Sewing was my passion long before knitting and crochet.
My mother taught me to sew when I was around 6. I was always allowed on the sewing machine at any time for any reason.
In high school when I didn’t want to hold down a normal, fast food, kid job I decided to market myself around school and make formal dresses for all of the school events. I made a dozen or so and actually was paid pretty well for it.
I have made my sisters wedding dress, my own wedding dress and part of my sister in law’s wedding dress (she was too frazzled to deal with so mom took over).
I sewed incessently while pregnant with my first 2 kids. Insomnia and the need to do something productive took over. Maternity clothes and baby items were my specialty at that time. A few quilts, nothing fancy, all squares and rectangles.
My mother quit sewing clothes after the last wedding dress, that would be my sister in law’s. Too much frustration. She couldn’t stay away from her machine though. No matter how hard she tried, it kept caling to her. The dozens of little hand tied quilts and flannel recieving blankets for her ever blooming grandchild count just wasn’t cutting it. Finally she took the plunge and true quilting took over her life.
She now has a long arm quilt machine. She pumps them out for use, not for show really. She has a few she has made that are hands off, just to look at but the functionality and usefulness of a quilt is what she’s really all about.
Now, the bug has bitten Tracy.
About a year ago, after mom got her new quilt machine, I started buying some of the more trendy quilt books. Kaffe Fassett, Amy Butler, Denyse Schmidt, etc. Their fabrics are gorgeous, the style is what I like. It works!
I just can’t bring myself to sit at the machine. George even bought me a new sewing machine a few years back and other than a few needle cases and purses and repairs to clothing I haven’t used it at all. Nothing fabulous has come off that machine. It makes me sad, depresses me a little that I have lost the love of sewing. I think it will come back eventually but I just can’t seem to find it right now. I have tried. Tracy and I bought all kinds of fabric for skirts and now, 3 years later, her fabric has been sent home with her never becoming a skirt.
I have a ton of fabric.
My lack of motivation for sewing has even led to letting the kids raid the fabric and use whatever they like for whatever they want. If it gets ruined I am not sad about it. In stark contrast, when they breathe on my yarn (even the crap stuff) I have a heartattack and nearly fall over.
I have taken to buying curtains and linens instead of sewing them to my exact taste.
I just find this whole thing interesting.
And now that Tracy is interested in sewing and quilting, my interested is piqued. I can’t say I am rarin’ to go but I did buy myself a little quilt pattern and fabric at the Ontario Quilt Show that we went to last Saturday. You can read all the details on Tracy’s blog with amazing pictures of amazing quilts.
The top only takes 8 fat quarters and they came in a pack, colors & fabrics already put together. I washed them as soon as I got home and now it’s just cutting that needs to happen. Oh yeah, then the sewing ;o)
On to knitting news.
I have finished the Hourglass Sweater and didn’t read the errata. Thought I was smart enough to pick up on any problems. Right. I totally didn’t do the raglan shaping right, I followed the incorrect instructions. It fits great, I love the color and I am not, I repeat, I am not ripping out the raglan to re-do it. It can stay funky and noone will know the difference. Those that read this blog, if you say anything to me while I am wearing it be prepared to get a beat-down. Plain & simple. I just don’t care. If you aren’t a knitter you won’t know that there is something wrong. Maybe someday I will rip it back and fix it. Until then, it’s getting worn the way it is.
As soon as it was finished on Sunday I cast on for the Gedifra Merino De Luxe Design 509 sweater from the Gedifra Highlights 033 book. I am using Red Heart Soft Yarn in Dark Leaf. (throw tomatoes at me for using acrylic, I don’t care)
That is the back and it is finished up through the armhole shaping. I only have about 6 more inches and the back is done. It’s knitting up much faster than I expected! The front is exactly the same with 3/4 length solid stockinette sleeves. Then I do a mock neck collar with the cables continuing all the way up to the bind off. You can see a finished one on Knits & Pieces blog. Or a bunch on ravelry.
With the cold I have been battling I haven’t worked on the Venezia since last Wednesday. It’s not a chart I want to contend with while my head feels like it’s a big red balloon. My plan is to get back to working on it as my main focus everyother day consistently. I should be done with the body in one day then it’s on to the sleeves. I am still concerned it’s going to be too small but we won’t really know until it’s finished and blocked out.