Real talk

I’m a little quiet this week because my sewing machine bit the dust. I’m currently waiting to have it repaired/ weighing my options for a new machine.
So I’ve been knitting! I’m a truly terrible knitter, I lack the necessary patience, but I’ve been dreaming of knitting sweaters and socks for ages, so I’m dusting off my needles and learning some new tricks.

I’ve picked the Jul hat pattern by Wiksten (can you tell I’m a little bit in love with Wiksten) and I’m working it up in a soft grey wool. Wish me luck!

Photos via Wiksten

 

Grainline on Marketplace

“Nobody ever realizes that people are involved in the making of your clothes anymore. People just assume that it’s a machine that makes our clothes. We’re so removed from how our garments or products in general are made that they never assume that there’s a person who does that.”

Jen Beeman of Grainline on Marketplace yesterday as a part of their Disappearing Jobs series.

Check out the full audio here.

Photo via Jen Beeman.

Lovely Links 4.15

 

Fruits of the Loom, an article from the New York Times on America’s remaining textile mills.

Here.

I made a shirt.

A Grainline Scout, to be exact. The pattern was insanely simple and it came together super fast. I used this tutorial to create french seams, and I’m so glad I did! My seams are so tidy I almost want to wear it inside out. Tidy seams make my heart sing.

I used some patterned quilting cotton I got on sale at JoAnn’s, it has a lovely bird pattern, Next time I think I’ll go with a lighter weight fabric, however, as this tee feels a little too boxy. I’ll also lengthen the hem next time. as this version is a little too short for me. Perhaps I’ll add the rounded hem from my beloved Wiksten tank?

I’ve found a lot of excellent variations on the Scout, below are a few of my favorites. I seriously can’t wait to make another!

1 | 2 | 3

Fast Fashion is Fast Food

Zady took out a full page ad in yesterday’s Wall Street Journal declaring that fast fashion is fast food. Learn more about their stance here

Tactile

“What I feel like doing, I just do it. I don’t question it.”

Weaver Sandra Brownlee
2014 winner, Governor General’s Awards for Visual and Media Arts

Wardrobe Architect Parts 1 and 2

As a part of my effort to become more mindful about what I consume, I am also attempting to become more mindful about the pieces I choose to sew and my motivations for creating them.

 

The lovely Coletterie, the blog extension of Colette Patterns, has a (relatively) new feature called the Wardrobe Architect. The Wardrobe Architect consists of a series of exercises, worksheets and prompts with the goal of understanding your own personal style and preferences and building a small wardrobe that reflects these.

 

Week One of the project called for participants to consider how their personal histories, philosophies, culture, community, activities and climate influenced their clothing choices.

 

Week Two creating a list of words that describe your personal style, starting with 15 words and paring them down to five.

 

Here are my five words, along with a few images that reflect them.

More images I’ve collected live here.

What words describe your personal style?

Craft of Use.

Image via DesignObserver

 

One of my favorite things to do on a rainy Saturday is visit the local antiques mall. My favorite items are the vintage textiles. I love the old yardage bits with their fun patterns, the carefully embroidered hankerchiefs, and the unfinished quilt tops. I love to see evidence of use in these objects, threadbare edges or mended tears. They speak of a mindfulness that is lacking in modern times. To care enough for a small piece of fabric to sit with it, spend time with it and repair it with your hands shows a remarkable level of respect.

 

An event called “The Craft of Use” was held in London last week, its goal to tackle difficult questions such as, “What would fashion be like if it was more than a an act of consumption with no meaning beyond the point of sale? What kind of system would improve the quality of our fashion experience without increasing the quantity we consume?”

 

The result was a compendium of 500 stories, “in which a sustained attention to wearing, tending and caring for clothes is is a source of satisfaction and meaning.”

 

To learn more about the project, check out this essay on DesignObserver or the Craft of Use website.

 

An Introduction

On April 24, 2013, Rana Plaza, an eight-storey commercial building in Savar, Bangladesh, collapsed, killing 1,129 people. The building was home to several garment factories, and it’s collapse brought to light the unsafe work conditions faced by garment industry workers not only in Bangladesh, but around the world.

 

After this, I took a hard look at the way I consumed clothing. Previously, I had guiltily shopped at “cheap-chic” mall stores, knowing full well where the clothing was coming from, but trying not to think of it. I could no longer push the thought to the back of my mind. It was time to change something.

 

This began a process of disciplining myself to only buy what I needed, to try and shop second-hand whenever possible, and to learn to craft my own garments from scratch. Over the past year, I have learned a lot and made plenty of mistakes.

 

This blog is an evolution of this process that began nearly a year ago. I intend to share my learnings and mistakes, my triumphs and failures, as I attempt to craft a wardrobe that I can truly feel good about.

Lets do this thing.

the beginning.

is now.