Fiber Arts

I was lucky enough to be profiled in the current (Jan/Feb) issue of Fiberarts Magazine. Thank you Marci, Sharon, and everyone else at Fiberarts!

Interview

My friends at Ampolo interviewed me about this blog. Thanks guys!
I was also interviewed a few months ago by Chicago Magazine, but I never saw what they printed.

Watch the video here.

An Apron for my Dad & the Real Reason I’m Doing this Project

I wrote an email to my dad describing a project I really had no intention of making. It said “I'm working on an apron for you. How many pockets do you think you'll need? It'll be two sided, so you can use one side for carpentry projects and the other for cooking.”
He replied:

The side for cooking should have four pockets:

#1 for matches
#2 for charcoal
#3 for lighter fluid
#4 to put the meat in when it's done

The side for building should have six pockets

#1 for pencil and ruler
#2 for nails
#3 for hammer
#4 for saw
#5 for iPod
#6 for beer . . . this one and #4 on cooking side should be the biggestpockets . . . by far If the entire project is too complex with 10 pockets on two sides. . . then a simple apron with just pockets # 5 and #6 will do just fine. (It could be made out of denim and duct tape.)

You can see that I made the edited version. It’s really just a drinking apron now, which is good because my dad just retired and he needs to relax a bit. He refused to take part in the photo-shoot so I had to wait until Scott came to town so I had a model. Scott drank the three bottles of beer I was hoarding for props, so I went to my brother’s house to fill up the apron and shoot the photo. When I got there I realized no one had an iPod, but there is a little chest pocket for it.

The apron is one example of a lie that came true. I have a habit of telling people I’m working on things that I’m not, but once the idea is out there, I often think it’s actually a good idea. That is exactly how I got myself into this project. This is the email that got things going:

Hello friends and family,

I made some jeans and was pleased with the result, so I'm taking this opportunity to show off my talent and my pudgy legs. I'm working on replacing my entire wardrobe with home-made clothes. thanks for looking,

Keiler

Of course, I had pictures of the jeans attached. A few people didn’t realize I was kidding and I got some really enthusiastic responses to the idea. Well, I’m a sucker for attention and I figured if I was already getting noticed just by proposing the idea, I might as well see where it goes.

Summer Blouse

If you have trouble picking out clothes or determining what fits you, I recommend taking pictures of yourself. It is so totally different from looking in a mirror. For example, the mirror told me that this blouse fits. I can now see that there’s way too much fabric in the bust (big surprise). There’s no easy way to adjust this now. If a dart is wrong, it means the whole piece has to be changed and it will affect too many other seams on this blouse to be bothered with. I’ll just have to stuff some socks in my bra. The other problem here isn’t visible. The sleeve bands are just a bit too tight which makes it very difficult to take this blouse off. If you’ve ever trapped yourself in a too small piece of clothing, you’ll know how I learned to avoid open dressing rooms.

I’m feeling very trapped by this project right now. This is what I’ve accomplished. I’ve learned just enough about fashion to know that the chances of finding any new clothes that I like and can afford and that fit me are incredibly slim. I have discovered just how atypical my body is compared to whatever standard is used to create clothes and patterns. And I don’t even think my body is that weird, but I am taller than average which creates a problem with all garments because I need extra length in the torso, sleeves, and legs. My thighs are wider than my hips, so commercial pants and skirts don’t fit. My ribcage is enormous and my boobs are tiny, so a knit tank top off the rack will generally work, but anything structured won’t.

On the bright side, I learned how to attach buttons with my machine and I found it really fun, so I no longer need to avoid styles that incorporate many buttons.

Progress Report

I’m going to offer an excuse (one of many to come, I’m sure) for why I’m not having more success with the sewing. Right now I’m mainly limiting myself to $1 per yard fabrics while I test out patterns and hone my skills. I’m not enough of a purist to make muslin mock-ups. It’s mainly because muslin is more than $1/yd. I really don’t like all of the fabric choices I’ve made. I thought they would be more transformed when they were shaped into a piece of clothing. It turns out, ugly fabric makes ugly clothes. Lesson learned. Still – these ugly things have an important role to play in my growing wardrobe. Doesn’t everyone need crummy clothes for messy projects, like changing the oil or expressing your dog’s anal glands? Assuming I fulfill my goal in this project, after a year passes I won’t have any old clothes. If I were making one fantastic thing after another I would have to whip up some aprons, smocks, and coveralls. I might do it anyway, simply because those things are fun to make, but think about that. Can you image a wardrobe without grubbies?

Sewing a New Wardrobe

I’m planning to replace all of my clothes with handmade (by me) clothes. For now I’m only replacing garments that can be sewn. I will keep my sweaters and socks. This is what I have made so far: 4 A-line skirts, 2 pairs of pants including the jeans shown at left, 5 tops, and an assortment of un-wearable failures. The pants have been the most successful. I love pants. I know what they require to be good. I have avoided owning skirts for most of my life, so my unfamiliarity may be related to the lack of success I have had in this area. They really are useless garments. Why not wear a dress? Then you can avoid the issue of finding a compatible top. No more skirts. The tops I’ve made are ok. Much improvement is needed. I’m also working on a jacket. There’s a major problem with the sleeve right now.

Here is a reason to sew. I feel really good when I’m around things I’ve made. Mainly this has been painting and home-decorating, so I like to be at home. By sewing I can create things that will be with me always. This might encourage me to get out more. I also like the process of sewing. It is nicely divided into boring, peaceful tasks (ironing & cutting), shopping (for fabric & patterns), creating (sketching ideas & making designs), and problem solving (why don’t sleeves ever fit into armholes?)