Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Quick update

My green wool skirt is already stitched up, except for the invisible zip. I started a thread on Patternreview about why invisible zips disgust me, but perhaps my problems are due to the fact that I'm using a Coats&Clark zipper on the generic invisible zipper foot that is designed for the YKK ones. So today I'm ordering some YKK invisible zips and hoping the experience will be a bit more pleasant.

The skirt needs to be lined so I washed and dryed the lining yesterday. Today it will get a good press and since it looks to be bad weather tonight here in the Poconos with freezing rain and snow, maybe it can actually be cut out tonight.

One thing that is great about the skirt--the pattern is TNT. What a time saver and it's quick sewing too. The skirt was actually long, somewhat fitted, and had godets, but I cut to the part just above the godets, added a hem, and now it will be a mini skirt.

On my leather mini, I unstitched the side seams for the lining. It will need another long strip of lining fabric just like the leather did, so maybe that will get cut out today too. Once the lining issue is taken care of, everything else should be quick to get this done.

Lately, I'm trying to be fearless. For too long I've been looking at my stash, especially my more expensive wools from NYC, and just dreaming about what they could be. I'm actually cutting into them and making garments and it feels GOOD! Just like the leather mini. It's been sitting around while I'm thinking, "What if I screw it up?" And what if I do? (Which I won't ;) !) The leather can be used for something else. Somebody has the tagline at Patternreview which goes something like this, "Feel the fear and do it anyway." That's what I'm doing. Expensive fabrics seem to bring out that fear. But really, what is there to lose. It's not a life, just an expensive piece of fabric. Gotta keep it all in perspective.

1 comment:

Robin said...

Too funny on the invisible zips disgusting you. Maybe the foot you're using is the issue? I have a metal invisible zipper foot for my machine and it seems to work well. There's also some other technique that was in Threads about sewing them in with a regular zipper foot.

Too funny on the fear of expensive fabric - I have the same fear even with my not so expensive knit fabric. One thing I try to do to get over it is to compare it to other ways I would spend that money and consider the number of hours of engagement/enjoyment I will get out of working with it. I do this with yarn too. It usually provides more value per hour than a great dinner out (and it's calorie free) or shopping. Look at it that way!