Don't try to stop me!

Yes, this yet another adventure....

Look at the right side of this blog. See the first blog under "Blog List"? Notes from the Voodoo Cafe. If you are a sewist (I've been using sewer all these years, and only now realize the problem with that word!), and you haven't been to Rice's (there's a thingy over the 'e' in her name, but I don't know how to make it happen here) blog, you're missing a treat. Rice is an author, designer of Soulwear (for herself only), Happy Person, and a sewist, among other descriptive words. She first introduced me, via her blog, to Alabama Chanin, a line of hand-made clothing. Really. As in stitched-by-hand. And, they use organic fibers and recycled cloth. Rice has gone off the deep end with the concept, and I'm loving it all! Now, if you read her older blog posts, you'll hear her say she can't sew by machine, but she can sew by hand. Not so much my bag as you probably know. I'm committed to machine stitchery. But, I CAN sew by hand when I choose to. I just needed to make that clear. Another blog I've been following recently, but haven't added to the Blog List is A Dress A day...check her out, too. Another sewist who's personal philosophy I admire.

So, with more than a just few minutes of time on my hands one day last week, I was floundering around my studio, looking for the next stitchery project. With an embarrassingly large and varied stash, in spite of efforts to use what I have, the studio soon looked like a fabric bomb had exploded in here. Fabrics, patterns and threads were strewn over every horizontal surface. Nothings clicked...ever have days like that? I assume that means it's just not the right thing for me to do. So, I began looking in my photo/magazine clipping journal, and reading notes from my words journal. I began to get a tingling in my fingers, realizing I've strayed from what really makes my heart sing. I've made a few summer dresses recently, and the ones that I wear over and over are the bright-colored dresses, the ones that required me to work around some problem such as not quite enough cloth, or not quite the right color match, or problem with fit because I didn't plan ahead. Those garments, the ones that have thought and improvisation are always my favorites! Duh. So, I pulled out a piece of white cotton knit, cut a tank top (I've also realized I don't like those cute camisoles, tanks are better for me). I plan to dye it when I finish stitching, so I'm using cotton threads. I began stitching the side seams by hand, with embroidery floss, and was soon onto the neck binding, much like the Alabama Chanin style. OK, so this hand stuff will work well when I don't have access to a machine, but I'm moving back to the machine for now. I like the way this is beginning!

After my lunch break today, I rummaged through the perpetual give-away bag in my closet, with fresh ideas of using some things that were headed out. Mama made for herself a dress and jacket last spring, and didn't like the outfit when it was finished. She gave both pieces to me. It turned into a skirt and tank top, but I made the top a tad small and with too many distractions, added it to the GAB. Well! This afternoon, cut it open in the front, dug out the scraps (which of course I kept), and have created a binding/loop closure, turning it into a vest I'll wear over one of those camisoles. There are surely buttons in the stash that will be perfect, I'll look this afternoon. There will be some more work on the skirt, too.

The bottom line: This is the way I began sewing, almost 50 years ago. Using little bits and making something to wear from those bits. I went in another direction for a while.

Yes, an adventure of a different kind.