(no subject)

[chocolatepot]

You know who actually has the best selection of reproduced-from-our-antique-patterns/vintage-style-new-patterns? BUTTERICK. The Patterns by Gertie are just updated enough. This one looks almost exactly like a costume from the Bettie Paige movie with Gretchen Mol, I think.

Down at Dad's. Link is so cute - but it really is a very different perspective of puppyhood, when you're not the kid who just plays with it sometimes. I mean, not that I'm doing all the caring for him, obviously, but I'm just so much more aware of all of that. Funny how age changes you.

I'm rewatching S3 of Misfits as a refresher before watching S4 and S5. I have absolutely no hope that the seasons with no original characters will be watchable, but really what I like the most about the show is the different powers anyway. Just what they come up with. The character stuff hasn't been that entertaining since Simon became cool and Nathan left.

Comments

[baranduyn]

I want to begin sewing. Now, I haven't sewn a thing (except sad looking little pouches) since I took home ec (they made me) back when we rode dinosaurs back and forth to school through ten feet of snow.

I wondered if you knew of a book that would help me get started a bit. I can't hem. I may have skipped school that day. I envy my cousin who is SO GOOD she made her own ball gowns when she was dancing competitively. And her own wedding dress which did not look home made, let me tell you. But she's far away.
I've lost fifty five pounds and kept it off and I don't like the clothes on offer. My sad tale is done. I think Sewing for Dummies might be on my list.

[chocolatepot]

Hmmmmmm. That is actually a very hard question for me. There are a lot of recommendations on the Colletterie website, but I don't know any of them from personal experience.

The nice thing about modern patterns is that they generally give very clear, illustrated instructions. My mother teaching me to be comfortable with the idea of sewing from a young age definitely made a big difference in my life, but when I think about techniques and so on, I didn't really learn them from her. I couldn't pinpoint where I learned any of them, because I just follow the pattern instructions (and sometimes google for video tutorials if I'm still confused). So my recommendation would be to start with some easier patterns and just try to go with them, being aware that you have to use at least a size smaller for the pattern than the chart tells you if you want to actually be able to wear the thing.

Actually, no. There is another big thing I learned from my mother. Use lots of pins and sew slowly! That's what I've realized in this recent sewing blitz is more important than any techniques for setting in sleeves, etc. that you might learn in a class. I sucked at machine sewing before because I didn't approach it carefully enough.