Its just over a year since I wrote this and I do still feel like this. I have sort of achieved my own authentic look though over the last year. But I have very few posts to go now till I get to the 100 Garments. Of course I am not going to give up sewing and have seriously been enjoying taking part in sewing challenges with other people from the world sewing community and I am not intending to just give up on this because I get to 100 garments. You know it seemed a huge amount when I started. So anyway being authentic. Yes I am getting there. I have rediscovered myself though still have several unfinished but ongoing projects which when I do get them finished will define me better or my clothing style anyway. Right now I seem to have a waistband block. Like writers block but mine is waistbands. I have 5 items of almost made clothing and every one needs a waistband. How this has come about I do not know, They are not even all needing a button, One is just an elastic casing but still it sits there waiting for me.
I was also waiting and looking forward to Me Made May 2017 because last year I was scratting around for anything I had made and finding it quite difficult. This year should be easier but I am now job hunting. That means it depends on where I end up working as to whether I can really take part. Of course there is always weekends. I am sure everyone who sews who wears uniform for work has the same problem.
I have just about written my thesis and got my last bit of funding 28th February so I MUST find a job before the end of March and it doesn't matter what it is because I only need to bring in a small bit of money to just about survive. We do have some savings but not enough for a whole months bills. We bought as much food as we had money for yesterday to try to take us through and to be honest we really should eat the huge amounts of things like flour and lentils we seem to keep stashed at all times. I suppose times like this is why you get that huge food stash. It means you will survive. I reckon we can go for a couple of months although it may become very boring. We need a food clearout though.
I went to an agency for Temping the other day but it has not so far come to anything so right now I am trying to finish off my thesis - waiting on supervisors to read it as well so its kind of ongoing and also applying for jobs which seems to take so long. Of course this is the real reason why " mature" people (Ha am I mature?) do not quit their regular job to go back to Uni and do PhDs. Its the real reason people stay in nice safe secure boring jobs. Well too late for worrying now I just must get on with it, finish and get a job. I have so far avoided burger bars and cleaning jobs but that's on the list for next week if nothing else comes up. I have done both before - don't get me wrong and I am not proud, but I was hoping for a different kind of job. I know loads of PhDs have done cleaning though and in the end I need to pay my bills.
So back to being authentic. I think I am getting there but there is still room for improvement. I need to do some pattern tracing again. I am kind of hoping TMS April is going to be tartan but with a great competition happening as well that may not come about. I have some tartan in my stash! Could be good though I have no idea what I would make with it.
I still want to do some leather ( faux) clothing because I have loads in my stash and love to wear it and it really should be worn I think. Also I am not sure how long that kind of fabric will store and stay in good condition. I still want a kind of sportswear look which I think is evolving. My coat is STILL not made. Recently because all I have had time for is my thesis I have just made mostly very quick items. Now I need to submit at least and then get my free time back again so I can make some decent summer clothing. Mind you I will still have my Viva to go through which I must admit to dreading. Scary to have up to 8 hours intensive verbal examination! Still I always knew it would come one day. First though I must finish writing asap and submit. Then start to revise for it.
I missed out completely on TMS February - Sewing from the Decade of your Birth. I was keen to do this one so may have to do an end of month entry because I have a Burda 60s pattern book and there is something I really want to make from it so I could do that as an amnesty project. I loved seeing everyone elses entries.
So plans:
At least two leather tops or dresses. I have never had a leather top but always fancied one so may as well make this while I have some fabric to do it.
A Rara skirt for summer in leather - after reading all the people who have slagged of the 80s I just cannot resist this one. I know its called the worst decade of fashion ever but I was young then and I loved it. I also very much loved the open free world we lived in when it was normal to know transsexuals, gay people were suddenly not in the closet, men wore makeup and stiletto heels - straight men because I dated several. I just remember Velvet, leather and lace as being the main fashion trends with stillettos and winkle pickers. Fantastic music. Everyone was broke but it did not matter or maybe that is what caused it all. What a time to be young. The 90s was also good and then I had left home and was free of parental influence. The 90s was Acid house and free festivals for me and that also was a wonderful time. Sadly as I got educated ( mid-90s) and got employed I seem to have had such a boring life. When I was really poor, unemployed and unemployable I was so much happier, free and had a better life. I did not own anything really. Then I sewed lots. Most of my clothing was made from second hand curtains and table cloths bought at jumble sales for a few pence. I had no patterns but still managed to make things like jeans from old curtains and people admired them! I seriously do not have that skill now. I think necessity is the mother of invention probably applied very strongly there.
I ramble!
I am thinking of this skirt which I got free some years ago from burdastyle.com. They don't seem to give as much away these
days though. Tiered Mini Skirt 03/2013 #120 I think this would look great in faux leather. I have dark green, navy and some red. I probably will go with navy though I think.
And I need a few summer tops and I need some more "respectable" office wear.
And most of all finish the pile of waistband sewing sitting on my table!
Perhaps I should try and read my own blog posts from a year ago more often. Its kind of a diary really. Probably very good to look back at what you wanted then and did or did not achieve and if you still want the same things now. As it happens yes I do. Very much.
And if anyone who reads this does want to go to Uni and do anything, Degree, HND, PhD or A levels whatever and is feeling they are too old. DON'T. Just do it. I am slightly worried what will happen next but really life is good, Exciting and you know what is weirdest? I just spent nearly 4 years doing a PhD and it has been fantastic. I was 49 when I started so pretty old even for a mature student and I feel so much younger now. When I first arrived at Uni I felt old and faded. It took a year for me to stop wearing my boring black office trousers. Then I began the blog and began sewing. Its like being there and defining myself by my study has changed who I am age-wise. I got younger in the last 4 years not older - in attitude and looks though I cannot say the face has not aged. That's life! and despite my current money problems I am so glad I did it. And I am not financially secure, I have no savings really and yet I know it will all be OK and all work out. No idea if I will actually get the PhD but then thats the risk and its worth taking just for the experience. You wanna go back to college? Do it!
Thanks for reading what has turned out to be a very epic text based post.
Bracken
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