Saturday 11 April 2009

Sewing is not like riding a bicycle

Somehow, I seem to have forgotten how to sew. I keep making the most incredible basic mistakes, which is very bad for my mojo.
Here is a litany of mishaps. 1. My "persimmon" twill cotton fabric, which incidently prompted me to obtain a pantone colour guide in order to minimize internet colour challenges, is rather off grain, in the nasty habit of twill weaves. For some reason it took me 2 hours of fiddling around with wonky tucks before I realized this.
The second, cross grain, tucks look much more even, don't you think?
 

Here is another hiccup. I am still not sure how I managed to cut an extra slash for my placket. Fortunately I had plenty of fabric left for another sleeve.
 

I have now finished this blouse, except for the buttons. I cannot quite face it at the moment (too many production mistakes have given me a dislike of the garment), so I started on another pair of Marlene pants.
See my welt pocket disaster? Last night I actually considered that my hotchpotch mending effort would do - after all, my husband's Geoffery Bene pants (RRP $140) have satin stitched ends on the welt pocket, but this morning I came to my senses. There goes the straight skirt I was also making from this fabric!
 

It is now Saturday lunchtime, and I have not sewed a stitch this weekend, despite finishing work at 11am on Good Friday, and (thank the weather) not having to pack and cook for our usual Easter trip to Fraser Island. Sewing is hard work sometimes. No wonder I am getting a lot of knitting and cooking done. Hot cross bun anyone?
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4 comments:

gwensews said...

Oh dear! I feel your pain. I think we have all experienced a bad patch in our sewing. It seems once something goes wrong, it escalates. You know that you can sew. But can you ride a bike?

Anonymous said...

Yes thanks to the bun - it will add some much needed fibre to my all-chocolate easter diet. And may I ask why there is a buttonhole under your "welt"? In my pair, the buttonhole is on the tab and the button goes on the trouser back. Oh, and where's the tab?

I think sewing is impossible on occasion. You think you're up for the job and then... no. Definitely not. Enjoy your Easter off.

wendy said...

oh no, the sewing gremlins have invaded! ;-)

i just bought some twill to make some pants, I hadn't heard that it can be off grain so I'm going to have to check it carefully when it's been washed!

Patricia said...

With cooking, you can at least eat your mistakes and thereby destroy the evidence.
I get a dislike for things that give me grief as well. It usually passes in a short while.