Saturday, December 29, 2012

First post!

First post! Awkward times! Talking to myself! What to say to an empty room?

Maybe an introduction? I'm M. I've been sewing for yearsandyears. I started out sewing small square bottomed bags and pouches, quilted totes, and various whatnots. I didn't start learning to sew clothing until recently - maybe in the past 5 years - and even now I think I'm an advanced novice, though I can sew a straight line and I'm pretty intuitive about construction. I ditched sewing for other fibery crafts - crocheting, spinning, and more recently, knitting - and moderated a major crafting website for a while. Learning other crafts taught me how look at the shape of my body and how to construct clothes without a pattern. I've never been one to work from patterns, so I've been self-teaching drafting to fit my body by looking at RTW. And guessing. A lot.

That doesn't really work out if you don't understand basic construction and technique. So.

With my first semester of grad school over, I realize I need to find a better balance between constructive (har har) self care and school work. In addition to work-goals, I've set a few self-care goals for 2013:


  1. Do not wear a single pair of jeans. I hate the way they look on me. I hate the way they fit. I hate the way they restrict my movement. 
  2. Follow up to goal 1: Make 1 skirt or dress per month, even if it takes the whole month.
  3. Complete 1 copy of every pattern I bought last year, and at least 2 patterns from each book I own. Thankfully this is mostly skirts, dresses, and knitwear.
  4. Learn how to fit to my body and find a style that works, not just trends (holy hell, baggy shirts? Look like crap on me. Need. Fitted. Waist.
  5. Actually blog. Really, the blog is motivation to complete my first 4 goals because it provides some level of accountability. Hopefully it should also help me think about what I am doing and why.


There are my goals! Wife and I are in Michigan right now visiting family. We've been here for the past two weeks and we are ridiculously excited to go home and love on our babies (of the fur variety). In addition to some clothing shopping while we were here, I also managed to snag 5 yards of matte jersey at half price. Even full price was still several dollars cheaper than most of the fabric stores in Vancouver, so I'm pretty stoked. The fabric in this blurry Photobooth picture will eventually be leggings:



Expect more posts after this one to catch up on what I made in 2011 and 2012 - which isn't much at all.

5 comments:

  1. Hello m!!
    Liking your goals! Sound good to me. And out of the fabric you show....the animal print is my fave, but love your choice of print and colour, have you thought about pretty grievances' jungle January?

    Going to read your next post now :-)

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    1. I never liked animal prints but now it's all I gravitate toward!

      Thanks for turning me on to jungle january! Somehow in all my blog reading, I totally missed that one. Definitely in for a wild print party!

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  2. If a chubby ninja with a tote bag is in your house, just ignore her- she'll just be sorting thru these fabrics for you...no biggie, just some shopping.....

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    1. Oh god, for a second I thought "wait, you just described me and Wife, that's weird" - chubby ninja with a tote bag. That's basically my life.

      I'd have to smack your little paws if you touched this fabric though. Mineminemine! As soon as the sewing area is clean, I'll be sewing up a few pairs of leggings! Maybe I should also get a twin needle or two...

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  3. Hi M! You have great taste in fabric. Animal print is always the answer! :)

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