Wednesday, December 25, 2013

My Five Blessings as a Sewist

Gillian at Crafting a Crafting a Rainbow does a fun Top Five link-fest each year, where sewists share their hits, misses, reflections, inspirations and goals for the year. As a new blogger, I don't have enough photos of my hits and misses to share. I was laying in bed last night, though, counting my blessings, among them my blessings as a sewist. So, for what it's worth, here they are:

1) My standards are not very high
By this I don't mean I don't care. I do care. I enjoy putting a pattern, some fabric, and the sweat of my brow together to come up with something that I enjoy wearing. What I mean is: if that seam isn't quite straight, or there's a bit of pucker from easing in the sleeve - eh, big deal. It's still wearable. I still like the color or the feel of the fabric and it will keep me from getting arrested for indecent exposure. I end up liking most of the things I sew at least as much as I liked most of the things I bought, back in the days when I was a recreational shopper.

2) I live in a place where low standards are AOK
Santa Cruz is a central coast beach town which is home to a campus of the University of California. Between the students, the tourists, the retirees and the vagabonds of the road, this is a community that appreciates a wide range of attire. Board shorts and flip flops are considered appropriate dress for dinner out and a movie. No one is going to raise an eyebrow if I'm grocery shopping while wearing a shirt dress that looks like something Timmy's mother would have worn on Lassie Come Home. Here's an example of an outfit you might see downtown in Santa Cruz:

The Great Morgani - a fabulous sewist as well as a fabulous musician

3)  I live in the same city as Hart's Fabric
Cottons in hundreds of adorable prints: they've got 'em.  Two inch wide elastic: it's there, in two colors. Horsehair braid: multiple widths available. Organic knits? Raw silk? Lace? Voile? All at your fingertips. Along with some of the nicest sewing ladies around.

4) The Man is supportive of my sewing hobby
He's amazingly tolerant of my piles of fabric stacked about the house, clumps of threads hanging from the upholstery and the occasional pin where no pin should be. I don't have a dedicated sewing space, so I tend to spread out.

Even better, no matter how many times I try something on in progress and ask him what he thinks, he says something like, "Wow, Sweetie, that looks great! Nice color."

5) I'm retired, so I can spend as much time as I like on sewing
Well, technically I'm working two days a week. But I always tell people it's much nicer working two days a week and having five days off than it is working five days a week and having two days off. Much better for my sewing productivity too!

4 comments:

  1. I linked to your blog via Goodbye Valentino and am looking forward to following your sewing adventures. At one point in my life, I sewed most garments for my family. I got away from that for various reasons and am looking to get back to it.

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    1. Hi Urban Native! I figured out I can't respond to comments with my iPad. I hope you get the time to dive back into sewing. I had a hiatus for years as well, and I'm having a blast re-learning old skills!

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  2. Everything you said is right on- hurray for SC. Also, figured out why we are called sewists... now to figure out how to wind a bobbin for the second time on my Grace. wish me luck- Lisa

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    1. You don't need luck, you have skill! Must see your tee shirt, let me know when it's done!

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