Lots has been going on, which is why I never take the time to write it down anymore.
The weather has finally caught up with the calendar, which is great. Seemingly overnight, the grass needs mowing and the trees are full and shade is everywhere. I love it! Jay has been hard at work filling all our planters, replacing the shrubs on the hill that didn't make it through the iciest winter in my memory and getting the whole yard ship shape. We've had lunch on the deck several times and both Mother's Day and Memorial Day featured some outdoor stuff. It may have rained, I don't recall. That's why I shouldn't wait so long to write it down. I have this blog so I don't have to remember anything; it can't do it's job if I forget to jot things down.
Last fall I decided to learn (for the third or fourth time in my life) to sew. Why? you may ask.
Because I can never find anything I want to wear. At my ripe old age, I know what I like, I know what looks good on me and little by little I realize that things I could wear a decade ago I can no longer pull off. Not only does it look silly on an old lady like me, I literally can't get it off. My arms don't work like that anymore.
When Jay was inducted into the NJCAA Basketball Hall of Fame, the ceremony was in Las Vegas and a whole bunch of us went; it was a great time and I bought a whole new wardrobe. That was 13 years ago.
Most of that stuff I've gotten rid of. There are still a few pieces that I haven't outgrown or worn to death but not much. And anyway, most of that stuff was dressy; what I am out of is my everyday wear. I have a drawer packed with cheap summer tops I bought at Sam's club years ago: silly, frilly, colorful tank tops. I bought them because they were under $10 each, light weight and easy to wear. They look ridiculous on a woman my age. but do you think I can find what I want? It may be out there but not at the outlets where I shop. So, like my Mother before me, I realized that if I wanted to dress the way I want, I'll have to do it myself.
I like certain colors that aren't always in style: why is blue so difficult to find? Everyone looks good in it and it works 12 months out of the year yet I can almost never find blue clothes. Blue fabric? It's always available.
I like light mostly natural fabrics: cotton and linen are my favorites. I like stuff that feels soft but not too slippery. I'm a fan of rayon. I don't like knits; they're too clingy. I don't' like to feel my clothes once they're on me. Since I work at home and my job is messy, I don't wear anything too precious. That's why I liked Sam's club so much: I don't worry about dropping a paint brush on a top that cost $6.00. But I rarely drop my brushes anymore, so I can wear better than t-shirts. I don't like t-shirts anymore: the necklines feel like they're choking me. Anything near my throat is bad.
I bought two patterns last fall: One for a simple tank top, the other was a fancy but very simple dress and a pair of pants. I thought I'd spend the winter learning to sew. I did no such thing. Instead, I spent the winter making rosaries. It was time very well spent but then spring arrived and I had no clothes but my old, threadbare, worn to the bone stand bys.
I'm not at all in control of my own time. I know it looks like I am, since I'm self employed and have nothing on my calendar but the truth is that I am a slave to my muse. I am compelled to go in whatever direction my creative impulse points me. This year, that meant I made rosaries from January to June and now, suddenly, I've gotten out the sewing machine my daughter gave me 5 years ago.
I bought several different fabrics for tops and got to work. The pattern I'm using is about as simple as it gets and I used an old sheet to figure out exactly what size I needed. I've made three tops so far and learned important lessons on each one. That means I screwed up royally. Sometimes you win, sometimes you learn. Sometimes you learn yet still end up with a top you can wear. That's winning!
I learned that you must follow the directions in order. If you get cute or clever, you will ruin the whole project. Honestly, anyone who doesn't believe that the universe was intelligently designed should try making a tank top without the directions.
I learned that when the bobbin knots up, it's most likely because the top thread became tangled somewhere. I'll never understand why the top thread must go through so many particular twists and turns to get to the needle but I do understand that if there's any deviations from those directions, your machine won't work.
I'm learning how to tailor a design to my own taste and figure.
Every time I cut the pattern out, I cut the neckline a little higher. No one wants to see the cleavage of an old lady and I never had anything to show off anyway. I like a modest neckline that doesn't choke me. I'm not trying to be Joan Collins. I dont' like foo-foo. Ruffles are out. Pleats are out. Gathers are out. I like clean, simple lines. Do I look like a frump? I don't care. I'm 63. According to society that means I'm invisible and you know what? Invisibility is a super power! I can dress however I damn well please!
I think that if I don't make any mistakes, I can make a new top in under 2 hours. And remember: this would be a new top that is exactly what I want. Most of the clothes I buy took more than 2 hours of shopping to find. I did buy several new pairs of summer pants at Marshalls and TJMaxx! One is white linen printed with blue palm trees (I'd dress to look like a piece of china every day if I could), one is a bold pink rayon print with slashes of aqua, orange and lime green and the third is a natural linen with pink, blue and green palm trees all over it. All three look great with my blue, white or pink tops.
And if I can't find fabric that goes well with them, I can buy white cotton and dye it myself. I've been a big fan of Rit Dye for years. In fact most of my clothes are the colors I made them, even the things I bought at Sam's club. About ten years ago, I bought three white cotton, 3/4 length sleeve tops at Sam's, dyed one pink and one aqua. I also bought four white sleeveless tops, dyed one pink, one aqua, one purple and one navy. I love white!
Getting good at making my own clothes will make my life so much easier and it's already pretty much a slide on ice. What I really need to learn to do is make my own purses.
Maybe next winter.