years off but I'm actively working towards setting my life up to be retired.

All of those thoughts are swirling in my mind as I move forward creatively. However, for the next 15-16 days, Imma create. I have everything I need on hand to make things...so I'm gonna make stuff.

Also, these fabrics just arrived and have made me anxious to get up off the couch and sew...

Some black & white strips from Cultured Expressions

African wax print from Mocherie Boutique

Expect more posts soon cause my sewcation has begun...

Reminder - If you're leaving a comment as anonymous, please leave your name at the end of your comment!

...as always more later!

 

The Beginning of August

I probably won't have any posts to share for a couple of weeks.  I'm starting the prep phase for my Summer Sewcation which begins August 19th and ends after Labor Day. To say I'm thrilled is an understatement. It's what I've been desiring -  a block of time to wallow in and create.

One dress that I know I want to work on is this one and will be blogging the process for posterity.  Cause this one is a project!

photo credit:  Farm Rio

I've been collecting fabrics, all from the collection btw, trim, and thread so I will have everything on hand and ready to go. This dress has so many parts to it that I want to do it justice and take my time!

I have a few other pieces that I'm working on pattern alterations and cutting out prior to the start of vacation. My cut pile has just one piece in it now so I need to add more to it. I want it to be a plethora of garments from which I can pick and choose.

I will admit that there are two more Myosotis dresses in the new cut pile but they have a twist. This dress is just so easy to wear, whether to work, out to appointments or just working from home, that I don't mind having dozens of them.  There's also two new patterns in the mix, as well as a pants outfit. I haven't sewn one of them in awhile and am pretty excited about it.

BTW, these are probably the last of my summer sewing. I've already started putting together a list of items I want to sew for fall. These new garments plus the ones I've already completed for summer will be enough to hold me.

As I said previously, I will be blogging the process for several of these garments but otherwise, I will probably be quiet here until then.

...as always more later!

Learning not to be frustrated with the process...

While I was making my cut pile for summer sewing I've been frustrated at times at how slow some of the processes are. I don't remember feeling this way before. Instead of being thrilled that I'm pulling a new piece of a fabric out of the dryer, I'm dreading the ironing part. Because of that I had a pile of pretreated fabric that's unironed waiting it's turn.  That was never part of my process.

Some days, I'm impatient about threading my serger and sewing machines. Prior to purchasing my Babylock serger I use to dread it but that was related to dealing with the stitch tension.  These days it automatically corrects every time, so why do I dread threading it?  Same with my sewing machine. When I got to making bobbins and threading the sewing machine I use to be gleeful because that's when the fun start would start!  Not so much some days.

We all know I hate to cut.  Ain't nothing changed there EXCEPT when it comes to cutting out border prints.  Probably why I've been cutting so many of them lately. I love the puzzle of making this extraordinary print work as a distinctive garment. Twisting the options around in my mind, choosing and then rejecting layouts. So give me ALL the border prints.

Even the sewing process is challenging now and that use to be my favorite part. Like I have to take 3 or 4 breathes before I sit down to sew. I guess you could chalk it up to loss of sewjo but it's more particular than that.  I have the desire but lately I hate that I have to cram my sewing into weekends or a couple of days off. I'm truly envious of sewists and quilters who have all the time to just sew. Who plan their days around making a new quilt, trying out a new pattern, or making up a toile.  I want that!

I know some of it is because my retirement date is getting closer.  Not so close it will happen in the next year or two but close enough that I know I need to be preparing for it. Some of it is because truly how much clothing do I need at this stage of life, and contrary to the lap quilt I made a couple of months ago, I don't really want to quilt.  I will be adding in some sewing for the granddaughters but again, how much of that can I do. They're already getting to the point where they want to look like their friends!

When I really ponder this...it's because I want more time.  Now I can hear you saying oh I retired and I don't sew that much! I believe you. But when you do choose to sew, YOU choose the time.  You don't stuff it into a weekend or between meetings, or even take a few vacation days off to do it. I want that. I want that freedom to just create...and it's affecting me now.

Anyway, this is just a post.  Not even a question of the day and not quite a filler post.  Though there are completed garments coming after this one. Just wanted to talk about how I feel about my crafting and wondering if anyone else has experienced this too,

...as always more later!

Last Day of May 2022

While there's been no posts here to the blog, I have been slowly sewing.  I spent two weekends cutting out projects to make my summer cut pile. 

A view of my cutting table at the start of the weekend...

I know everyone doesn't sew this way but it really works for me.  I love being able to pick up a project and just start sewing.  It has also allowed me to start the process of getting things off my Summer Sewing List which lets me dream of new things to make.  All of this unclogs my creative mind and lessens my sewing frustrations.

So I had a 1/2 day off on Friday for Memorial Day weekend, Monday for the holiday and today as a bonus day...and I sewed.

I finished Simplicity 8658...

I finished McCalls 7969 - the dress that it seems everyone has made...

...and I'm currently working on the StyleArc Nova Dress

It will probably be mid-June before individual blog posts arrive on the blog with pattern & construction information, as well as pictures of me in the garments.  

The one thing I've learned using new to me patterns is that I like searching Instagram for photos of sewists wearing their finished garments. I can see how they fit, fabric choices, some even write some information about their process or link to their blogs.  I do this check more than Patternreview because I think I get better photos and I'm definitely a visual person.

While I have no finished garments to share this month, I have been sewing and fabric shopping! *LOL*  Speaking of fabric shopping, I've taken a "90 Day No More Fabric" pledge. Quite a bit of yardage has arrived this month and I need to get it stored away and/or used, so no new fabric for 90 days.

Yesterday was my 63rd birthday and I had a lowkey birthday lunch with my daughters and the grandkids...

The best way to notice time is flying, watch your children and grandchildren grow up. There are no babies here anymore!

...as always more later!

Strolling into October

I haven't sewn much lately.  I've been unpacking and getting the last of the bins leftover from moving put away.  Sort of like a squirrel storing away nuts for the winter, I'm making my place cozy for the long dark nights ahead. I do still have two pieces to photograph and share on the blog and they are coming...

For awhile I thought I would do a recap of September but y'all have already seen the makes so I'm moving on to share a few other things. First, thanks for all of your comments and the thoughtful conversation on my last post. I so appreciate it when you talk back to me.

Second, I want to acknowledge a sewing friend whose blog is closing.  Barbara Emodi, author of two sewing books, newly anointed cozy mystery writer and owner of the blog, "Sewing on the Edge" will stop writing her blog. She's listed her reasons and so many of them I understand. She is moving on to another creative challenge and I'm wishing her much luck in her future endeavors!

I'm featured on this week's episode of Black Women Stitch's podcast, "Stitch Please" where I discuss moving my Sewing Room. I talk about the reasons why I changed living spaces, how I set up my original Loft Sewing Room and why I ended up sewing in my dining room.  All info I've posted on the blog but the conversation with Lisa is so good that I hope you will give it a listen!  BTW, if you don't listen to her podcast, you should...especially the Sewing Room series.  She has highlighted several sewists who have interesting sewing spots and how they came to be.  Who doesn't want to know more about our fellow sewists sewing spaces, really?!

I added a screen to block the sewing room view when

 you enter my apartment. Giving it a cleaner look.

Since I'm down to the last two pieces I want to sew from my cut pile, I will be using the Columbus Day holiday weekend (Yes, I know it should be called something else, because how do you "discover" a country that's already inhabited?) to make a fall cut pile. I have a couple of transitional Vogue 9299's I want to add to the pile. I've got this idea roaming around my creative brain about a pantsuit using the Friday Company Ilford Jacket. And is this the winter I finally break down and make some pjs for myself?  Well maybe? LOL!

Otherwise, things are plodding along here. Hope all is well with you too!

...as always more later!

Notes from my Sewing Machine

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!

Half way through Twenty Twenty-One

This post is a compilation of thoughts, updates and follow-ups. 

I have a four day weekend generously offered by my company because we've been working from home for so long. In May I started going back to work regularly in NYC for 2 days a week. Overall my vacation, personal time off, situation has been greatly enhanced by my company due to Pandemic Fatigue.  And while the world is opening, I think we can all admit to Pandemic Fatigue and how it's affected our mental, emotional and physical health.

This weekend I'm sewing in the new and improved Sewing Room.  I've lived in my apartment for 10 months now. I've either been moving in, unpacking, determining how I want to live in this space or recovering from health challenges. It's just starting to feel like "home." I believe all of the above have affected how much I sew. 

What I'm Working on This Weekend ~

Today is a cut day.  I've been pulling fabrics and patterns for the last week and a half trying to determine what I want to make going forward.  Because need is no longer a word I associate with my wardrobe. Due to the pandemic I've been home more and need less of a wardrobe.

I have nine summer/early fall dresses I want to make.

    - Helen's Closet Reynolds Dress (hacked)

    - Christine Haynes Verano Dress (summer version)

    - Cashmerette Roseclair Dress

    - 3 Style Arc patterns

        o Nova Midi Dress

        o Hope Woven Dress

        o Jules Woven Tunic that I'm maxifying (yes I made that word up!)

    - Simplicity 8875

    - McCalls 7969

    - McCalls 7943

I've chosen a variety of fabrics to use - some new to the collection.  A piece holding it down in the collection for 24 years, purchased in 1997. I'm even using a piece given to me from an old work friend that's 17 years old and from her grandmother's stash. Fabric venders are: GStreet, Mood, StyleMaker Fabrics, Fabric dot com, and of course Fabric Mart. LOL!  Always Fabric Mart. I love how my fabric collection has so many back stories to tell as well as reflects my sewing journey.

Pieces Completed Last Month ~

I finished four garments last month with only one making it to the blog.  I was planning on taking pictures of the t-shirt and cardigan but honestly it was too dayum hot the day we chose to take pictures. Those pieces will be up next on the blog on Daphne my dressform. I want to get them shared and move on!

Here's what I made last month...

A Swingy Version of a Pembroke Top

Cardigan from Simplicity 8059

Vogue 9299 in a border print

Outtake of this MimiG Katie Tunic

Love this photo its just very dark and 

the garment's not posted to the blog yet

This Weekend ~

I will be spending the next couple of days altering patterns and cutting them out.  Probably will make 2 or 3 this month, then take 2-3 to Sew Camp (yes, I'm headed to Sew Camp but more about that in a later post), and the rest by the end of the summer.  Which should be about right since I'm averaging 2-3 garments a month now.

Sewn Garment Recap ~

I've sewn 13 pieces this year. I honestly haven't been very motivated to sew.  My sewjo has come fast and furious in spurts...and I've gone along with it. While I have purchased some fabric, it hasn't been enough to track. Whenever I think about purchasing I do remember what it was like to pack and unpack my collection.

Not to say I haven't self-medicated with fabric from time to time.  In fact 17 yards will be showing up this week because last week was a rough week. However, I have plenty of storage space and no desire to overwhelm it.  Though if I sew through my plan, I will have sewn down 33 yards so it works out.

Future Sewing ~

I have a fancy wedding to attend Labor Day weekend and I'm trying to decide if I will have time to make another dress.  Or just wear this one since I've worn it exactly ONCE!

Something in me is pulling for fresh and new which means I will have to shop for fancy fabric. That is one fabric I don't store because you never know what the special event will require.

There are some other ideas floating around in my head but unless I become the sewing maniac I was prior to the move, they're just not gonna happen. Which makes me a little sad because they would be great garments but it's not earthshattering if they wait a little longer to be born!

Finally, when I have pictures of the finished Resource Center, I will share them. I'm looking forward to having it done because it's a lot of space that's not being used right now.

The cardigan and t-shirt information will be up next...

...as always more later!

 

 

What is an Influencer?

I haven't been sewing AT ALL this month and I've been staying away from social media because I'm challenged by the fact that quite a few sewists aren't their authentic selves.  So many are trying to be someone else and the unauthentic portrayals sadden me.

It's led me to contemplate "What is an Influencer" and "Who is a Real Influencer"?  Are you one because you get free stuff and talk about it?  Are you one because you've got a lot of followers? Are you one because you produce flashy reels and take great pictures? Is it because you've declared yourself a brand, so you're doing everything you can to make a name for yourself on the socials?

It makes me wonder "What happened to the Art"?  Because to me, sewing is an artform, just like knitting, quilting, etc.  At what point is it about the "fame" rather than the art?

Also as with all things in life, there's space for only so many at the top. What's so special about what you do that means you should be at the top of the pyramid?

My contemplation does not come from a place of jealousy and desire to be like others. I'm offered new collabs every week. I say no to 95% of them and the ones I do consider have to be something I truly believe in and want to do. Free stuff isn't free to me.  You have to put work into it, perform it on a timetable (that may or may not fit into my schedule) and add additional elements to the project that you may or may not be reimbursed for.

At my age, TIME is a commodity that I don't give away freely. So I've come to the realization that the word "Influencer" as it's used today doesn't reflect who I am. I'm also of a demographic where I can afford to finance my hobby because that's what sewing is - my hobby.  It's not a job.  It's not a springboard to a second career - it's my hobby.  As such, I take pride in the fact that with years of experience I do it well. BUT and this is important, it's there to provide entertainment, solace, creative challenges when I need it but it's not scheduled, regulated or required.

If I influence you to purchase something, it's because I've spent my hard earned money on the item first. I've bought fabric from the supplier and experienced what their shipping was like, their return policy, what the product actually looks like when it shows up at my home. If it's a sewing machine, I've sewn on that machine for years. I've upgraded from one version to another and I've gifted them to my sewing friends. I believe in the sewing machine company. Now just add those sentences to everything sewing related as well as the suppliers. 

I'm not suggesting you buy something because it was given to me free. I believe in the supplier/manufacturer/brand and I would use this product whether it was free or not. That's not what's happening in the online sewing world now. In my opinion, sewists are trying to get as much free stuff as possible so they can be in the "In Crowd."  I can count on my two hands the ACTUAL number of sewing influencers whose recommendations I would take because my criteria isn't based upon likes.  

My criteria is based upon:

- Can they actually sew?

- Are they learning to better their craft?

- Do their garments fit well or are they just photographed well?

- Do they have any actual fabric knowledge or are they just taking stuff because it's free?

- Do they understand why notions are important and why they're needed to perform a task?

- Is all of their knowledge YouTube/Internet based or have they actually read a sewing book?  Not all YouTube videos show you the correct techniques.

- Is this just a way to make them Social Media Famous?

Now I know the next question is ~ who do I consider a Social Media Sewing Influencer.  But you know what, that doesn't matter. What matters is that YOU the consumer should decide WHO you want to follow and WHY. If you only need pretty pictures to make you happy and encourage you to buy, then continue to follow and encourage the Influencer who does that for you. If you like reels, IGTV, YouTube videos or Facebook Group leaders and they influence you to buy or sew something, then follow them.

I'm addressing my thoughts and needs since you stopped by my sewing room to chat!

Lastly, I understand the need of an Influencer.  They point us to things we may not have considered. They show us suppliers, programs, pattern designers we may not have known. Most importantly most of them do promote the craft of sewing.

These are my thoughts on a Saturday afternoon, where the sewists who follow me on Instagram have influenced me to finish up a shirt I've been stalled on.

...as always more later!

61 Years Being Black in America

I was watching commercials the other day and I was struck by two things...

One was a recycling commercial - and all I can think is that as a child we recycled everything.  Milk was delivered by the Milkman and we washed the bottles out, put them back in the steel box on the porch, and the Milkman took them when he delivered our new order.  This was in 1970.  We were given paper bags when we shopped at the supermarket, unless we shopped in a small store.  Then we took our own cloth bags. Arts and crafts at school were done with recycled coffee cans, toilet paper & paper towel rolls and popsicle sticks that we washed off and brought to school.

Recycling is not new.

Another commercial was about black people using black businesses. I had a black pediatrician when I was a little girl.  My recollection is that white doctors didn't really mess with black people. I remember having to be courteous and well behaved as a little girl when we went to the white people's pharmacy.  My mother insisted we use that one because she was a nurse at the local hospital and knew they had the most current drugs.  The corner store was run by a black man.  I got my hair done at the black beauty parlor and I went to an all black church.

Most of my dealings were with black businessmen when I was little because integration hadn't really taken place yet...and I was raised in the Northeast.

I was called a nigger at 5 years old.  I knew white people were different and lived different lives from black people because it was constantly pushed in my face. My kindergarten teacher was amazed that I was well spoken and could read, that my Mother read to us at night before bed and wasn't a domestic. I grew up in the Northeast.

I was never told I was pretty for a black girl.  You know why?  Because I was a light-skinned little black girl with long brown hair in braids to my waist. White people appreciated that I looked more like them...other darker black skin people not so much.  But that's a different tale for a different day.

When my parents bought a home in a predominately white neighborhood, one by one the houses on the block were sold by the white families. In two years, my entire block was black. The next block was mixed for probably the next five years. They made it harder for black folks to buy houses on that part of the block. By the time I graduated from high school there were only two white families still living there.

I was ten when they burned a cross on a black family's lawn three blocks from my house. And I was eleven when New Jersey made integration mandatory in towns, so I was bused to middle school to make the town racially balanced. BTW, the white kids left in my area, walked to school. I WAS bused thirty minutes away. The only good thing about it was that we were bused to a brand new school.

In high school I was pretty popular with my peers and their parents. But in my sophomore year our town experienced race riots at our high school. I was on one of three buses of ALL black children trying to leave the campus. We were surrounded by white parents who shouted, spit on us and called us every racial epitaph but a child of God. It was 1975. I was a sophomore in high school and some of those very parents had complimented me for a drama club performance not two weeks before.

I lived in a predominantly white town in New Jersey in 1975.

I won't even begin to detail the micro and macro-aggressions that occurred as I started working.  Things other black friends and family members had a hard time with because they'd grown up in predominantly black towns and went to black colleges. I thought I knew white people having lived with, gone to school and college with them, but even I was surprised sometimes by the racism, cronyism and downright ignorance.

All this to say, I haven't been sewing.  The news still feels like a foot on my chest and I'm having the hardest time breathing. I'm actually relieved that I don't have go to work every day because being the only black person at my firm, I don't have to act like this shit doesn't bother me each and every day. That I'm not constantly worrying for my black sons, grandsons and my brother.

Wearing my mask on NJTransit 

(public transportation) headed to NYC

...let's not add Corvid-19 into the mix and how it's rearing it's head everywhere people think it's a political decision to wear a f*cking mask! A MASK - that protects not only others but yourself from catching a life-threatening disease.

My sewing is stifled by all of the things occurring around me. Now I take responsibility for letting this affect me. However, I'm STILL not capable of sewing garments and taking pictures to share on social media while the world seems to be going to hell. So my blog sits dormant. I've bought no fabric. I've sworn off Hobby Lobby, Michaels & Joann's and the NYC Garment District just opened for business with social distancing last week. Although, I'm still working from home for the next couple of months...

This is where I'm at...maybe there will be more sewing later in the month. Maybe there won't be...

...as always more later!  

A Personal Note...

It's been over three weeks since I've posted to my blog because the events currently going on in the United States have TOTALLY overwhelmed me. While I've expressed my rage on my Instagram account, I've basically ignored my blog because it's easier to repost than to actually sit down and describe my anger, hurt, anguish and pain.

As we all know, George Floyd was murdered on May 25th. The civil unrest both in the US and globally, the subsequent self-examination of a segment of the white population in America and the protesting that's happened, has consumed me. I've felt mostly rage...too much rage to speak as I normally do here in calm tones.

So I've remained quiet in this space. I wrote a blog post for The Sewcialists because it felt like the right place to rage against the injustices that are done to black makers in our crafting communities...and even after I wrote it I had nothing to say here.

In all honesty I still don't. So I'm going to direct you to two black bloggers who spoke more eloquently about this than I can at this moment - Renee (Miss Celie's Pants) wrote this. Then Elaine (lanieemakes) wrote this.

Following and reporting on the tepid and half-ass responses of the major sewing machine companies, the craft store, that alt-right supposedly Christian craft store, and the pattern company that's been bought for the third time in 3 years and wondering why they're losing market share has eaten away at my desire to sew.  So sewing has been pushed to the bottom of my list and I'm clawing to restore it to the top.

This time I've chosen not share my feelings cause dayum if you don't understand by now, it doesn't matter what I type here, you're not changing your mind, your attitudes, or your practices.

I'm closing the comments. This is NOT a conversation.  This is a place holder post ~ just like the pandemic caused a pre and post Corvid reality so did the murder of George Floyd. Which side of history are you standing on because things are changing...Yes, times are a 'changin!

I don't know when I will be back with new makes...because suddenly it doesn't seem important anymore. But hey, if getting back to normal is your jam, just avoid this space for a minute... 

I'm In A New Place...

I haven't been sewing much in the last couple of months.  Some of it's from a loss of desire and some of it's because my sewing in the past has been driven by need.  In my previous job I needed a constantly revolving wardrobe for the many facets of my job. It was a very corporate job with very specific needs.

In this job, those needs no longer apply.  If you've been following along for the last couple of years, you know I really struggled with what I wanted to wear. It's been a four year adventure and I've finally figured out what I like sewing and wearing.

I've sewn a comfortable wardrobe of shirts, cardigans, toppers worn with jeans in the fall/winter/early spring.  For late spring/summer/late summer I wear a wardrobe of dresses both short and maxi length.

When I wake up in the morning, I no longer ponder what to wear.  I no longer wish I had something that didn't exist in my closet. Yes, there are pieces I can add to give it more depth but I'm not discontent with my sewing or what's in my closet.

So this has brought a moment of hesitation, loss of direction and sewjo. My friend Gaylen asked me the other day if I didn't have a long period of time when I didn't sew.  I can honestly say that the longest period has been for a couple of months when I was getting divorced. But at that time I could barely get out of bed every day to do every day chores.  Everything took so much effort - going to work, getting my kids fed - that at the end of the day I had no more energy so I went back to bed. Sewing wasn't in my universe because it took everything I had just to survive. I know if you've experienced divorce you know what I mean.

The other time I stopped for a couple of weeks was when my Dad died.  The grief was like a curtain that shut out everything else...I could barely breathe for the hurt that enveloped me.  And the crazy thing is that it wasn't unexpected...but there is no accounting for the empty hole the loss of someone who loved you so much leaves.

Other than that, I've always sewn. It's who I am. When I move not only do I need a dishwasher and washer/dryer but I also have to have a designated space to sew.  If there's no area for that, I keep looking for the next space. I know other people have other priorities but not me. I fully intend to sew until I can no longer sit up straight at my sewing machine.

So the continued lack of desire to create has me befuddled.  At first, I used the time to catch up on movies and TV series I hadn't watched.  Then I started reading.  Because not only does it transport me to other places and shut out the craziness of the present political climate, it takes time. Time I'm no longer using to sew.

I think I would be completely despondent if I didn't still have ideas of things I want to make swirling in my head. But that burning desire to create, the thing that drove most of my sewing weekends, it's just not there. I miss THAT!

My normal triggers haven't inspired me. Usually a fabric purchase works, but I haven't wanted to add any to the plethora of fabric I currently own. Or a design idea stimulates me to want to create, usually burning so brightly that I can't do anything else until its made. Nothing this time. I mean I have ideas but nothing that makes me want to rush home and spend every waking minute in the sewing cave until it comes to be.

Now I'm not asking for suggestions on how to leave this place. I'm writing this to explain why there's no content here.  Why there will probably be only a little content going forward. I get some of my best "Questions of the Day" when I'm neck deep in sewing. One sewing journey usually leads to another.  A need usually leads to a purchase of sewing equipment. I no longer have needs...wants maybe but few needs.

So I'm figuring out where to go from here. How to either get back to where I was or find a new space to create. I believe this is my new and/or next sewing journey!

...as always more later!