Monday 20 January 2014

Belated Blogiversary

On Saturday it was my 1 year blogiversary. I missed it completely. I only remembered this afternoon, at work.

Oh well. It would have been nice to have marked it with a giveaway or a tutorial, but I have nothing organised. Similarly, there is little point in doing a reflections type post, given I did just that quite recently. But I wanted to at least note the occasion with a little post!

Since my last post, I have started working on an Anda variation. This should be the simplest make ever - the basic dress in its natural form is just 4 seams, some bias binding and a casing and a tie at the waist, but so far I seem to have unpicked more than I've sewn. My tension has gone a bit wonky on my sewing machine, and I managed to break 2 threads on my overlocker.  Plus, I spent a good amount of time, just staring at the cut out pieces.

With my first pregnancy, I got my energy back once into the second trimester, but this time, while not as exhausted as I was during the first 12 weeks, I am still shattered in the evenings. I think pregnancy, plus dealing with Small Boy - who has been going through a really bad behaviour phase (God, I hope it's a phase) recently - plus I've been fighting a really bad chesty cough, plus I've been really busy at work (not forgetting I am only 4 months into a new job) are all adding up! Woe is me!

The thing is I am really keen and super-inspired to sew. I just can't quite summon up the energy. I have pushed myself, even just to do a quick half hour here or there, which has helped. But the dress is still not finished. I am modifying the Anda to fit my current shape, and I think that for tired sewing, this isn't a good idea. In this state of mind/physicality, I need to be able to blindly follow instructions, without necessarily having to think about things. However, I am working on Saturday, which means I am off Monday. My plan for then is to put Small Boy into nursery and spend the day at the sewing machine. I desperately need some new clothes, so although I have a few overdue projects, this really needs to be my priority. Selfish sewing having to be a priority? What a nightmare! :)

Anyway, I shall finish my 1 year blogiversary post with a little observation about how much sewing has embedded itself in my conscious this year.

I have realised that I missed off one reflection from my recent Reflections, Inspirations, Goals post; that I have developed a complete obsession with working out how garments are put together. More often than not, I catch myself on buses and in meetings at work, looking at a garment someone is wearing and admiring the pattern placement on the pocket, wondering what the inside of a blouse looks like, or mentally trying to recreate a pleat in my head. However, I think this obsession can be best demonstrated thus:

On Tuesday I had a routine hospital appointment. When I arrived, the nurse advised that they were running really late and that I'd be better off waiting in the cafe. So I took myself off to the cafe, where I sat and drank a (decaff) latte and did some work emails on my Blackberry. When my battery and my coffee ran out, I sat for a while, people watching and thinking. My mind was wandering and I started wondering whether the RTW maternity dress I was wearing had elastic at the empire waistline. I  pulled on the waist and it felt stretchy, but the dress is made of jersey, so would have some stretch anyway. The style of the dress is a fake wrap over (similar to Cake's Tiramisu, but less well designed), quite low - so low in fact that I had to wear a vest (cami/singlet) underneath. As the neckline was low, I pulled it out a bit and glanced down to see if it was elasticated. It was. It actually had clear elastic which had been applied with an overlocker - the elastic being held in a casing created by the stitches. I'd never seen that before, so I pulled the neckline out further with one hand to get a good look, turning and twisting the seam around with the other.

It was at this point that I realised I was sitting alone, in full view, in a busy cafe, looking down my dress, with my hand down there for good measure! I quickly let go of the dress and decided that actually it might be better to go to the shop and buy a magazine to pass the time.

Obsessed much?!



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19 comments

  1. Happy Blogiversary! I feel the same at the moment with sewing, just need a kick up the bum to actually do it rather than look at the fabric and pattern pieces waiting to be pinned and cut out!

    Did you take the dress off for a good old look when you got home :)

    Alison
    x

    Alison
    x

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    1. I actually didn't, and I still need to do that! :) x

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  2. Hahaha! I've totally done that before :)
    Happy Anniversary!

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    1. Thanks Jenny. Glad I'm not the only one! :)

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  3. Happy Blogiversary! Wow that year went quickly didn't it? I'm so glad I 'met' you during the BHL Charlotte sewalong a year ago! I hear you about being too tired to sew. If I sit down after work I don't get back up again so most of my sewing gets done on the weekends. I loved your story about the elastic seam! I can totally picture me doing the same thing. My poor co-workers have had to deal with me making them hold out a sleeve or show me some other construction detail on their clothes. I almost pointed out the bad stripe matching on my boss's sweater the other day but luckily stopped myself!

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    1. Glad to have "met" you too! Unfortunately I never manage sewing at the weekend. Since I don't have a dedicated sewing space, I sew in the living room and a sewing box full of pointy, sharp things is like a treasure trove to a toddler. Plus he complains that he can't hear the TV! :)
      Ha ha. Yes, I don't think your boss would have appreciated that!

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  4. Happy blogiversary! Love the dress story. I have been seized by the urge to grab someone's top to see how the neckline was finished (luckily I have resisted! ). How old is small boy? The 3s are definitely worse than the terrible 2s in my opinion. It is a phase (although based on the behaviour of mine this morning she's having a good go at the feisty 5s)

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    1. Thanks! Glad I'm not the only one. I have so far stopped short of actually investigating someone else's clothes, but give me time!
      Small Boy is 3.5 and yes, I agree the 3's are much, much worse. Their rage is greater, they are more stubborn and they are physically stronger too! Joy! :)

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  5. Congratulations on your first year Helen! Haha obsessed indeed! I think that's just what happens though isn't it? I've found sewing has made buying RTW a lot harder as I'm always examine the construction of clothes. often it's pretty poor and I think why should I pay for that, I could make it- of course there's never time to make it all though!

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    1. I know what you mean. I rarely buy something if I think I can make it myself, even though I know I will probably never get round to it. But then, I figure if I wanted it badly enough, I would find the time to make it!

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  6. Happy Blogiversary! I have just realised that I've completely forgotten mine too! Maybe I should attempt a reflections style post too. Your story made me giggle so much! I have done the exact same thing!! I love looking inside peoples clothes and working out how it's done, and then sometimes thinking about how I would do it better - I'm becoming a clothing snob!

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    1. Happy Blogiversary to you too, then! I'd love to read your reflections post. You have achieved so much this year!

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  7. Yay for you! I always enjoy your posts, can't believe you've only been doing it for one year. Your story was very funny!
    Sounds like your boy is well aware of your state of less-energy! Hope it soon passes for all of your sakes!

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  8. Congratulations on your first year! I've loved getting to know you through your posts - here's to many more creative and productive years to come!
    Hilarious story, by the way - I don't think I've ever done that, but I have surreptitiously taken phone photos of a stranger's dress... That's sewing for you!
    Hope your energy levels pick up soon. But don't beat yourself up over it - pregnancy with a toddler in tow is completely different from the first time round!

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    1. Thank you! I haven't taken photos, but I have sketched a colleague's skirt whilst sitting next to her in a meeting. It was a colleague I didn't know well, so had to do it really surreptitiously so she didn't think I was a weirdo staring at her legs! :)

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  9. One year old blog! Happy birthday. I hear you on being inclined to sew but with no energy. I have just had five days in a row not sewing, it makes me so cross with myself. But I am just so tired and run down I can barely put one foot in front of the other much less sew a garment well. I'm determined to do some today though (may have said that yesterday too!). Anyway one year is an achievement. Great work.

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    1. It's hard not to beat yourself up about not sewing, but my husband recently reminded me it was a hobby, not a job! Hope you manage to get some sewing done soon! :)

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  10. Happy Blogiversary, it sounds as if you have a lot on your plate, no wonder you are tired, I'm sure your Anda dress will be super when it's finished. I love your story, I'm such a fabric stroker I have to make a determined effort not to do it when I see someone wearing an interesting garment! :)

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