Sew Distracted

Practical things

Poncho and I spent a couple of hours in the sewing room Sunday afternoon, and it was a good, successful day.

I managed to fold, photograph, and catalog only a few pieces of fabric. More importantly however, I managed to set up a corner with good light where I could photograph said fabric with pretty good, and true-to color results.  This is something that had eluded me during the summer, so I am much happier about the process of cataloging now and better photographs will be a boon.

 

I also finished the last sheet, the fitted sheet I wrote about in my last post.  I did not successfully manage to photograph the process.  I am not a good enough photographer to show anything useful in terms of white-on-white photography.  But I am even happier with this sheet than I was with the first, mostly because I simply did a neater job, with nicely mitered and felled corners seams.  My hems and seams were also neater and more even.  Admittedly this is simply the benefit of increased practice, but I managed to vary my activity more, balancing sitting and standing, so I suffered less from back pain and the toll that takes on my patience.

 

Once upon a time I was meticulous about things being neat and beautiful, perhaps obsessively so, ripping and redoing and often tossing unsatisfactory projects. But time continues to remind me of the old adage that "perfect is the enemy of good", and I have been out of practice for far too long.  It is enough to have good, functional items, and to see improvement each time I am in the sewing room.

 

Besides it seems that that perfectionism, the process of not allowing oneself to make mistakes, is really all about self-criticism, and makes it more difficult to actually grow creatively and develop pride in workmanship for its own sake. 

 

I did elasticize the entire sheet this time around.  When I went to the store to buy thread I also bought elastic.  Running elastic through the entire seam on the bottom of the fitted sheet was a bit time consuming, but it was time spent pleasantly in front of the television.  Stretching and sewing the elastic to the sheet would have been, perhaps, more annoying, at least to me.  Perhaps there is yet a third option.  I would think the easiest would be to thread the elastic simply through channels in the corners, rather than stitching it down as I did on the first sheet.  Hopefully it will be a few years before I test that theory.

 

It will be interesting to note any differences between the two sheets over time.  Will elastic and elastic placement affect long-term performance?  How will the quality of the fabric affect performance since the sheets are noticeably different?  These are exactly the kind of questions my nerdier side enjoys.  I cannot replace either piece of fabric, but the knowledge gained will still play a role in my understanding of fabrics overall, and future choices, whenever they may occur.  

 

I do love sleeping on my new linen sheets.  I love the crispness, and even the weight of them.  Yes, the feel of these sheets is a bit coarser or more rustic than my previous linen sheets, but I find that bothers me less as I get used to them. And there is something incredibly delicious about being ensconced in a bed that feels sensuous to the touch as well as warm (or cool) and comforting.

 

I still need to make pillowcases.  But that will require washing another piece of linen. The pillowcases will be smoother than the sheets simply because the only white linen I have on hand is either a damask or double damask.  I need to do some math to check how much yardage I need, and if either will work, I will simply chose the one that feels the most delicious next to my face. Since pillowcases are smaller, I may be able to manage photos.

I finished up my sewing afternoon by making some washcloths on strings, something like the loofa or back scrubbers you can buy various places. Most of the ones I have found have been too fancy, too big, too rough, or they don't hold up to heavy washing.  The washcloth portion is only 18" wide on mine, but that is enough since I move them back and forth anyway, and the handles are longer than most of the commercially available versions I have found.  In short they work for me.  

 

I keep a supply of basic, inexpensive, white towels in the house in various sizes for cleaning and odd jobs.  They are always white so they can be bleached.  I cut up one 18" wide towel to make four cloths and rather than cord, which I find problematic in that it seems to mildew faster,  I used a white cotton tape I had gotten at JoAnn fabrics during the last sale. I am just guessing that 4 is the right number for use between wash loads.  Since I tend to use cloth towels rather than paper towels as much as possible, there tends to be more than one load of towels each week.  Anyway, it is easy enough to make more.  I think it took less than half an hour to whip up these four, less time than it would take me to drive to Target, which is pretty close, and buy anything.

 

 

The power of Obligation

The problem with committing to post something to this blog every week is that there must be something to write about.  I suppose that was the intention, although perhaps I had not yet fully assimilated the idea.  I am certainly stitching every day, although more often than not that stitching has taken the form of knitting, and I do want to work in the studio.  I also want to finish unpacking and catalog my stash, both knitting- and sewing-related.  It seems therefore that if I expect actual sewing progress each week, I may be over my head.

But I am not going to rename this blog "sitting in the studio dreaming" although some of that did happen this past week. Let us just assume that dreaming, like fondling fabric and shuffling patterns around is a part of that thing called "process".  Or at least just hope so.

 

I did sit on the loveseat lost in thought, staring at fabric while Poncho sniffed and snorted circumnavigating the space and mapping it in his mind.  I am not yet convinced that he loves the studio; he might prefer to be in the house.  At the same time, although he is not as clingy as he was, he likes to know where I am.  Although he doesn't necessarily always curl up next to me, more often than not he is upstairs if I am upstairs, and downstairs if I am downstairs.  He gets nervous when he can't find me, and runs around in circles.  Hence we are still in learning mode -- Poncho is learning the word "studio" and what that means, and I suspect that in time the studio will become as comfortable a space as the rest of the house.  Getting him a more comfortable bed (there seems to be one kind he prefers) and a blanket might help, but then so might time.

In the meantime, He thought linen sheeting made a perfect napping spot, while I was laying the fabric out to measure for the second fitted sheet.   Since feeling at home in the space is important, some assistance, or hindrance, must be tolerated.

 

This sheet  is being cut from the smaller of the two pieces of linen I purchased.  I believe this was the first purchase, as the fabric was nearly sold out when I discovered it.  It has a tighter, finer, weave than the linen I used up last week, and a smoother hand with fewer slubs.  It will feel silkier against the skin.  However, I almost did not have enough fabric.  I had enough for the width of the sheet, but was seven inches short in the length (this is after shrinkage).  Luckily for me, I had cut an eight inch strip off the the width, which gave me just enough fabric, with a small seam allowance to join the two pieces.  I serged the two pieces together as I did not think I had enough fabric (1 inch total, or 1/2 inch on each piece to make a fully enclosed or felled seam.  The grainlline runs in different directions, obviously, but since this piece will be at either the top or bottom of the sheet, and at least partially tucked under the mattress, I do not foresee a problem.  

 

All I managed this week was to sit and dream, to catalog a few more pieces of fabric, and to sew one corner on the fitted sheet. I will probably finish it this weekend.  I am being much more meticulous.   Partly this is because I have time and am not desperate to get this on the bed.  But I also like this fabric more than the fabric for the first sheet, and having made one fitted sheet, I am more comfortable refiing the process.  

On the first sheet, I simply serged the corner seams.   I did finish all the bottom hems and edges, but did not bother with the corners.  The seams are sturdy and tight and I am not particularly worried about functionality or wear.  The goal was just to sew a sheet, and that goal was accomplished.  But somehow, on this sheet, I wanted a more polished finish, so the raw edges have been enclosed and the corner seams finished more nicely.   My stitching is not perfectly even.  I am not worried about that.  It will improve.

 

My new computer arrived last night, which means I can return to unpacking and cataloging. This will of course take away from actual sewing time, but will make things easier in the long run.  I will keep you updated with all of it as I go.

New Sheets

At one point this week I was plagued with self-doubt, fretting over whether or not I had committed myself prematurely to a goal I could not maintain.  Although I did not state that goal in my last post, my intention is to blog at least once a week.  Of course to write a sewing blog I must be sewing, or at least working on things sewing-related.  I might include needlepoint and embroidery in that category as I see them as embellishments on fabric, or the creation of fabric.  Yes, I know this is a stretch.  The goal is primarily one of motivation.

 

In truth, fretting about what I would write actually got me not only into the sewing room but actually making something.   What did I make?  Sheets.  Yes, the 7-yard project was a set of sheets.

Some time ago Marcy Tilton sold some wide-width Italian linen sheeting dubbed “Pratesi Linen”.  It was up for sale twice that I know of, and I bought a piece each time.  I love linen sheets and the intention was always to make it up but I didn’t get to it until now.  Why now?  I was somewhat desperate because my old set of linen sheets was falling apart.

 

I have enough linen for three sheets that will fit my rather deep queen-sized mattress.  Notice that is not enough for two complete sets of sheets.  Luckily, although my old fitted sheet has worn out completely, and is in shreds, I still have a useable linen top sheet.  Three sheets will do for now.

Apologies for the lack of photos.  Large expanses of white on white do not a good photo make, and sheet construction is pretty simple and straightforward. The most difficult part really is wrangling large expanses of fabric, long seams, and, if you are slightly dyslexic, making sure that all your corners face the same way.

 

The linen itself is nice, heavy, and although not as rough as the naturally imperfect washed linen that is currently fashionable, it is also not as smooth, fine, or as tightly woven as the Sferra Classico sheet set I have been sleeping on for the last 7 years.  Because I prefer the smoothness of the Sferra linen, as well as its lighter weight, I decided that I would make two fitted sheets and one top sheet.  Eventually, when the Sferra top sheet wears out I will need to make another.  

 

My initial plan was to buy the linen for that last top sheet directly from Sferra, an expensive option, but cheaper than buying the actual sheet from Sferra. However, although Sferra still sold linen sheeting and their classico linen sheets last year at this time, neither is available now.  I do not know if this is a pandemic-related shortage, or a permanent discontinuation.  Fine wide linen sheeting is also available from Ulster Linen and Ferguson’s Irish Linen.  I have samples of both, and although they are more expensive than this linen, they are also smooth, fine, and lovely.  Both are considerably cheaper than the cost of sheets made from the same or equivalent linen.  To my way of thinking the cost is worth it, but we each have our own priorities in this world.  My one set of Sferra sheets was on my bed constantly for nearly seven years.  I would wash them, iron them and put them back on the bed every week.  As I work it out, the cost of the sheets themselves worked out to about 26 cents a night.  It is a price I can live with.  My own, me-made sheets, even with the best quality linen, will be both cheaper and even more rewarding.  

I managed to make two sheets this week,  one simple top sheet and one fitted sheet.  I had just enough white thread to finish the first bottom sheet.   You will note, if you look carefully at the photo below that I did not bother with white serger thread.  Natural is close enough and is not visible in the finished sheet anyway.  For hemming however, color matters. I will have to go out and buy thread so that I can finish the second sheet by the end of the week, laundry day, although in a pinch, I could just wash the sheets and put them back on the bed. It will be nice however to have two sets of sheets.

 

The two batches of linen are not quite the same.  The smaller piece, enough for one sheet, is slightly rougher in texture and has a slightly looser weave.  It also shrank more in the wash.  I made the flat sheet from the “nicer” linen but I used for the looser linen for the first bottom sheet, saving the best for last.  I only serged and stitched the corners, not turning them under in a properly enclosed seam, mostly because I wanted to get finished.  I may do the second fitted sheet, with the slightly nicer linen, differently.   I also only put elastic in the corners, not around the entire sheet.  This was primarily a stock issue, and I did not want to run out just to buy elastic (I did not yet know I also needed thread).  But I am not convinced that it makes any difference on whether or not the sheet stays tucked.  In my experience keeping the sheet tucked depends on having deep enough corners, and enough extra fabric to tuck under the mattress, not the amount of elastic used.  This sheet has remained perfectly tightly tucked whereas the more expensive Sferra sheet, although smooth and delicious to sleep on, was not deep enough and always rode up during the night, making morning bed-making more of a chore as I had to go around and retuck the sheet every day.

So far I am happy with my first sheet set.  I do not have enough of the Pratesi linen to make matching pillowcases, at least not unless I piece them from the corner squares cut from the fitted sheets.  But I have other pieces of linen that would be suitable for pillowcases, including samples of the Ferguson and Ulster linen mentioned above.  These, and other ecclesiastical and fine linens in my stash, have a smoother, silkier, hand than the Pratesi linen and will make nicer pillowcases.

Poncho joined me in the sewing room, mostly because he gets antsy when he doesn’t know where I am for long periods of time, and also partially because if I get wrapped up in a project, I am likely to forget to go back to the house to check on him.  I like the companionship, but I had not been convinced he liked the studio much, at least not until this past weekend.  Perhaps it is simply the addition of a bed to curl up, perhaps also the companionship.  He is learning the word “studio” and, more slowly, the path to same.  As it is, he tends to be downstairs when I am downstairs, upstairs when I am upstairs, and now in the studio with me. Moisés on the other hand figured out that Poncho was getting to go somewhere he was not allowed (the garage and trips in the car are not an issue) and was desperately crying at the door the first time we went up.  M is not allowed for two reasons:  First I have developed a mild cat allergy and I don’t need dander in my fabrics and secondly, he has a tendency to pull threads from the ends of fabrics and eat them, which is hazardous to both his health and my state of mind.

 

Re-Entry

Let’s try this again.

 

2020 was going to be the year I started sewing for myself.  And I did.  But as we all know 2020 did not end up being the year many of us anticipated, and many of my great intentions fizzled out before they ever really took hold.  Yet I am happy.  I sewed.  I sewed more than I have in more than a decade, and that, in and of itself, is worth celebrating.

 

Let’s get the accounting out of the way first:

I made two dresses for myself.

I made countless Covid-19 masks.

Although I looked at a lot of fabric online, only 15 yards actually came in.

45 yards of fabric were sewn.

 

That all feels good.  It is a small start, but a start nonetheless.

 

I made the first dress at a sewing retreat in March. At that time I refined the fit on my pattern and cut three dresses.  The pattern was copied from a dress in my closet.  When I left the retreat the second dress was complete except for hemming and I had every intention of finishing it.  In fact, I had every intention of doing a lot.  I had pulled fabric and patterns for 4 summer tunics and 3 more dresses. 

 

Then Covid-19 hit.  Life changed.  I had no reason to go anywhere and didn’t need another dress.  I lost all motivation.  Although I initially resisted, eventually I began sewing masks. That kept me busy through April and May perhaps even into June.  I had done something stupid and taken a fall in the garden, injuring my back.  There wasn’t much else I was doing. I took no photos, well, perhaps one of bias strips. 

Later in the summer I wanted to finish the second dress and I pulled it out.  But I found some issues and I could not wrap my head around them.  Although I had managed to assemble the dress nicely, the hem was incredibly wonky, barely and inch and half in places, 6 inches in others,  The lining did not match up.  I realized I had made a mistake. At the time I cut the dresses, I tried cutting double, which I never do, and this was especially problematic with the silk.  It may have worked better had I layered it with paper, but I did not.  At the time I just wanted to get it done, and of course I had excuses.  My back hurt (pre-fall, but I have a history of back issues), I was tired, and the cutting table I was using was not the right height for me, making all of the above worse. Never again.

 

I suspect that never making mistakes is impossible.  Learning from those mistakes however, is always a possibility.

 

Facing that mess of a dress made my head hurt, so I shoved it aside.  In December I was determined to finish.  This time it seemed easy.  In retrospect, it seems  my brain was not working well during the summer, when I was experiencing rapidly destabilizing atrial flutter and went into heart failure.  Perhaps it is best that I did not work on the dress at that time.  Lack of oxygen to my brain might have made things worse.

And so I am content.  In 2019 I sewed one garment for myself.  In 2020, I sewed two.  I have two dresses I love which can be worn once the weather warms up. The first dress, the purple Japanese print, was my test garment.  I loved the fabric, but I doubted whether I would love the dress itself, questioned whether it might in fact be a little “becky home-ecky”. In fact it pushes that boundary, but I wore it all summer and it made me happy.  I suspect I will grow tired of it before the palm print linen however, which has turned out to be a nicer dress.  But at the moment I remain thrilled. These are meant to be simple, casual, summer shifts.  Yes I lined them.  I find a simple china silk lining is often cool, and keeps the dress from clinging, which is hot as well as unattractive.  

 

I have another project in process, one which uses 7 yards of fabric and which should be finished this month.  I will try to keep you apprised.