Two On Deck

I’ve discovered that stash busting sewing is different from other kinds of sewing. Stash busting is all about using up fabric, and less about perfectly made projects – which, of course, is the exact opposite of my normal approach to sewing!

Lucky for me, I have a much more talented crafter friend who told me about her slapdash approach to sewing. So I’m giving it a whirl this month, and seeing how it compares to my usual approach.

This is the beginning of what will be a slightly gathered, slightly flared, high-low hem skirt. I know high-low hems in skirts are a little passé, but I’ve been wanting to try high-low sewing for quite some time. I didn’t really measure anything for this skirt; I basically folded the fabric in half width wise and drafted out some shapes using masking tape.

I drafted pattern pieces for this cardigan, but in hindsight I think I could have used masking tape to block out some shapes on the fabric itself. That being said, I really enjoyed drafting the pattern! I love patternmaking. I mentioned before that I wanted to try Bored and Crafty’s cardigan tutorial – this project is that attempt!

So far, I did not find sketching out shapes on fabric as satisfying as drafting a paper pattern, but it may have been faster. I’m not sure, because it was so frustrating not being able to be sure that everything would line up perfectly after it was cut. That being said, I’m trying to channel my inner Satisfactionist, and make progress on the Stashbusting Sewalong. I think the skirt qualifies for the April ‘vibrant color’ challenge. What do you think?

Be a Satisfactionist

Sue Kim made up the term ‘satisfactionist’ to recommend those of us who sew be more focused on satisfying sewing, than perfect sewing. It does not mean we set out to sew crooked seams or bumpy hems! Being a satisfactionist means accepting the little ‘oopsies’ that occur during sewing, without letting those ‘oopsies’ jade our view of our handiwork. It is important to enjoy sewing, and it is gratifying to be fully proud of our efforts.

When we begin sewing, we hold ourselves to the standards of items we bring home from the store – items sewn on specialized, powerful machines by people who use them eight or more hours a day, five or more days a week. Or we want our projects to look exactly the projects of our grandma, who has been sewing for longer than we’ve been alive. Or exactly like our favorite sewing blogger (who, let’s face it, probably does not share her duds!). So time and again, we come up short.

But that isn’t very satisfying, is it?

It is satisfying to credit ourselves when we finish our projects, when we tackle new techniques, and when we fudge things that turn out to be awesome. And it is very satisfying to graciously accept compliments on our work! We don’t have to mention that the interior stitching was done in two colors because we ran out of thread, or that our hem is slightly uneven, or that our buttons don’t quiiite line up with our buttonholes.

Sew for satisfaction, and be satisfied with what you sew.