Poetry…Ugh.

My friend Kat wrote a blog post about a poem she wrote. I’ve never really enjoyed poetry all that much, especially the writing of it, but this exercise was very appealing.  As Kat writes, “The original poem “Where I’m From” by George Ella Lyon can be found here. A template for writing your own “Where I’m From” poem (much like the one I used) can be found here.”

So here’s my poem:

I am from the highway duplex life, from 7-UP and late night side jobs.
I am from brick, red, rusty, warm and gritty.
I am from the vegetable garden and the flowered path.
I am from Moose Lake and the pragmatic, Clyde & Marlys.
I am from alcoholism and perseverance.
From “You  can have whatever you want if you ask” and “we should keep this secret”.
I am from Luther and nothing and finally science.
I am from Milwaukee via Bohemia, beer and kraut.
From the agrarian and bricklayer and the last steel trolly to ever run.
I am from the framed momentous on the wall–stolen–the recited poems of Clyde, and the frail memories of Marlys.

Sew Weekly Challenge #17

The Facts

Fabric: Owl novelty print & Beige textured calico
Pattern: Colette Hazel (I’m trying these all out for you lovely ladies!)
Year: contemporary
Notions: Threads
Time to complete: 4 hours
First worn: For a day long Mother’s Day adventure!
Wear again?  Not without some alterations…There are many more ‘Hazel’ dresses in my future!
Total price: Under $20 if you include the pattern cost

I have a confession…I love novelty prints!  I don’t use them often however…It’s a love that I profess is one of the ‘see’, but don’t ‘use’ kind. So when I saw the mix-it-up challenge I was very excited, but also, very nervous. I love to mix-it-up with colors, which I guess would make me a fan of color blocking…still the idea of finding two prints that looked like they belong together, just scared the hell out of me.  Fabric shopping online was going to be too much of a risk, so I decided to head out to Joann Fabrics. While on my walkabout I found plenty of prints I liked, but none that seemed to go with each other.  I finally decided on the owls (they’re just too adorable!) and then made it my mission to find a print that would work well as the ‘V’ piece on the Hazel pattern. A bit frustrated, I fell back on piece of advice that my grandma bestowed upon me when I was eight years old or so: ‘Cheryl, if there is a speck of a color somewhere in your shirt/pants, you can match it!’  Thankfully there were a lot of colors to choose from with the owl print so I had plenty of options…almost too many.  Pink, blue, and green didn’t seem the right fit or the pattern clashed too much with the owls…Then I came across the beige calico that had a cross-hatch pattern on it that gave me a good ‘tree’ feel…owls live in trees…Done!

The Hazel pattern is for ‘beginners’ and I couldn’t agree with that label more.  It was so easy to trace and cut, and since I’ve been sewing so much, I felt for the first time that I could piece this baby together without the instructions. Hazel is meant to be a very light and breezy summer dress so the cottons I chose did really well to maintain the light and breezy feel.  Another really appealing thing about the pattern is the various pieces that can mix-and-match; so perfect for this challenge! I decided to make the V piece, the straps and the back panels in the cross-hatch beige color.  After seeing the pictures, I wish I would’ve done the whole back in the beige, but I still like the look nonetheless. My only struggle with the pattern was due to the fact that I’m drastically different sizes in the bust/waist/hip…I didn’t have time for a muslin (I know, shame on me!) so I decided to cut the ’12′ so that I could make adjustments if needed. Boy were adjustments needed!  Despite the fact that my measurements haven’t really changed, due to my martial arts training, my body is all crazy! I realized pretty quickly that I should have cut the ’10′.  In addition, I realized, too late, that the beige was not the right choice of color :(  Since I’ve only recently come out of my Chicago winter hibernation I am pretty pale.  A darker brown would have been a better choice so as not to have a ‘washed out’ look. In the end, knowing that this dress would need some future work, I omitted the zipper and made the adjustments as needed on the back seam and called it a night.

Despite those minor issues, I wore this little beaut for Mother’s Day breakfast and then lunch. The weather was beautiful and made the laid-back nature of the dress that much more appealing and enjoyable.  There is no doubt that I will be going back to Joann’s to get some more owl novelty print and a darker brown cross-hatch pattern to pair it with. But not before I make another Hazel from the very pretty floral print purchased the same day ;)

10 Things Learned on the Sew Weekly

Tempest over at Fanbloomingtastic wrote a neat little piece on the ’10 Things Learned’ whilst participating in the Sew Weekly Challenges.  Seeing as that reflection is key to learning and growing, I thought I would do the same!  So here’s my ’10 Things Learned’ through participation on the Sew Weekly.

  • Planning–It is such a necessity. Each time that I’ve felt really good about a garment and each time I’ve been featured it’s been with a garment that I carefully planned from start to finish. At the same time, not every one of those feature garments were something that I was ‘proud’ of.  Still, the fact that I had planned them out, made the outcome satisfying rather than frustrating.
  • Patience–I usually sew my challenge garments in a day or two.  The best ones, though, came out just right when I took my sweet ass time.  Even if there were flaws, they were there because of my lack of skills not because of a rushed job.  I am a big believer that if you are going to get better and grow in any field you must make mistakes.  Often I’ll fight through a tough technique and if I get it great, but if I don’t then I attempt it a few more times or stop when I realize where my mistake is originating.
  • Take copious notes–I used to laugh at this, but it has been so helpful.  I write on the pattern. I write in the ‘notes’ section of the instruction booklet.  When I fight through those techniques, I am often too tired or the fabric is in such a bad sort that I cannot necessarily get the fix without destroying the garment altogether.  Before I took notes, I would make those same stupid mistakes, and curse when I realized it.  Considering the amount of time I spend nagging my students about taking notes, you’d think I’d take my own advice.
  • Practice–Sewing is a skill, and to maintain it, you must practice.  It is so nice now that I’ve sewn once a week for the last six months to look at the pattern pieces and just ‘know’ where they belong and when they belong together. I still follow the instructions, but it’s still nice to have that confidence.
  • Realistic Goal Setting–I’m the kind of person that shoots for the moon on each project. The more I sew for Sew Weekly the more I realize that realistic goals are so very important.  When I’m sewing a garment in a day or two, it can’t be something too crazy…there’s too much of a chance that I’ll mess a small part up and then that small mistake will cause me to miss a deadline.  With summer break coming, I’m not too worried, but summer won’t last forever so I need to practice this one more.
  • The Importance of Touch–I didn’t want to listen to people about this…I’m kind of stubborn if you haven’t noticed ;)  It is so so so so important to actually touch the fabric that you’re planning to sew with.  Now I know that it’s not always possible, but at least get to a fabric store to touch a chenille fabric so that when ordering online you know exactly what you’re getting.
  • Trust your gut–When I’m doing something right I need to trust that I’m doing something right. When I’m doing something wrong, I need to recognize it and do a double check of the instructions.  So often, I make a mistake because I’m looking to power through a project.  Deep down, I know that I should just put the damn project to the side and think, but I don’t.  My gut is right and I have lost many a battles to it.
  • Sewing for Me–I love to do things for other people, it’s in my nature.  Often, though, I’m such the perfectionist that a project will take forever for someone that, in the end, I feel very little satisfaction.  More than anything, I am relieved that it is over.  When I sew for myself, though, I feel that satisfaction from wearing a garment.
  • Styling Matters–If I’m not feeling so great about a garment, it becomes hard to wear it, and that is when accessories are so wonderful! My shorts were a project I completed, but didn’t necessarily love. They just weren’t my style…However, with the tights and my hat, I felt a lot more comfortable than without.  The other project I realized the importance of styling was with the ‘Green’ challenge…There I wasn’t sure to go with the blue shirted or black shirted look …I took pictures of both and realized that I felt more comfortable with the black top and combat boots.
  • Finding a Sewing Home– No matter who you are or where you are, having a sewing home is so important. I never finished projects before I had a dedicated space for all my stuff. It was like my creative juices were bottled up in the closet.  Once they were set loose upon the spare room, I turned up the music and those projects just flew out the door!
Sorry for being a bit long-winded…Although, if you follow my posts each week, you’re probably used to it by now ;)

Sew Weekly Challenge #17

The Facts

Fabric: Blue & white gingham
Pattern: New Look ????  I can’t seem to find it anymore…
Year: contemporary
Notions: elastic
Time to complete: 4 hours
First worn: A year or two ago to work…
Wear again?  You betcha!
Total price: $70!!!!  (If you include my first  refresher sewing lesson)

I had big plans (as usual) for this challenge.  Really. Big. Plans.  I first learned how to sew from my grandma, so I knew that I would use her as my inspiration right away. Looking through pictures, I had almost too many ideas going through my head!  I finally settled on a picture that I thought not only represented who my grandma is, but truly captured her personality.  It was also something that I could totally see myself wearing back in her day and here in mine.

Unbelievably, I found a pattern from the 60s that matched the shape of the blouse.  I got some shirting fabric that had some very colorful stripes, and got to cutting.  I was on cloud-9, you see, because I was getting this all accomplished a whole week ahead of the challenge!  I was able to trace and cut out the pattern, which left me the following (challenge appropriate) weekend to sew it up.  Should be a breeze!  My shirt is pictured to the right…Yah.  It never was finished.  I got to it on Sunday (knowing I didn’t need that much time) and realized that there were NO directions included in the pattern…What I thought were directions, was a newspaper clipping about detailing what people were doing the previous weekend. Ahhhh!  But wait, I’ve been sewing for a few years now.  I’m a pro.  I can do this without directions or maybe with another pattern’s directions since shirts are probably constructed with similar logic.  That plan was good. It was real good.  Until, that is, I realized that I was missing pieces for the collar…raaaaawwwwrrr!  I still have no idea where they are, or if I even cut them in the first place. So the shirt sits, and waits, for its nonexistent future.

I just figured I’d miss the challenge and get back in the game for the mixy-matchy theme, when I remembered another picture of my grandma that had me laughing.  Here she was pictured hanging out in the back yard wearing her giant bell-bottom pants!  When I saw it I was struck by a stroke of genuis (or it was the wine)! My first official garment I made when getting back into sewing was a shirt I made in my ‘refresher course’ at the Needle Shop. It was a simple top that I had picked out some gingham fabric for.  It fits alright, so I don’t wear it much.  I find the elastic a little annoying around the neckline, and its a bit boxy even in the midsection.  Since the morning I thought about using the shirt for the challenge was ‘spirit day’ at my school, and our colors are blue & gold,  I decided to style it up!  It was a good day for sewing, despite the fact that I didn’t even utilize any of my tools.  To make up for that, I headed straight over to Joann’s Fabric after the pictures so that I could get my mixy-matchy fabric for this week’s challenge.  No working ahead for this gal. From now on, it’s all procrastination all the time! :)

Stylin’ Profilin’ 3.14.12

It’s been quite some time…Sorry about that…It’s just that…Well…That’s how the end of the school year is ’round these parts.

Since I’ve been really stressed, I decided to use dressing up as a bit of a distraction.

Here’s what I put together for last week Friday:

Cardigan: Charter School Cardigan (modcloth) black
Shirt: Rock Legend Top, modcloth
Skirt: Gap some time ago…
Tights: Mustard from modcloth some time ago…

Sew Weekly Challenge #16

The Facts
Fabric: Semi stretchy satiny feeling flower print from Joanns 3 years ago
Pattern: Colette Iris
Year: 2012
Notions: pink zippa!
Time to complete: 3-4 hours
First worn: Today around the neighborhood
Wear again?  You betcha!
Total price: Under $20

Well now that I’m back, good luck trying to get rid of me! :)  It seems that last week was a serious reality check, and allowed me to work on bettering my time management. Since I had all the themes mixed up, I had to sit down for some serious planning. A few weeks back I had thought that I would be able to make the stash-busting deadline and had grabbed this pinkish flowery print that I bought nearly 3 years ago. The only trouble was that I was using a pattern from the 1940s that was at least three sizes too small.  I knew that I would need to alter the pattern, but somehow in the midst of watching one of my many Sunday shows I made a big mistake and cut the size as I had traced it.  Then I proceeded to try the same pattern out using a salmon colored broadcloth, but I messed that up two other ways on two separate occasions. I abandoned the fabric and the challenge. The infamous sewer’s block had set in. Thankfully the circle skirt helped me break through the block, and on top of that, I received the newest Colette patterns in the mail mid-week.  I didn’t think I would use any of them this quickly, but somehow Iris was calling to me.

I woke up early on Saturday knowing that I had very limited time due to an insanely busy weekend. I stood in the middle of my sewing room and just sighed.  I didn’t know if I should try the 1940s pattern again or if I should try something else entirely. Somewhere deep down I knew that the 1940s pattern wasn’t going work…that damn pattern represented all that I despised from the sewer’s block. I grabbed the skirt and the Iris pattern and got straight to work.  The pattern itself is so wonderfully straightforward!  A back panel, front panel, side panel, pockets, and waist band. Tracing and cutting was a breeze and the sewing was just as breezy.  While I didn’t finish on Saturday, I did wrap things up nicely Sunday morning before all the storms came storming on in.  J and I even got a brisk walk to Ronan park where we took our pictures.

All in all, I’d say the shorts turned out well.  I like the floral print on its own, but I like it even more concentrated on the short and accented by the peach cardigan.  I’m normally very anti-pink and felt uncomfortable at first, but the more time I spent in the shorts the more confident I felt.  I’m not sure if I’d try and rock this look at school, but there is a chance I’ll try it again on a weekend exploring the city. What I can say for sure is that there are many more Iris shorts in my future.  There are endless visions of gingham, seersucker and chambray fabrics dancing in my head.  Three more weeks until summer vacation means three more weeks until those visions become reality!

When I’m Down…

I think of my favorite poem:

I have been one acquainted with the night.
I have walked out in rain — and back in rain.
I have outwalked the furthest city light.

I have looked down the saddest city lane.
I have passed by the watchman on his beat
And dropped my eyes, unwilling to explain.

I have stood still and stopped the sound of feet
When far away an interrupted cry
Came over houses from another street,

But not to call me back or say good-bye;
And further still at an unearthly height,
A luminary clock against the sky

Proclaimed the time was neither wrong nor right.
I have been one acquainted with the night.

 

It reminds me that there are those in darker places. I am thankful I’ve never been there, and in exchange, I try to make someone else’s day better.

Sew Weekly Challenge #15: Circle Skirts

The Facts

Fabric: Light-weight Home Decor from Michael Miller (???)
Pattern: Self Drafted! Yay!
Year: 2012
Notions: Elastic for the waist
Time to complete: 2 hours
First worn: Today to work
Wear again?  Yes! Yes! Yes!
Total price: Maybe $10 (???)

I love and hate this time of year.  I love it because spring brings all the nicer weather, longer days, soothing rain, and pretty flowers.  I love it because it signifies that my long, tiring, but very fulfilling school year is coming to an end.  I hate it all the same.  The nicer weather unleashes my inner procrastinator, leaving me with piles of papers to read.  The longer days are just an illusion as my workload increases this time of year preparing students for their AP tests and final exams. And don’t even get me started on those pretty flowers! The ones that give me itchy eyes and a sneeze face that even my grandmother would laugh at. Needless to say, my sewing has had to take a back seat to my job responsibilities, and up until Monday night I was really kind of depressed about it and felt as if I had lost all hope of being inspired.

Then I looked at the wordpress dashboard and noticed that I had the theme of the week wrong (I had thought it was the family inspiration).  Circle skirts?!?!?  That lovely, amazing, fantastical circle skirt!  I knew it would only take my a few hours and I knew that I had to have something in my closet that would work out fabric wise. Oddly enough, I didn’t have much except for this light-weight home decor fabric. I had purchased it originally in order to make it into some kitchen curtains, but our design went in a different direction. I thanked the gods that I kept it after my recent purge, I got my shiz together, and started tracing my measurements.  By the end of The Voice I had my circle skirt all sewed up and ready to wear to school the next day.

It’s funny how all the ups and downs of daily life can squash all inspiration, create writer’s block, and destroy ability to move forward.  I would have never ever guessed in a million years that a simple lil’ circle skirt would be my remedy.  AND I forgot the best part: all day–this damn dreary day–I couldn’t pass a single person without them commenting on how cute my skirt and or outfit was.  Talk about a well needed pick-me-up!