Sitting down

I do sometimes feel I am inclined to imagine projects I want to do, to gather materials for, to dream and plan about, but am unable to bring myself to get over the mental hurdle of getting started. Even simple things sometimes. What it takes in my head to motivate me to sit down and get on with it is a bit of a mystery, even to me.
But whatever it took, I actually sat down the other night and sewed until it was way past my bedtime, and I ran out of bias tape. I produced a pile of new cushion covers with the Ikea fabric I bought last week.
So simple, and I love the results, although it would have been quicker and easier if I'd figured out how much fabric I needed before I purchased it, and made allowance for the fact that Ikea shoppers can't necessarily cut straight. More lessons learnt.

Darn

I've really been enjoying listening to Cast On recently- the whole "make do and mend" mentality is an interesting concept, and I've found it interesting to think about how I apply it in my own life. How often to I buy brand new when I don't need to, when there is another alternative, which might prevent something else from being ultimately dumped into landfill?

I know I'm much thriftier and inclined to "make do" than many friends and peers (even stingy some might say), but in some ways I can see I am less so than others. There are so many ways you can "make do" and reuse, repair or recycle, or approach the whole issue of sustainabile living though, that individual comparisons don't necessarily give a clear picture. I think, if you want to live more sustainably, more environmentally consciously, or just on less money, the key is to find ways to do so that fit with your life style, your opportunities and your aspirations.

For example, if you need to present yourself Monday to Friday in polished business suits (not that I do) then an Op Shop wardrobe (at least, based on the range and quality of clothing you can find in Australian Op Shops, aka Thrift Stores) is probably not going to do the trick. Conversely, if (as I do) you work in a design conscious environment, then you might be able to enjoy some creative upcycling of the holey things that are accumulating in your wardrobe. It's just a matter of finding some inspiration and making some time. (I'm only reporting on the former here, the latter will hopefully come soon).


Exhibit A: Favorite socks have worn a hole in the sole.
Inspiration: Frog them and re-knit into a beanie (C keeps on asking me where my woolly hat is...).


Exhibit B: A voluminous Issey Miyake coat that I made years and years ago, but which was hardly worn due to it's extravagant voluminosity (yes I'm sure it's a word), and despite the fact that the Armarni wool cashmere fabric is so exquisitely soft and buttery and such an indescribably subtle soft grey brown colour. I pulled it out of the back of the wardrobe a month ago to consider it's potential for re-use to discover that the moths had been munching their way through it.
Inspiration: After a week in the freezer to kill off any remaining moths, I assessed the damage. There is alot of re-usabale fabric (when I said voluminous, I meant HUGE), and some painstaking details are intact, so I'm going to see if I can recut it into a new jacket. (Pattern to be determined).


Exhibit C: Favorite winter wool tights have worn holes in the heels after over a year of faithful service.
Inspiration: Cut the legs into strips, to go with strips of a couple of old and worn out cardigans, to be knitted into a new scarf/cowl/wrap. Inspired by cocoknits rag knitting tutorial and Betz White's post on Knotions blog while on her Sewing Green blog tour back in April.

Just a few more projects to add to the ever increasing list of things that I want to make or do. It's always interesting to see which projects percolate to the top of the list and come into being...

Some warming glimpses of orange*

I'm enjoying progress on Cobblestone in the evening in my favorite knitting perch on the sofa.


I'm planning to finally (definitely, yes, the time has come) make some cushion covers with the fantastic fabrics I found at Ikea today. First time in my life I've bought fabric by weight! It's currently drying after a trip through the washing machine.


We're enjoying short bursts of clear weather which let us put the nearly completed deck to use. C's loving it.


*When I was young, I hated the colour orange. I can't remember why exactly. Somewhere along the line though I started to like it, and I've noticed more splashes of it warming up my life. A perfect antidote for the depths of winter.

designing space

One afternoon, earlier this week, I cleared out the stack of paperwork that has been hiding under the bed, awaiting sorting and tossing or re-storing in my plan cabinet.



This is a Uni project from '91 or '92. Can't remember exactly. It was a studio that I struggled with, but I found myself amazed at the care and precision that I still put into the drawings. They were drafted in pencil on thick watercolour paper, with some watercolour highlights and Letraset text. It must have taken me ages. Looking back at them now, I think focussed on the presentation production in lieu of the design, because it just wasn't working for me. There was some kind of mental block there that I couldn't find my way around in order to get into the project- to really engage with the studio brief and find inspiration in response.

It's an interesting excersise to look at past work like this. This was one of many, many projects and artworks (from school as well as Uni, and even one painting from kindergarten) that I looked through that day. So many memories and markers of my art and design development were tied up in those sheets of paper and card. Many of them were put in the bin. Some I couldn't part with. A select few might get framed. Others were in a half way zone and ended up in a bundle that I imagine I will be recycling- good quality paper and only one side used, so why not use the other side for C to draw on, or perhaps even me, or perhaps cut into gift tags. These drawings fell into the latter.



It was a cathartic afternoon. Some shedding. Some inspiration to make time for more art and drawing in my life. I've always been drawn to (pardon the pun) drawing and printmaking. Perhaps now that I've made a little space....

The aran vest song

Twinkle, twinkle little son,
how I love to watch you run:
up and down and in and out,
over, under, 'round and 'round,
in your vest that fits just right-
gosh it gives me such delight.





(A quiet contrast to the exasperation and tears that you also are capable of causing now that you've started testing various boundaries by throwing hysterical tantrums. You will grow out of this phase one day won't you?)

Mintox

I took the opportunity today, after dealing with a mountain of household chores that made my day off feel like a day to be avoided, to browse the local newsagent before heading to my favorite coffee shop to sit and read. I discovered this little joy:

Pepper Mint, a new (only up to volume 03) eco fashion mag. A feast of inspiration, information and ideas, some familiar faces and plenty of new ones, some people I have admired for a good while now, fashion that is inspiring but not (to me at least) unwearable. It's more a life style mag than pure fashion, with profiles of interesting people and projects, all printed up on recycled paper using a waterless printing process. More than I could read through in one coffee break, and plenty of links to go and investigate.

Fashion can be so contrary to sustainability, so it's great to find places and spaces where the two aren't mutually exclusive. In other fashion and sustainability inspiration that has recently come to hand:

• I visited the The Uniform Project which aside from making me think a bit more about how I dress, is raising funds for Akanksha, which I happened to read about just earlier today in Pepper Mint... (don't you love how you hear about something for the first time and then it just keeps on popping up?)
• I joined in the conversation at Uniform Studio about children's clothing because it's something I've been thinking alot about. Some of my parenting peers take a completely different approach to their children's wardrobes (namely the sweet ladies in my Mother's Group, who sweet though they may be, are on a different planet from me in many respects, including many lifestyle choices). It's reassuring to know that there are others out there with similar ideas and ideals, excessive consumption not being one of them.
  

Other recent sewing adventures

Before sewing the tee pee and the tucked skirt, I managed to make myself fix up and finish off the top and pants I'd started on craft weekend back in April.

I'm currently wearing the top. I didn't really have enough fabric for this- I had "ideas" about how I did and didn't want the print to work, but in order to make it fit I had to add some side inserts with the print running horizontally. It's not perfect but I do love the fabric so, and and it is readily wearable, an easy layering piece and a refreshing change to the black I've been living in lately. I meant to take a photo today but got waylaid by other, more pressing, necessities (I didn't photograph the pooh on the sofa either).

The pants haven't been worn in public yet. They certainly fit much better than they originally did, but they didn't come out as the kind of fit or style that I had intended. I hope to remedy that with the next pair I attempt, aided by the new pattern drafting textbook I'm currently studying.

I guess both of these projects were a reminder that not all projects work perfectly, and that you can learn quite a bit from mistakes (if you can get over the annoyance and make some time to think about it). And perhaps also that you should listen to that little voice in your head that says the tape measure isn't lying....(Or you should check your toddler's nappy).