Friday, October 28, 2011

What I love about sewing.

These pattern pieces have been sitting on my guest bed all week:



Yet despite not having too much on my plate this week, I couldn't get myself to start the project.  I've been trying to figure out why.  I have a pattern for a dress I think is both cute and practical.  I have fabric I love, which is already washed and ironed.  What is stopping me?

It got me to thinking about what I love about sewing.  I definitely love getting new patterns.  I love going fabric shopping, imagining how "this" fabric would look with "that" pattern.  And of course I love touching the fabrics. I don't even mind washing and ironing them before starting the project.

But I don't always love tracing the pattern pieces (although sometimes I do enjoy it).  And I really don't love cutting out the fabric.  About a month ago I bought myself some fancy pattern weights (half off at JoAnn's!), hoping it might make the task a little less tedious.  But no.

I love sewing straight lines.  On fabrics that aren't challenging.  I like making gathers, but not attaching the gathered piece to a flat piece.  I don't mind inserting zippers or making buttonholes, but I don't like setting in sleeves.

I like making pieces that fit well, but I don't like making muslins or alterations.

So it seems that about half of the work of sewing something is stuff I don't like to do!  However, I'm really hoping to get a good start on this dress over the weekend:

Lisette Portfolio Dress

This looks like an easy-to-wear A-line dress that I could get a lot of use out of.  It's great for spring or for fall or winter, depending on the fabric you use.  I got some kooky thin corduroy that I really like:


And I can just see wearing this dress with some bright tights and boots.

All I have to do is make it.

10 comments:

  1. I feel almost exactly the same way about sewing...except that I really don't like ironing the fabric beforehand. I also don't like cutting out the pattern pieces from the tissue. If I had someone to do all the prep work for both sewing and cooking so that I could just create, mise in place, I'd do a lot more of both, LOL!

    I love the fabric you chose!

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  2. Getting started (or restarted) is usually the hardest part, right?

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  3. Getting started IS the hardest part! Although, with knitting, it's the easiest part! Hmmmm . . .

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  4. That might be a good business idea: do all the prep work!

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  5. LOVE the corduroy you picked for the dress. It makes me feel that the groovy paisley I have earmarked for the same pattern is doable :) I think you hit the nail on the head with sewing - getting started is definitely harder than in knitting.

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  6. BUT! I got all the pieces made and cut out today! Yay! Sewing tomorrow!

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  7. I hear you; there are some parts of making quilts that I procrastinate about terribly. Design phase is my favorite, piecing is okay, sandwiching the layers and basting is something I would pay someone else to do if I could.

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  8. I love piecing quilts (see: sewing straight lines!) but I have a hard time choosing fabrics, and I can't stand quilting! For that reason, most of my quilts have been tied!

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  9. I always find that I have to cut it out on one day, take a rest and then get to sewing it. Don't know why. It also takes me a long time to finally finish things off, like sewing the hems, attaching the hook and eyes.

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  10. I've noticed I'm doing the same thing:
    one day for making the pattern, another day for cutting out, and another day (or two or three) for sewing. Makes it more manageble somehow!

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