The more I learn about pattern making and garment construction, the more interested I become in the meta of sewing. I call meta everything that has to do with sewing: the research, the thinking about it at night, the sketch, looking for the right fabric and accessories, drafting or choosing the right pattern. In short, what leads to sewing.
Daria from Kittenhood said something very interesting in a comment to my post about understanding fabric gain lines:
I completely understand! I’m sometimes so excited about a project when I think about it (usually at bedtime), that I feel like getting up and doing it then and now, or not at all. The next day, it’s old history and I don’t feel like getting into it. Complete with the fact that I can’t draw well, that leaves no room for sketching or planning…
Does this happen to you? It happens to me all the time.
I envy the planners. The sewists who spend 3 weekends in making a garment. They work on it and finish it. And document it for our (their readers) pleasure. Thank you!
I love the part when I am inspired to sew something new and don’t know how to make it. I prefer not using a pattern and figuring out how to make a garment than just cutting and sewing (the copy paste of sewing 🙂
Don’t get me wrong, I own a lot of commercial patterns and I think using them is very useful for learning the steps of making a garment and seeing the shapes of the pattern pieces yourself. The downside of it (at least for me) is that you start looking for the pattern that’s similar to what you’re trying to sew but end up sewing something that’s not quite what you had in mind. And then you wonder why you’re not completely satisfied with your work.
On the other hand, to do what I am doing now when I draft a pattern, the old school way of calculating sizes on paper and imagining shapes before I draft a pattern and sew it – might look like a waste of time. Why spend all that time with the candle in the dark, when you can switch on the light and use a basic commercial pattern and modify it as you please.
But I am moving away from what I wanted to say in the first place. 🙂
I think the best way to learn to sew is by experimenting. By doing things you don’t know how to do.
You will never know if sketches will help you if you don’t try making sketches for your future projects. You won’t know if you’re good at pattern making if you never try drafting your own.
So, as a part of doing new things I am planning something big. I am planning to sketch and sew a new winter wardrobe, which includes a cape, a pair of jeans (!) and other scary things like those.
Will it work? No idea 😀 But it’s fun to try.
What’s your brave new sewing experiment this month? I’d love to know and then follow your progress.
And if you have a sewing/making blog, could you please leave a comment with your url and a short description of what your blog about?