Hello! Spring is here! Life is good!

I had my first day of work at my new job yesterday. I'm feeling incredibly accomplished. Exhausted. Optimistic. Scattered. I'm excited to get settled enough that I can turn my real focus back to doodling and sculptures. Any day now.

Last month was all about preparing for the new job, though, so I turned all my creative energy onto the one problem I felt I could actually meaningfully do something about: my wardrobe. That's right, it's sewing time.

(I also made this page to display all my old sewing projects)

Sewing can be nice in that once you know what you're doing, it's really formulaic. Less problem solving than most of my favored mediums, less decision making. That might make it less interesting to read about I suppose but I appreciate how mentally restful that made it to do.

I've been doing enough decision making. Enough problem solving.

Find a pattern. Print it out and tape it together, or skip straight to cutting if you buy it physically. I kinda wish I'd bought a physical pattern. Getting everything taped out nice, without any warping, took a couple tries. Especially because I had to mess with the print ratios a bit to get them to scale, and that pushed everything to the edges of the paper.

That said, I find it a lot easier to trace them onto the fabric cleanly when the pattern is a bit thicker. It holds its edge.

Mind the grain direction. I had to scrap one shirt entirely after putting it most of the way together because I'd cut everything out sideways and the stretch went in entirely the wrong direction. It's an upsetting error to find. I cried a little. But hey, Joann's is going out of business, it's a good time to have to buy all new fabric.

I like using these ceramic coasters, and various candles, as pattern weights. They help keep everything still while I cut.

And then you uh...... sew the shirt. I don't have many photos of the sewing process beyond this. I'm following directions, and when I don't have to make decisions I do tend to hyperfocus and just go until the project is done or it's time for bed. But I made some clothes!

Three of this bodysuit, first. Pattern here, from Grasser. The hips on the brown one came out too high up so I decided, if it's not going to be office appropriate anyway, might as well have some fun with it. The yellow one has thumb holes. The green one has a panel added into the sleeves (this fabric was less stretchy and was tight on my biceps) which added a fun ruching effect.

Honestly I think the final garments themselves are kinda boring, but I'm pretty proud of that, you know? They don't look home made. They feel high quality. I'm constructing a wardrobe, in the character design sort of way, and I like the character I'm designing.

Same thing with these button ups. They're really simple, but I put a lot of care into them and I'm proud. The gray shirt took me about three days to make, the brown one I did all in one long long sitting, except the buttons/ buttonholes which still have to be acquired/sewed on. That time improvement is wild to me.

Pattern here, again from Grasser.

Aaaaaand that's all, basically. I have a big stack of fabric still that I'd like to turn into things, but I can feel the season shifting, my focus drifting. I want to draw things, scribble with color. I want to dig my fingers into the earth. Maybe next month, as I carve out the hours after work, as I settle into the new shape of my life, I'll play with something new.