Everybody’s Talking Sewing

If you’ve roamed the site you know we have a section devoted in resources to Fibromyalgia. It’s a condition yours truly has had for almost 5 years now. I can say quite honestly, I’ve had more fun.

Anyone that has it will tell you it’s a constant series of adjustments - both physical and emotional. I just knew stating that I’ve always hated being bored was going to come back and bite me!

So there’s a new DVD out - a 77 minute documentary from the daughter of a woman suffering from Fibro. She wanted to learn how to help her mother, how others Fibromyalgia patients cope, what doctors say, how it’s treated - how to give hope to patients and their familes.

The DVD is called: Living With Fibromyalgia, A Journey of Hope and Understanding. This movie is the result of two years of interviews and research. 10% of the proceeds are being donated to the Fibromyalgia Association.

I bought it, watched it, and have passed it to my family to watch. It’s wonderful. If you have Fibro or someone you love does, take a look at Living With Fibromyalgia. You aren’t alone.

<Back to Wearables>

Quite a few years ago I was an active competitor in several of the nationally recognized shows with juried-in garment categories. I had the time necessary to devote to the garments; in many cases several months worth of time.

My fabrics were always my own hand dyes - I mean if you’re going to do it, I figured I’d do it all. Besides with the fur-kids help, I’d usually end up with some rather unique patterns on the fabrics; a cross between furry tails and my planned (yeah right, planned) effects.

I’d use linens, cottons, and poly blends; several kinds of salts, wintergreen rubbing alcohol, and hand-applied dyes. I’ve never gotten into vat style dyeing, I apply my dyes to the fabric one at a time with a brush or some other hand technique.

Then we get to the beads or fancy threads - sometime both. Hand sewn beading effects: seed and bugle bead patterns, bead fringes and rayon cording. Decorative threads: candlelight, heavy metallics, sliver, and yarns couched in seams and over specific sections.

I played. A lot.

Mostly I created two-piece garments, a jacket and skirt with a plain blouse as to not detract from the outer garments. The one rule I adhered to, mind you this was my rule - not any of the competitions, was that the garment had to be wearable, not what I considered a costume.

I needed to be able to wear it out in public and feel comfortable. It might be only for a really nice evening out, but it was still completely wearable. I quite simply did not want to put forth all that effort, all that time, to not be able to wear it in a real world situation. I need to enjoy my creations, not hang them in a garment bag forgotten.

Well after about four years of competing and not winning, I asked one of the judges why. If there was a techique I was messing up, I wanted to know!

Nope. The response was my pieces were technically wonderful, but not ‘flashy’ enough. My one hard-fast rule, doomed me to a non-winning status.

So what did I do? I decided to stop competing and sew for my own enjoyment instead. And you know what? I haven’t regretted that decision once.

<Back to Wearables>