An interview with Create Whimsy

 

 Last week I did another interview for the Create Whimsy website. They asked me to talk about my new book, coming out next month, and so I did that.

For those of you who might be interested in the backstory on that book here's the link.

Stylearc and family sewing

 When Stylearc patterns first hit the scene I just about lost my mind. Up till then I had relied, with increasingly sporadic results, on the Big 4, most often Vogue. 

At that time it was becoming obvious to me that the fashion universe Vogue was inhabiting was its own space, with things that they had decided were fashionable, but outside their world weren't. 

Equally, and for concern to me as a sewist who really loves construction cleverness, was that the drafting at Vogue no longer seemed particularly good, and the instructions were pretty archaic.

In that environment, and from that perspective, Stylearc was just what I was looking for -RTW sizing, current styles and in some cases interesting construction techniques, although only cryptically explained.

And the pants fit. 

Fit right out of the envelope and without any alterations necessary. Who could believe that such a thing was possible?

So I bought Stylearc patterns a lot. 

Many of the early ones I collected in that period were even hand-drawn on nice tracing paper with hand-lettering. Probably going to be some sort of collector's items one day, but at the time patterns like this made me feel very strongly a personal connection to the folks who drafted them.

However over time styles changed. I found more and more of Stylearc's offerings were sort of shapeless. Loose fit, particularly around my scrawny shoulders, has never looked that good on me. For the same reason I never felt I could wear anything from the Sewing Workshop - those patterns always made me feel like a flag pole draped in a flag.

But then the next change was probably in me. 

Maybe Covid sealed the deal but just being comfortable became a very large priority. Some of the new Stylearcs started to look pretty good to me.

So I jumped back in and it has been going very well.

The first thing I made were some Kew pants for one of my sisters. She has a hard time getting pants for her small waist, wider hips so I decided to make her some. We used a blue linen.

First here is the pattern:

And here they are on my sister, in a video she texted me, with a note to ignore her hair. She has been a long lockdown in Ontario and couldn't get a hair appointment until next month.

She's pretty happy with these, and so am I so the next pair will be for me!

Finally I also made my grandson a housecoat as one of his birthday presents this week. One of my other sisters is staying with me while we wait for her daughter to give birth to her first child (the niece who lived with me for three years while she was in nursing school) and when we were out doing some thrift store shopping I picked up this nice polar fleece piece for $6.00

It just spoke "cozy housecoat for a little boy" to me so that's what I made with it. 

Honestly it's great when they are at this unfussy age and anything you do is just what they wanted:

This is sort of my life. I am spending more than half the week this summer taking care of my three grandchildren here, and August 15 I am headed to Berkeley to see my youngest grandchild there.

Right now my sister and brother-in-law are staying in the semi apartment in our basement, so they are close to my niece who lives two streets over. You know the niece who is engaged (Covid delayed weddings) to my son-in-law's nephew. 

Welcome to Nova Scotia.

There are more than enough folks to sew for around here. These include me and I will be sharing more of those makes soon.

Flypaper thoughts: random version

• The weirdness in the air is continuing
• Has anyone else noticed that strange things are coming out of the blue these days
• The man across the street, self-described as a young 75
• Has taken to courtly escorting another neighbour
• Someone who works shifts
• Down the long hill towards her workplace
• He gets up at 6:00 am to do this
• Like he was going to be walking down that hill this time anyway
• And he is always weeding on his lawn the time she walks by at night
• Who needs TV I ask you?
• When the pandemic has made the stories of the neighbourhood
• More interesting than anything anyone could make up
• A few months ago my youngest son moved home to here, after working in the US for a few years
• The actual morning after he arrived and he talked about his plans to be home
• He got a great job offer back in Texas
• You would understand 
• That the morning of the day I would drive him to the airport in the evening
• I got up at 5:00 am and made him a shirt and linen pants
• To wear in Austin and a heat we don't have here

• For a while now I have felt a compulsion to sew
• To get something out that was in
• Does sewing do that for you?
• I just knew I had to get sewing
• Of course most of the things I have made
• Have been for other people
• I never remember to ask for pictures
• Tomorrow it will be a seersucker nightgown for one girl
• Pants for my sister
• Tops for my husband 
• A housecoat for my daughter
• And a couple of dresses for me
• I have decided that with the way my life is going
• It has to be packable
• So that's interesting
• The linens are being washed and dried
• Is an instapot better than a slow cooker?
• From the point of view of sewing not cooking
• I am threatening to make myself a two piece this year
• Again the kids will pretend to not recognize me if I do
• And clothes for someone to wear to junior high
• That's a hard age to dress
• Girls seem to be offered only the too revealing or nothing
• Going to be interesting to figure this one out
• Nova Scotia is unbelievably beautiful in summer
• Just spectacular
• Always hard to believe the recovery that comes after the icebox winter
• I think I sew my own springs
• To be illustrated as we go

Flypaper thoughts: unusual times edition

•  I think we can establish that things have been weird these days
• Like the moon is stuck in some weird phase
• You know the kind that makes the inmates jumpy
• In a full moon
• But stuck there
• How about you?
• This last few months
• My youngest son moved back here after years away
• And the day after he was finished quarantine
• He got an excellent job offer back in Texas
• So off he goes again
• Probably for the long term
• The switch that was on, has been switched back
• So I have a question
• Where is the closest good fabric store for a person in Austin Texas?
• Last few times I was there I could only find Joanns
• Although Hill County Weavers is excellent for knitting
• I need to develop more contacts there
• Daisy also developed some worrying red rashes on her belly
• Near where her cancer was removed earlier this year
• Well false alarm
• Seems the cat, who adores her
• Has been trying to nurse
• The vet thought this was very funny
• Knowing about the stuck moon I was not surprised
• Since it appears all bets are off these days
• Speaking of which
• I decided to apply to university 
• To do another undergrad
• Seems students over 65 don't pay tuition
• When I heard that I was off
• So many interests I didn't pursue
• First time out
• Getting my transcripts forwarded was hilarious
• "Can you give me the post code of your address when you lived here?"
• Canada didn't yet use postcodes when I was that age
• "OK then what was your student email address?"
• Listen kiddo I graduated before they invented the internet
• Big pause
• I am thinking
• Spanish, because of being really positive about that Texas thing
• Animal behaviour
• Clearly there is a lot to learn about there
• Creative writing
• Well there is this blog
• Comparative religions
• Substantial knowledge gaps there
• Women and Aging
• Surely I have the pre-reqs for that?
• And I am sewing and sewing
• With family all over the place now
• I am setting up Pinterest boards
• They post ideas and I post fabrics
• When you have taste like mine
• It makes more sense to sew by demand
• Than by surprise
• I have seen a few surprised looks in my time
• My niece nailed it
• "Just make it in a colour you would never wear"
• Good taste is not always CHEERFUL
• Hence the Pinterest boards
• Currently working on mother and daughter outfits for my DIL and granddaughter in California
• That was by request
• If the vaccination schedule goes as planned
• I will be free to go to Berkeley to see those guys
• For three weeks 
• Mid August to early September
• So so excited about that
• Revising my wardrobe to be more packable
• We are also planning a month in Florida in November
• And Texas state parks in February
• I need to link up with sewing people
• One of my decisions in the year and a half I have spent 
• In the striped chair, the comfortable one, with Daisy
• Is to be as social as I can
• Got to appreciate your people
• My neighbourhood has kept me going
• Everyone is doing the same thing
• Out in the yards
• Or walking the dogs
• Talking and talking
• I had no idea so many interesting
• Good hearted people
• Lived five blocks from me
• Confucius  was right
• In the midst of every crisis
• There is an opportunity
• Making sure I don't miss it

David Page Coffin

I have had to let the news of David's passing sit for a bit before I could write about him.

David was a good friend of mine. We knew a lot about each other and I could tell many stories. But it seems to me that so much of that is personal now.

I got to know David when I first wrote for Threads and he was my editor. He was a wonderful editor, the best that magazine ever had.

One day, about 20 years ago, he called me. "I've just read the Shipping News and I am going to come and visit you."

Now of course that book was written about Newfoundland and a long way from my little house in Halifax but he came anyway.  I moved one kid out of a bedroom and sent him into the bunk bed with his brother, and David stayed very happily in a boy's room and slept in a narrow single bed.

He was the kind of person who spoke to children as if they were adults. My three kids really enjoyed having him here. He just fit right into family life. We talked about everything.

Over the years David and I kept in touch and saw each other in person when we could at various sewing shows.

We used to write each other about our schemes and plans and sometimes our worries. He was the kind of friend who if he read that something was bothering you in an email would just phone you up to discuss right away rather than write back.

He had of course the most wonderful voice.

What I want to tell you about David Page Coffin is this.

He was the most genuinely authentic person I have ever met. He was exactly who he was, author, sewer, musician and painter, and there was not one thing about him that was not original and authentic.

He was the real deal, absolutely the real deal.

I also think it is important to understand that everything he did was motivated by his generosity to other people. He always had time for you. He truly respected everyone he talked to. All his writing and teaching were motivated, I feel, not simply by a love of the craft but by a love for people. There is a big difference there.

DPC wanted to share useful things he figured out in case someone found it helpful. His work was entirely original and self-discovered, accurate and true, and he wanted to share it.

Over the last few days I have re-read some of our emails. The last one I sent, at the end of February, was never answered.

I am just so sad. I have lost someone I really understood and someone who really understood me.

You just can't replace a friend like that.

Don't fall over, I am back

Hi folks.

Yes I know this space has been quiet but I am getting back in the groove. 

The last month or so has been very busy. I am back teaching two online courses for the university this summer, and after having been away from it for a while now, that has meant re building the courses.

I have also been doing the proofs for my next book, Stressfree sewing solutions, due out in August. That book was my pandemic project. 

I have also just released a second video in my knits series, this one on more advanced techniques, including an easy way to do a foolproof polo knit type placket that I worked up lately. I am pretty pleased with how easy this technique is. I will be interested in some feedback on it.

And of course I have been sewing.

I made a couple of skirts for my sister who has major cabin fever in Ontario, three pairs of maternity pants and two dresses for my niece, sweatshirts for my son-in-law, and a few things for myself.

I did a guest post on the Fabricville blog on sewing with bamboo, and you can read that here.

Here, randomly, are some pictures of what I made for myself this last month:

A golf shirt made with my new method and a skort from Jalie 

The free apron pattern from Tessuti. I made three of these. Note follow the instructions for the top part of the bib where the straps attach. Like all of Tessuti's patterns although they look simple there are usually a few twists in construction that are a bit original but work out well. This one was my first and, being a know it all, I didn't follow the instructions and as a result the strap attachment is subpar. The next two versions were much better.

 

And finally here is a blouse I made from an Ottobre magazine and the Jalie Renee pants. I did a FBA on this blouse but think I want to go in and cut it again in a larger size anyway for more back room, although this is certainly wearable. I also think I need to do a straight shoulder adjustment, because that's exactly what I have, so the collar lies a little better. To be continued. It was time I revised a TNT shirt pattern or two.

So that's my update.

I have a bunch of more family sewing I want to do, plus some more things for myself for spring/summer. 

Hopefully I will be able to travel to San Franscico in August for three weeks to see my kids there. It has been well over a year since I have seen them and it's killing me.

Talk soon.

Sewing when that's all you can do

This last week my oldest son, the one who lives with his family in Berkeley, had a birthday. 

I really wanted to make him something special. In my mind it became really important to send something in the mail that came from the house he grew up in, a house that remembers him.

He had mentioned once he liked summer pyjamas. So I made him some from a vintage men's pattern, out of seersucker with piping. It seemed to me to be very California dad of a certain era, and being a dad is my son's very best thing. I also wanted to make these using only vintage techniques. My serger was not used in this project. All seams are either French seams or bound. I also bound the back of the neck and around the fly pieces on the inside. I was real careful with this project.

I haven't seen Nat or his family in over a year. Last March I was just about to go and spend a few days with my granddaughter while her parents went away. That trip got cancelled at the last minute, theirs and mine. That's bothered me all year.

I don't have the words to describe how much I miss this guy. That's my own baby I can't get to.

But I can still sew something for him. And because he is my son, and grew up with all this sewing going on around, he knew exactly what pictures to take. When he emailed me a thank you he sent detail shots of the parts that were the most work.

He'd knows.

That's my kid.