tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-479880960748887964.post9045568190914263391..comments2024-03-28T19:55:20.909-07:00Comments on Cation Designs: What Is the Goal of Sewing?Cation Designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00785063344305810736noreply@blogger.comBlogger32125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-479880960748887964.post-68163206566349789542012-10-23T21:47:05.157-07:002012-10-23T21:47:05.157-07:00Bored at work so I'm revisiting old posts that...Bored at work so I'm revisiting old posts that i "like"... <br />Um, I want to learn to make a COAT, not a CAPE hahaha. Darn iphone.Neenohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05805951948694378777noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-479880960748887964.post-22025885580605206512012-06-09T01:08:32.334-07:002012-06-09T01:08:32.334-07:00Wow, you really nailed my thoughts on RTW vs me-ma...Wow, you really nailed my thoughts on RTW vs me-made in my wardrobe - I was just thinking about this too! I guess I sew because I do. It's a hobby in every sense of the word. I enjoy thinking about it, planning, making, wearing, but there's never any bigger goal in mind about sustainability or living off the grid or anything like that. I still buy the things I don't want to make (jeans! undergarments!) and I only make things that excite me, whether they be cake or frosting. I do actually wear almost everything I've sucessfully completed, so I haven't had a donation dilemma yet, but I'm sure it's coming.<br />And I also hated cooking... until I loved it. I think that when I had every evening off and I HAD to cook, it was a terrible chore, but when I started working evenings and only had 1 or 2 nights off a week, cooking became an event that was planned for all week. I love eating good food, and somewhere along the line I decided that I would make it to eat it and enjoy both aspects of it!aleahhttp://notimetosew.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-479880960748887964.post-13064534730682575792012-06-07T16:50:58.537-07:002012-06-07T16:50:58.537-07:00Could you donate them to a place like a school whe...Could you donate them to a place like a school where the kids need costumes for plays? My friend's grand-daughter needed gowns for a play, so she donated all of her own daughters' old prom gowns, and the kids loved them! Or if there's a place with younger kids, they could go in the "dress up" box. And trust me, the kids won't care what kind of shape they're in!<br /><br />And, as for this round of notebooks, it was an optional grade, so the stack is relatively small. Still shocks me when the kids turn in badly done notebooks when they had the option to skip it... Only 8 1/2 more school days until vacation starts!CJGhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10008255818909186046noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-479880960748887964.post-14304930455094062402012-06-07T11:20:04.622-07:002012-06-07T11:20:04.622-07:00Considering my fabric choices early on, I doubt I ...Considering my fabric choices early on, I doubt I will try to salvage them or even donate them. I wish there was a creative reuse warehouse here like the ones in the Bay Area, though, as these projects would be perfect for that kind of thing. <br /><br />I think knowing that I could make something is a huge part of my problem! See, I always look at ready-made things and think, I'm not going to pay money for that, since I could just make it, but then I have limited time so I don't make it...<br /><br />My scrap pile is just growing right now. I'll let you know if I think of something to do with it!Cation Designshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00785063344305810736noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-479880960748887964.post-6414131455573241612012-06-07T11:17:13.399-07:002012-06-07T11:17:13.399-07:00That is a brilliant way to live, and thanks for sh...That is a brilliant way to live, and thanks for sharing the Hebrew word! What a spectacular concept, and a much-needed one in English. I am going to have to keep that Rivendell admonishment in mind! So glad to meet a fellow Tengwar note-taker, although I have mostly forgotten all of it in the years following college.Cation Designshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00785063344305810736noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-479880960748887964.post-90568591129300143342012-06-07T11:15:20.527-07:002012-06-07T11:15:20.527-07:00Oh Esz, I am totally with you on so many of the th...Oh Esz, I am totally with you on so many of the things you said! I love wearing frosting, and mostly I just make it work without any cake. And I, too, have a coat project I am putting off starting because I want it to be worthwhile. And after reading your comment, I feel a little better about not trying to save every scrap of fabric. I have a slowly ballooning scrap pile made up of leftover yardage, and I keep telling myself that I'm going to eventually make a quilt, or a bunch of tiny clutches to give people, but at a certain point I'm going to have to get real with myself...<br /><br />I don't have an answer to your when-to-reject question, as I have the same question. Mostly I just stuff it somewhere until I can look at it again without all the bad feelings that where originally associated with it. Then I suck it up and fix it, but sometimes even then it's not my favorite. That's why I ended up giving away a skirt a couple months ago, because it was well-made but a little too small and I didn't love it anymore. I like giving me-mades to other sewists when I can (i.e. not embarrassing quality and shipping budget allows for it) since I know they can appreciate the me-made aspect.Cation Designshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00785063344305810736noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-479880960748887964.post-73863459086175691222012-06-07T11:09:10.754-07:002012-06-07T11:09:10.754-07:00Ooh, boning is not nearly as scary as it sounds! T...Ooh, boning is not nearly as scary as it sounds! The first time I tried it I was all, pssshhh that's it? <br /><br />And both of us know the joy of making McCall's 5845 over and over again :)Cation Designshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00785063344305810736noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-479880960748887964.post-38763495424633530332012-06-07T11:08:14.698-07:002012-06-07T11:08:14.698-07:00I totally agree that the aftermath of purging is g...I totally agree that the aftermath of purging is good for the soul...it's just the during part that wrenches my heart :)Cation Designshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00785063344305810736noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-479880960748887964.post-6892552478990313572012-06-07T11:07:40.868-07:002012-06-07T11:07:40.868-07:00Thank you for the suggestion! That is an excellent...Thank you for the suggestion! That is an excellent idea, and I will have to bookmark it for when I have non-hideous me-mades to pass on. For now, it's mostly stretched-out knits sewn with straight stitches, so they have no give (I had no idea what I was doing back then!), and I would feel bad trying to foist them on someone. <br /><br />Science notebooks are the worst. When I taught ninth-graders, I used to just look at the stacks of notebooks on the desk and feel like crying.Cation Designshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00785063344305810736noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-479880960748887964.post-21627322292908672992012-06-07T11:05:03.411-07:002012-06-07T11:05:03.411-07:00Awww, at least your me-made items have a chance at...Awww, at least your me-made items have a chance at a second life! It makes me think of that dollar-bill tracking project where you can go online to lookup where your bill has gone. <br /><br />I thrift regularly, so I have the same fear of seeing my me-mades lingering, unloved...good to know that it hasn't happened for you yet, though!Cation Designshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00785063344305810736noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-479880960748887964.post-29493832203743538222012-06-07T11:03:16.660-07:002012-06-07T11:03:16.660-07:00I would love to think I'm going to recycle the...I would love to think I'm going to recycle them into quilts, but considering that half of them are stretch knits, I think it's pretty unlikely...<br /><br />Does anyone actually like cleaning the bathroom??Cation Designshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00785063344305810736noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-479880960748887964.post-66753277743274539112012-06-07T11:01:55.684-07:002012-06-07T11:01:55.684-07:00Hahaha thank you for making set #2 feel better.Hahaha thank you for making set #2 feel better.Cation Designshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00785063344305810736noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-479880960748887964.post-14114720660727608472012-06-07T11:00:24.146-07:002012-06-07T11:00:24.146-07:00Oof, I have so many just-winged-it pieces from ear...Oof, I have so many just-winged-it pieces from early on! I'm beginning to think I need to just suck it up and get rid of them. Reading about other sewists having the courage to do so is helpful. :)Cation Designshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00785063344305810736noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-479880960748887964.post-75569898600976335082012-06-07T10:59:04.806-07:002012-06-07T10:59:04.806-07:00Have you seen the quote from Ira Glass about creat...Have you seen the quote from Ira Glass about creativity and getting better at your craft? I think it's somewhere in my Pinterest boards, and it is so inspiring when I get fed up with stuff. I totally hear you, though, on the turning a page in the sketchbook! Besides, dresses aren't recyclable and take up more space. <br /><br />I would be embarrassed to exchange with anyone, seeing how poorly some of these old garments are made! There are a couple that are fine, just not for me, so maybe I'll keep them around just a little bit longer in hopes of finding a recipient...Cation Designshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00785063344305810736noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-479880960748887964.post-89583579291458419312012-06-07T10:55:57.943-07:002012-06-07T10:55:57.943-07:00Oh how I wish I loved sewing cake! I look at your ...Oh how I wish I loved sewing cake! I look at your jeans and just sigh. I don't have children, but if I didn't have a husband in b-school who comes home ravenous I would settle for bread and cheese all day, every day. He's not buying the "Just pretend we're shepherds on the Swiss Alps like Heidi!" reasoning.Cation Designshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00785063344305810736noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-479880960748887964.post-72755629491416964842012-06-07T10:53:47.320-07:002012-06-07T10:53:47.320-07:00Hahaha oh yes, embarrassed donations...that's ...Hahaha oh yes, embarrassed donations...that's my early projects all the way, with wavy seams and no finishing. I would keep them around for small human beings later, except that our tiny apartment has no space for that kind of thing. <br /><br />I love the engineering aspect of sewing! My favorite is trying to figure out how to turn 2D fabric into a garment for a 3D body; my mental spatial reasoning has gotten much better. Thanks for affirming the unnecessary nature of lingerie sewing and cooking!Cation Designshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00785063344305810736noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-479880960748887964.post-44902103821092505442012-06-07T10:48:37.454-07:002012-06-07T10:48:37.454-07:00Oh, I wish I had some crafting friends I could giv...Oh, I wish I had some crafting friends I could give the material to! But as far as I know, I'm the only one with urges to turn fabric into other things. I don't really like making non-apparel things out of fabric so I doubt I would ever turn old dresses into organizers and such, but props to you for recycling/reusing!Cation Designshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00785063344305810736noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-479880960748887964.post-77655541225823294272012-06-07T07:51:02.831-07:002012-06-07T07:51:02.831-07:00I'm at the stage where I like keeping shoddy p...I'm at the stage where I like keeping shoddy projects to remind me of the learning process behind them. At the moment some of them frustrate me so much I'm slowly rebuilding them the right way.<br /><br />Do you think that part of the problem with us crafty people is that we know that we COULD improve or make something new with anything we're not happy with? Isn't that the appeal of thrifting? Could you find a charity shop that would sell your early projects, leaving you safe in the knowledge that another creative person will come along, see the potential you saw, and give them a new life?<br /><br />I also second Esz, what do you do with your scrap pile?Katrinahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02429683896726352793noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-479880960748887964.post-59092892050851286642012-06-07T01:00:46.118-07:002012-06-07T01:00:46.118-07:00I like the Mongolian nomad model: they own nothing...I like the Mongolian nomad model: they own nothing they do not absolutely need, and what they do own is absolutely beautiful.<br />I'd find some charity organization that will give the clothes to those most likely to appreciate them, for their sake as well as yours.<br /><br />I'm a lurker, by the way... also a Tengwar note-taker. You make me laugh. And I love the idea of writing a poem round a hem.<br /><br />There! If you lived in Rivendell, would you keep these things in your closets?<br />I totally relate, though... in Hebrew there is a separate word (chus) for the special love one has for that into which one has put effort.A Jew in the Rainhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05547195213547633815noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-479880960748887964.post-66052975771631325302012-06-06T20:22:33.866-07:002012-06-06T20:22:33.866-07:00Well I have lots of things from when I started sew...Well I have lots of things from when I started sewing that are now in the 'Scrap Pile. Said Scrap Pile is deserving of the title case because its getting BIG. I'm not fussed about the fabrics that went into these garments because they were thrift store finds. <br /><br />The point of sewing for me is making a wearable wardrobe. I wear a lot of frosting too so that's not an issue for me. I think I'm at a point where I could do with some formal training. I want to make big things like coats (which is still sitting there with two darts and underlining done only) and have them fit well. <br /><br />Anyways, before I go off on a tangent too much (way too easy) - what do you do with your scrap pile? <br /><br />Also - slightly unrelated but not...I have a skirt I made in really nice green linen which somehow, stupidly became MUCH too small. And I shoved it into the back of my closet, annoyed that I'd finished it so nice but wondering how it got so tiny as soon as I put the waistband on. But then I thought about it the other day, when I put on one of my other self-made skirts which also originally had the same problem. And back when I'd made it, I'd taken out that dodgy waistband and put another one in that fit better. That skirt gets worn a LOT and is one of my favourite items (this one http://kittysdrawings.com/2011/03/sewing-charcoal-skirt/ ) - so what made me give up on the green one? When the fix is fairly easy. <br />You might have written a post on it already - but at what point do we deem something worthy of rejection - or fix it??Eszhttp://kittysdrawings.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-479880960748887964.post-30947584566087656892012-06-06T19:04:29.341-07:002012-06-06T19:04:29.341-07:00.. and my goal of Sewing is to improve and learn n..... and my goal of Sewing is to improve and learn new techniques. I always have a garment in mind that I would like to learn how to make. Right now my goal is to make a strapless dress with boning and a cape. Once I learn how to, I then make the same style over and over till I get it perfectNeenohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05805951948694378777noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-479880960748887964.post-44361851282042875672012-06-06T19:02:42.392-07:002012-06-06T19:02:42.392-07:00I love that photo of Walnut!!!!! The one of him de...I love that photo of Walnut!!!!! The one of him deviously licking his lips!!!!Neenohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05805951948694378777noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-479880960748887964.post-46908814702202912892012-06-06T18:19:51.918-07:002012-06-06T18:19:51.918-07:00If you don't love it, strip it for parts or ge...If you don't love it, strip it for parts or get rid of it. Done. Purging is good for the soul.<br />Oh, and I think CJG's idea is kind of awesome.<br />-SandraAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-479880960748887964.post-80451800348920815342012-06-06T15:20:49.815-07:002012-06-06T15:20:49.815-07:00I can totally understand your dilemma when it come...I can totally understand your dilemma when it comes to donating your hand sewn lovelies (and former lovelies)! I have a suggestion that might make it easier...maybe...<br /><br />I'd recommend that you donate the items directly to a shelter for women instead of a "chain" thrift store. You could also add a little tag to each item to say that the item was handmade with care and/or that the un-serged seams will make it easy to alter. Kind of a pass the love sort of thing... If I didn't have science notebooks to grade, I'd design a tag for you! Maybe, you could also pair up items to make outfits and donate them as a set.CJGhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10008255818909186046noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-479880960748887964.post-49548794014785458252012-06-06T12:22:21.465-07:002012-06-06T12:22:21.465-07:00Interesting post... nearly all of the sewing I do ...Interesting post... nearly all of the sewing I do is for my kids, but I stll have the same pull at the heart strings when it comes to sorting through their clothes, even more so as I've watched them being worn. I tend to pass things on to smaller relatives and then when they're outgrown again they'll get donated if they're still wearable. I do wonder where they go and what kind of a life they live after they've left our house...I usually donate to the same charity shop, and I also browse there for things to buy, and every now and then I have a fear that I'll go in and find a whole rack of my handmade items that have remained unsold for months - it's never happened though :)Pickled Weaselhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13314110021040229107noreply@blogger.com