When we visited with my sisters and Mom (and my niece, her hubby and my grandniece), we splurged, and took a trip to Costco.
My Mom bought a cotton top, and I loved it, so I bought one too, just like hers. I love the top, my Mom has such good taste.
I also bought two pairs of pants. You can’t try things on at Costco, so when we got back to Sis’s house I tried them on, and decided to return them.
Buying clothes is an exercise in frustration. I seem to be physically unusual, sizes seldom fit well, either way too small or way to big, or tight in the wrong places and loose in the wrong places.
So, for the moment anyway, I’ve had it with premade clothing. I am going to give making my own wardrobe another go.
I bought a PDF pattern for a linen top, which I will make out of cotton. I love linen, but it does not wear well. If I am going to spend a lot of time constructing my clothing, I want it to wear well.
This is the first time I’ve tackled a downloaded PDF pattern. Yikes!! These things are a lot of work! There were 24 pages to be printed out, trimmed, then taped together. The pattern included a wide range of sizes, and I printed them all, because I had a plan.
After trimming all the pages and taping them together, I made a copy of my size on tracing paper, which gives me a light paper pattern to use. I have folded, and saved, the printed and taped pattern pieces so that I can easily trace other sizes, alternative pieces such as the long sleeve, and alter the pattern.
Starting at 6:00 a.m. in the morning, I finished trimming the last of the traced pattern pieces at 3:30 p.m. The only break I took was a half an hour for a hot lunch. I sure hope this pattern was worth it!
The material I’ve chosen is a vintage tablecloth. I bought this at least 30 years ago, because I loved the colour and pattern of the fabric. I have a few vintage tablecloths that I hope to transform into comfortable clothing.
The next step is to cut out the pattern. This is a real challenge, the most difficult part of a sewing project for me. My only horizontal space for working is the dining table. Bending over a table has become increasingly uncomfortable with time.
The weather is wonderful, warm and sunny and breezy. Attila is out in the garden doing his thing, I think it is squash he is planting at the moment. Ginger is enjoying the open windows, and my sewing equipment, all of that deserved a thorough sniffing!
Worldly
Weather
Updated on Sat, May 27 at 3:55 PM
26 °C
FEELS LIKE 26
Clear
Wind 7 SW km/h
Humidity 36 %
Visibility 23 km
Sunrise 5:30 AM
Wind gust 11 km/h
Pressure 102.3 kPa
Ceiling 9100 m
Sunset 8:39 PM
Quote
“We can’t all be heroes because somebody has to sit on the curb and clap as they go by.”
Will Rogers
1879 – 1935
And then there are those of us who don’t believe in heroes, only decent people.
Hope your experiment works out, it would be a shame to sacrifice a favorite piece if fabric.
Teri, I have my fingers crossed that it works out! It will be a shame if the fit is wrong, and a shame about the fabric. But buying fabric is an expensive endeavour, and the fabric taking up space in the closet for over 30 years seemed the best way forward. I am optimistic!