Recently I have come to really appreciate the Fetching fingerless gloves I knitted this summer. I use both pairs constantly (one pair lives in my office, one on my nightstand) and it's funny, just that little bit of cover on my pulse point helps keep my whole me warm.
Do you really use what you make? I used to sew most of my own clothes, at least, the stuff that wasn't t-shirt and jeans. My favorite sweater is the Lord of the Rings Color Study Sweater that I finished in 2005. When I was an undergraduate I made an outfit that I still wish I had: turquoise plaid flounced skirt with a full petticoat that peeked out from under it, and a matching old-fashioned blouse with a high neck and elbow-length sleeves. I wore it with cowboy boots and a leather belt and the look was all the rage but my then-boyfriend hated it. In an unusual show of self-regard and defiance (I was a timid and accomodating goody-two-shoes then and have since gotten so over that) I wore it anyway, often enough to wear it out. The style is coming back -- at least, it's coming back 'Way Out West -- and when I see someone with a similar skirt/petticoat/boots arrangement I sigh nostalgically and think about making one for myself. I even bought a pattern recently that will serve.
I used to be able to crank out a cap-sleeved blouse from raw fabric to finishing touches, complete with buttons, plackets, and a pointed collar in two hours. Need something fresh for a special occasion? What color do I fancy today? Oh, those were the days. I knew all of the good shortcuts and could use them at will. Then something happened... I went to graduate school and got a PhD. Mysteriously, I became unwilling to cut corners in my crafts. I would spend hours and hours patiently (and appropriately) handstitching something I would have done up on the machine in my youth. My handsewing stitches are tiny and even, too. Isn't that funny -- instead of becoming more impatient, I developed patience and follow-through. That might be why I could learn knitting at age 40-something rather than in my childhood, when I first tried and when I learned crochet. It took the crucible of a doctoral program to finally forge discipline into me.
So, that's why I'm going to take my time finishing Pellew's Pelisse this weekend. But, it's going to be done on Sunday because I plan to wear it next week.
1 comment:
I do wear the clothes I make--A LOT. And my wardrobe is currently dominated by about ten flounced skirts I started making the very second they appeared to be back in style--I get so cold in winter that I always wear thermal underwear, but I find it too bulky to wear it under jeans, so long skirts are a great solution for me. Plus I love flounces, I love skirts, I love petticoats, and I wish I had the outfit you made as an undergrad too.
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