All posts filed under: Miscellenia

Why reproducing a garment is pretty much the most awesome thing ever

One of the first things I learned when I learned to sew was how to make a pattern from a garment I already owned and reproduce that garment. It’s still one of my very favourite skills, and something I use all the time. There are so many reasons why being able to pattern-up and reproduce a garment you already own is awesome. First, you know it will fit perfectly. You may spend a little extra time making a pattern rather than using a commercial pattern, but you’ll gain that time back in not having to worry about fit. Next, you know the item will suit you. For all that I know my body, what I wear, and what looks good on me, I’m still occasionally seduced by a pretty pattern cover, and invest time and money in making something that isn’t going to get a lot of wear. When I reproduce a garment, that never happens. Not only will a reproduced item suit you, but you know it’s going to work in your wardrobe. I …

So how many of these could you actually make or do?

Published by The Dreamstress

Last week’s poll was about inventions: I found the answers intriguing. On the one hand, this is a sewing-focused blog, so it’s not surprising that the largest amount of you voted for the Sewing Machine as the item you would ‘invent’ if sent back in time to before it existed. On the other hand, at least to my mind, with the possible exception of the stocking frame, the sewing machine would be the most difficult of these to recreate and invent. I’d have no problem making a paper clip, barbed wire or a spiral hairpin with some pretty basic materials, the postage stamp is a easy idea to recreate, the sandwich is a slam-dunk, I know how a printing press works well enough that I could explain it to a medieval craftsman, and variolation is a scarily easy concept. But the sewing machine? I may work with it every day, I can take one apart to some degree and put it back together and make it work, but I still couldn’t really explain to an …

Five for Friday: Universally flattering? I don’t agree

Published by The Dreamstress

I’ve been thinking about body shapes and clothes and colours, and what is flattering recently. It started with an offhand comment someone made about circle skirts, and how they are flattering on everybody. Totally not true. Circle skirts are one of my worst looks. They emphasize my thick waist and short torso, make me look very pear-shaped rather than a tiny bit pear shaped, hide my awesome bottom (which I quite frankly love), and, in short, don’t look nearly as good as most other shapes do on me. I’m not saying I look really bad in them: just that they bring the focus to all my least favourite bits and hide all my most favourite bits (ahem. bottom.), so they aren’t flattering. So, anyway, here are five things that are frequently held up to be universally flattering, but which I think look good one some people, and not on others, because hey, we all have different shapes and faces and skins and figures. But that’s just my opinion. Black Black does not look good on …