The sewing that is just not happening....
If I was superstitious, I would be saying that my sewing mojo is jinxed. Let me telly you why.
Last Saturday, I went for a long walk with Jack and friends, it was pouring with rain. I got soaked from the hip down because my rain jacket is quite short. Getting soaked reminded me of a parka that I had been meaning to sew for 9 months or so. Pattern and fabric have been waiting patiently in a zip bloc bag. After I changed into dry clothes, I decided to get going because you should never interrupt creative energy flows if you can avoid it at all. Luck was on my side, all children were busy. It is parka season here in Scotland and the timing was perfect. The fabric is a rainproof yellow polyurethane laminate l that I bought from Stoff&Stil. So here's me, unfolding the pattern and looking at the measurements, feeling quite excited about a challenging sewing project. Then I noticed that I am no longer in the size range of the pattern, which is on the one hand great but it is also really annoying because I actually had the pdf printed by Patternsey to save time and sellotape. The thought of grading it down put me off completely. Fabric, pattern and all the trimmings are back in their bag. I am not sure if I'll be the smaller size range. If only pattern designers had one single pattern for all sizes!
Never mind I thought, I have a blouse cut out waiting to be made. If you follow my friend Jo, she recently made this very same blouse in a gorgeous floral drapey fabric and I loved it so much that I decided to make my own. We do live several hundred miles apart and that chances of showing up at a party wearing the same outfit are exceptionally small (which is a shame actually). The pattern is from a previous Great British Sewing Bee book that I found covered in dust on my book shelves. I knew it would come in handy one day. Did I ever mention that I loathe pattern tracing? I really do. Anyway, my fabric is a dark purple, really rich and warm, like a very fresh aubergine. As it turns out, I have no purple thread that matches the fabric. I never thought of checking because surely one of my four purple threads would be ok. Not so, completely different kinds of purple. I probably need to go to a shop to find the right shade because colour matching is not easy on a screen. This project is now also back in a bag, waiting for a better day.
See, jinxed. By then, my creative energy flow was a bare trickle and I resigned myself to some more utility sewing to make the best of time available. I made a brand-new peg apron with an ancient Ikea canvas fabric. I just remember that the peg apron was also a project that lay abandoned for a while because I didn't have any ric-rac trim for decoration and honestly, who'd want a peg apron that is not lavishly adorned with ric-rac trim? I don't. I had ordered some on Ebay, the colour was not quite right but not so bad that I didn't want to use it. Looking at the photo, I have to admit now that the trim is barely noticeable... Maybe I am a bit of a diva? Anyway, the new peg apron is just what my washing line needed. My model was in a rush to get back to playing and I had exactly 4 seconds to take the photos. He is tiny and on my own waist, the bow is only a fraction of the size!
I also made two more little cherry stone pillows with nine blocks of patchwork that I had made using the tiniest scraps possible. they are rather sweet I think and a good way of using up the tiniest of scraps. I tested these yesterday evening when I had an agonising tummy ache. Nice and comforting.
Fingers crossed that next weekend will be more successful with regards to garment sewing. This year has been pitiful so far. I made two plain t-shirts (navy and white) that are just too boring to share.
In the meantime, I'll continue making blocks for my Ice Cream soda quilt. I have forty seven so far but only 45 are in this screenshot of my photo folder. Getting there.
Thanks for stopping by and saying hello. Have a good week! xx
Well done for taking a non-blurry peg apron shot. I don't know if I would get a clear one if I only had 4 seconds of the models time! I dusted off the sewing machine to do some 'invisible' jean repairs this week and although it's still visible, it's better than I expected. I'm now thinking of leaving the machine on the table in the hope that it will inspire me to sew some of the pinned together things I've had sitting on my shelves for years. Wishful thinking perhaps, especially with Rachel home from school all week after her surgery. On a positive note, I think it's wonderful to have to take a pattern in a size rather than find fabric to pad it out a bit. Then again, I'd put it back in the bag for another time too. Hope your mojo finds you again. xx Susan
ReplyDeleteI know the feeling. Sometimes I can knit/crochet all day, then other days I look at it and think MEH :/ We've been feeling deflated and let down whilst waiting on the delivery of a lawnmower, which should have arrived last Friday, but somehow seems to be 'lost' in the Yodel depot. What a palaver just to try and get in touch with someone to find out where it actually is!! Due to all this GDPR no one will talk to you without all kinds of security info. I hope you find your sewing mojo soon. Best, Jane :)
ReplyDeleteThere's nothing worse than setting your mind to do something only to be thwarted by something but I do think finding it needs to be downsized would be a nice problem to have but I too think it would end up back in the bag. I also follow Jo and loved her blouse, she is a very talented lady isn't she. Your quilt blocks are coming along.
ReplyDeleteMitzi
Oh dear, I hope your mojo returns soon Christina. I like your peg apron, it's very cheerful. I must confess that I've never seen one before. I've seen a peg bag of course but that's all. Cathy x
ReplyDeleteOh dear, yes I too know those days. Full of promise and then the vital ingredient is missing. Love the peg apron and your quilt blocks are stunning. I have yet to finish my mother in laws quilt. Think I may have to do machine stitching rather than by hand for the final finish!
ReplyDeleteOh, frustrating, I hope all the creative stars align for you soon. Lovely peg apron, and very nicely modelled, even if it was only for four seconds. I still have the one you made me, it makes me smile every time I use it, and you made a beautiful job of it. CJ xx
ReplyDeleteI hope you have more success next time you try to sew something! The peg bag looks great.
ReplyDeleteI love the peg bag so all was not lost and your quilt blocks are looking gorgeous! With regards to the coat you might be better off deciding to downsize one piece at a time then putting it away before you get frustrated with it, so whenever you have a bit of free time do a piece. That way you are heading in the right direction, I would imagine the thought of tackling it all at once is annoying when you had the correct size to begin with. x
ReplyDeleteOh no.. don't you just hate when that happens.
ReplyDeleteSeeing your peg apron, Christina, brought back memories of when my mother used a clothesline to dry clothes as we didn't own an electric dryer when i was growing up. She kept the clothespins in a bag near the line. Good for you to resume walking after getting half soaked. I think the ice cream soda quilt will be very colorful based on the squares seen here.
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