The final piece: where I satisfyingly tick something off my to-do list!

So here's a story about an impulse purchases that took a loooong time to finalise. 

About two years ago, fresh into my creative journey, I bought some lovely silk jewel coloured yarn and started making granny squares with no particular idea of an outcome.

Son no2 liked the feel of the squares - soft and silky - so I decided I'd make him a cushion.  I felt that an old jumper would be perfect for the back cover and daughter No2 pulled out one that had sat in a rather large pile in her wardrobe for a couple of years that had perfect colours to match   Sorted.

I finished the squares quite quickly and then promptly forgot about them.  

My to-do list keeps growing and I am getting almost uncontrollable yarn-purchasing urges so I decided that I needed to at least purge my stash and see what needed finishing before adding more exciting projects (and yarn) to the list!  

I found the squares and spent a few evenings crocheting them together, tidying up the ends and blocking it out to get it straight-ish.

All together now

I was ruminating on what had taken me so long to finish this project and realised it is the same old thing - fear of getting it wrong.  As I was going through the process of cutting up the jumper and sewing it all together I could hear myself worrying about the finish, about making a mistake, about how it would look. 

My goal with Fashionably Slow is to establish a hand-crafted life, making as much clothing, food, cleaning products, gifts and stuff as I can from scratch.  Keeping the process as simple and as gentle to the environment as possible. 

I've realised that means being kind to myself too - otherwise it will just become Fashionably Slow Torture!

Cuddly Jumper Side

Silky Square Side

Mood Shot!

And so we'll begin.....

I have set myself a goal in 2016 to create a capsule, hand-made wardrobe - hence the Fashionably, and to make it myself - hence the Slow!

Ofcourse, being at the start of the project this all feels very exciting, ultimately do-able and a great adventure to embark on.  In my head, my wardrobe will be perfect and done in the utmost taste.

Hmmm.....  I remember the time I decided to make my own Christmas wrapping paper.  I spent hours decorating brown paper with lovely Christmas-theme stamps and gold ink.  I wrapped everything beautifully and tied them up with string. In my head there was a glorious pile of exciting, festive gifts ready to emit a warm glow from under the tree.

When I stood back and really looked - there was a pile of dull stuff that looked ready for a ParcelForce delivery.

I read a quote the other day that said 'sewing is not all it seams', meaning that sewing isn't just about going up and down seams with a machine.  In fact that is but a small part of the process.

And after making loads of mistakes and wrecking yards of fabric I now realise that an important part of the creative process is the PLANNING and PREPARATION.  

Never mind.   I've now got loads of fabric scraps for quilt projects.  And those wonky garments I've made are worn on days when I don't plan leaving the house!  

Whenever I'm sewing there comes a moment when I suddenly need a needle and thread.  Then the search begins for the needle threader.  I don't know about you but getting distracted looking for something is a very dangerous thing.  I can end up hours later reading a really interesting article on neuroscience and emotion when all I was doing was googling knicker elastic suppliers.

Anyway, all of this is to explain why Fashionably Slow's first project is......

Ta Dah!

The Dressmaker's Jar

Ok, don't look too closely, it is a bit wonky.  But its useful, re-purposed an old jar and scraps of ribbon and fabric and is cute...to me.  PLUS, after a quiet 15mins listening to the Archers, most of those needles are threaded and ready for action.  Button need sewing on?  Right away.  Tailor's tacks for those darts?  No prob.  Need to mark a hem with some thread...easy peasy.