Friday, August 15, 2008

Too much of a good thing......

Man oh mighty---after sewing for about 7 hours straight yesterday, I was curled up into a ball on the sofa with a tension headache the size of Toledo. My eyes and forehead were burning with creative fire.
My mom is an avid quilter (when I say "avid" what I really mean is that fabric takes up most of the living space in her house) so I phoned home for a dose of sympathy---which I got. And then I took a scorching hot bath in the dark and ate cookies.

This little number was the source of my occular turmoil. It is my first attempt at an actual vintage pattern....and plaid. I found the construction itself to be easier, with more thorough instruction than modern patterns.
The plaid on the other hand was the bane of my existence--and after what I thought was careful planning, the little squares did *not* in fact line up---at least not perfectly. But close enough.


There is an old eastern saying that warns not to strain painfully toward perfection lest we fracture our soul and infuse it into our material workings. ("Material" being the key word here).


So when some detail-oriented creep muses about my uneven plaid, I can smile wistfully to myself and know my soul is intact.


It still needs finishing touches that I will apply this weekend. Sadly, Rosalind (my dummy) is of firmer build than I, so I will also need to wear a foundation garment if I plan on cinching that belt tight. Most of the patterns from the 50's were designed for girdle-wearing fem-bots.....at least that is what I am going to tell myself, as anything under a 27 inch waist seems rather....well, unnatural.


Last week I worked on Butterick 4985:

Which was easie-peasie. Even the sleevies. It took me over a week to put the buttons on. Sigh.


There is another eastern saying that states we will not ascend to heaven until all of the unfinished earthly projects we leave behind at our death are completed in purgatory. Zowie!
Sounds more like hell.

2 comments:

lsaspacey said...

Thanks for saying this blouse pattern was easie-peasie. I think I'm going to try this one next. I already have Simplicity 4077, but I think the thrill is gone already as I've had the fabric for months and haven't cut it out yet. And then there's Kwik Sew 3199.. Yes, I want a vintage blouse but I just can't make up my mind!

MadeByAmanda said...

Really, I always worry about my slightly unmatched plaids, too, but no one has ever, ever noticed in real life.