Tuesday, September 13, 2016

National Sewing Month

And somehow, its mid-September!  Its been a whirlwind of back to school, new routines, the first cold of the school year,  and rehearsals for the musical that my daughters and I are in.  I've had intentions, most nights, of posting, but, quite frankly, this schedule has left me tired and without a lot to write about!

At the start of the month, even though I knew it would be a doozy, I set a personal goal of  getting into my sewing room every day , even if only for 10 or 15 minutes.  That was to be my own small celebration of National Sewing Month.



Did you know that September is National Sewing Month here in the U.S.?  Click the link to go to the website and learn  more!  There are a few project ideas, and a list of ways to get involved.  I'm not entirely sure how useful the list of ideas is for any of us, as I think you're likely to already be a sewist like me, if you're reading this. However, I LOVED the suggestion that employers give people time off from work to sew or teach others to sew!  Sounds good to me! Who wants to forward that to my boss?

Anyway, I haven't been 100% on in meeting my goal, but, I'm happy to say I've found time most days to get little bits done. Unfortunatley for blogging purposes, it's been mostly boring sewing of the utility type.  I've done some mending, some ironing (yuck) and FINALLY managed to shorten three pair of pants that have been sitting around so long that I had to try them on to make sure they still fit around the waist!  (They did.  I was hoping to be able to report that they were way too big now, but, no.  They fit perfectly.  Which is not exactly a bad thing, I guess).

My daughter joined me for a pants- shortening marathon over the long Labor Day weekend.  Every pair of pants she bought on our school clothes shopping trip needed to be hemmed.  She is petite, and self-conscious about it.  Now that she is fully out of girls sizes and into Junior's sizes, she is even more aware of her lack of height, as well as other body image issues.  Every single item of clothing she put on fit strangely somewhere.  Honestly, I find the same thing is true for me when I shop. Proportions and measurements just seem off. Exactly who do these clothing makers think they are dressing, anyway? What is up with the sizes?

It's an interesting topic, actually,  I've listened to a few podcasts on the issue, and have read a few eye opening articles about the lack of standardization in women's clothing sizes and how sizing "guidelines" have changed over the years.  I'm coming to realize, and hopefully teaching my daughters, that clothing sizes really have very little to do with body type, and that we fare better when we make clothing to fit our bodies, rather than fretting because our bodies don't fit the clothing.  I've started to buy clothes a bit bigger than I need, and alter as needed so I get the fit I want.  My next step is to get more comfortable for table with garment sewing so that I can make EXACTLY what I want.  My daughter already  does this a bit, and I love it when she wears something she made to school.  I think that takes a rare kind of confidence.  And, I'm so proud that she shortened her pants by herself.  Maybe she won't grow up to be someone who leaves them sit around in a pile for months!

Alright, this has been a long post with nothing fun to look at.  So, I will end with a few pictures of my slow progress on quilty things.


I am getting really, really close to having a completed Facet+Plus top!  All my blocks are done, I've laid them out and stacked them in order, now I just have to sew rows and join them!  So. Close!

 Amanda at This Mom Quilts plans to share her completed quilt on Monday, September 19, and she will link up with anyone else who has progress to share.  I am going to try really hard to have a completed top AND a completed blog post to share that day.  It's good to have a goal, right?

Yes.  There was a block missing.  Yes.  I panicked.   Yes. It has been found.


I've also done a bit of puttering with the half-square triangles that I've used as my leaders and enders for the few months.  I got curious about how many I had, and what I could do with them. Here's my favorite layout with what I have so far.

Despite the terrible lighting in this picture, I think it's going to be really pretty!

I will be linking up with a few of my favorite mid week linky parties this week.  Be sure to stop by and take a look at all the amazing works in progress out there!

                              The WIP Link  Up at Silly Mama Quilts.                      
                                Let's Bee Social at Sew Fresh Quilts
                           Finished or not Friday at Busy Hands Quilts

9 comments:

  1. I like your personal goal of 10 to 15 minutes sewing each day. That's what it's like for me at the moment too. Your Facet+Plus quilt top is looking great. Good luck with getting it finished!

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  2. I should copy that goal of 10 to 15 minutes every day, for lots of reasons I am crazy busy just now. I so agree with you about clothes sizes, it is exactly the same in the UK. One shop I use a lot has even altered it's trouser lengths, now instead of medium I'm short, and my friend can no longer buy any without taking them up. Skirts are the same, I love long skirts for the summer, but they never so different lengths for someone 5'2" (almost).
    Smiles
    Kate

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  3. I understand the petite challenge...I am 5'1" tall. I have to shorten everything! I also find that sleeves and tops are too long and shoulders are too wide. Ugh!,, I started out as a garment sewer and now do mostly quilting. Alterations are not my favourite thing to do... I am currently getting some projects done for our upcoming quilt show in October. Your new quilt is coming along nicely!

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  4. Having a goal - even if it's just a few minutes a day - can certainly result in a lot of progress. Especially if you end up staying past your ten minutes. Your Facet quilt looks fabulous, Tami! Good luck with your goal of having a finished top to share!

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  5. love your projects!
    thanks so much for linking up!

    brooke@sillymamaquilts.com

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  6. Your goal of getting into your sewing room for a few minutes every day is a great goal. You've made lots of progress even in these crazy busy days. Good luck with your finish.

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  7. Wow - I like your placement of your HST! You have given me a new way to think about using mine! Thank you for sharing!

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