A quick sorry to Everyone, especially CGCouture - On where I've been, and where I'll go from here

I entered the blogosphere sevenish years ago. In the few months that I was actively blogging, I got many, many encouraging comments from you guys. I also won a giveaway and a beautiful vintage pattern. And then real life struck.

Before anyone starts seriously worrying: There were no dramatic, traumatic events; no sudden deaths; no complete upheavals. I did fail a few maths exams (my Papa's professor for mathematics though :/ ). But there were unresolved conflicts adding up - with my mother, with growing up multicultural, with the study programme's coordinator. Mostly with modern "feminism" and my femininity and belief in the scientific method.  (I also had to stop dancing, and doing sports altogether seeing as I got injured. Nothing to put my mind of things).

It was not a good time.

I should have seen a psychologist.

But that's not something "strong, independent women" do. Nor do they point out the methodological faults in feminist (insults to) statistics. Or be scientists instead of "women in science". Or have male role models (We're incapable, did you know?). Or admire stereotypical females (You know, the ones who sew, and knit, and care about their families, and like pretty things). Especially the ones who blog about it.

So, yep, I stopped blogging. Without warning. And in dept of a giveaway. Sorry about that. Also, CGCouture never got to hear what happened to her pattern.

I'm also sorry if this sounds bitter. I'm not. Just ... healing. But English isn't my native tongue, and this blog post is already a bit more emotional labor than I'm comfortable with. So I'm typing as fast as I can, seeing where my thoughts take me, and you'll have to take my feelings as they come. Sorry.

I'd also stopped sewing, and journaling, and drawing, and wearing things (skirts) that made me feel happy; took a year longer to finish my degree.

But I recovered. Mostly following the example of my great-grandmothers who are some of the strongest women I know. And I mean real strength. The getting displaced in WW2, losing most of their families, and picking themselves up again kind. I took a bit of a break from uni, then started my masters at a smaller university (where I found myself an incredibly sweet, non-judgemental friend), took only the (all the) courses that were interesting, said yes to everything for a year, did an exchange semester to Russia (which was hilarious, and got me far away from things, gave me time to breathe). I'm in my last semester now, with a great thesis topic (programming a user interface to make maths pretty and understandable, and help save the environment to boot) that unites all of my passions: Maths, science, the environment, aesthetics. I got a pink, twirly skirt that's not the slightest bit "empowering", and makes me feel like I could lift mountains.

In short, I'm on the mend.

Right now I'm taking being me one day at a time. I'll start blogging again. Go back to sewing and growing flowers, doodle in my bullet journal. But it's slow going, and I've only got one great-grandmother left for real-life role-modeling.

The goal (specific, measurable, achievable, reasonable, and time-bound) is to slow-sew that give-away dress in time for my thesis defense in five months, and blog about it. I did have a wearable muslin, which was worn to death, and there is a pre-cut day dress based on that pattern. But my measurements have changed a bit so I might have to fit it all over again. I might also post on my mending-progress, just maybe on my other blog. While I will be blogging again, the post might be few, and far in-between; or come in clusters.

Sloper decisions

As I'm still undecided about the sloper issue I decided that Dolly (yeah the name stuck) gets to have a new skirt. That really doesn't make sense as I threw out the horrid dress she came with and made her a wrap skirt instead. She needs a jacket or a top. But yeah, now she has two skirts. I'll post pictures of both skirts and how I continued drafting as soon as she has a top. She might be made out of plastic, but she'd feel pretty embarrassed otherwise.

Oh and my sewing machine is finally going to the doctors.

The Influence Films have

To start of with: It's perfectly acceptable for me to think about selfish Me!-Me!-Me!-projects again. My mum actually bought a new coat. The fit is horrible. But it's much better than the last one. So I'm not going to complain (as long as you don't get me started on the princess seams that is). So there goes the CCP.

So what's the next selfish project? As you can tell from the post title it comes from a film. "Enchanted" to be precise. I got around to watching it. I know a lot of people consider it overly kitchy (why hasn't blogger spell-check heard of it?). I for one think the producers where mocking themselves with it. No? Well you don't have to believe me of course ^^. I will however stick to my hypothesis.

If you start from 4:44 you can see the dress I mean in action. As well as Giselle's "cutting layout". That shot actually made me smile. But not for the same reason as HE did. It's more like the seamstresses perspective  ;).

Anyone who knows me also knows how much I love dresses like that. The full skirt and the fitted bodice: Oh my! I do believe the bodice has a lot of boning, with the bones between the lining and the fashion fabric. The boning channels seem to be by sewing straight seams down the bodice. All in all it reminds me of stays.

So that's the dress I'd like to sew. Do you think it's prom worthy? I know I can neither pull of the colours nor the flowery print. I can't pull of prints in general. In the little flowery ones I look like a child in a nightgown. And quite frumpy too. In the large prints I tend to look like an overhung Christmas tree. Geometric and non-flowery prints work from time to time. But I don't think it would be formal enough. So maybe shiny, navy fabric? I wear a lot of navy as it is my favourite colour. So to spice it up maybe a bright pink petticoat?

Come to think of it, the first dress would probably suit me well too. And it reminds me of the Titanic swim dress. As a matter of fact I haven't seen Titanic yet. As far as I know there's no book that says you can't admire the costumes though.And know the music of by heart. I'm strange like that.

A fitting question

For the next pattern drafting step I'd have to use my own sloper. Unfortunately it doesn't fit any more :(A mixture of dancing and stomach flu has caused me to slim down. I didn't actually loose weight. It's more like putting on muscles in the calf, thighs, but, lower abs .... okay everywhere. Even the bottom of my feet!

But I digress. The point is that I feel like I'm wearing this when I put on a "dress" made from my sloper. I nicked the pic from the lovely Marissa at her wonderful blog. You should really check it out if you haven't done so yet. This dress for example gets transformed into the cutest thing ever.

The really important question now: Should I draft new slopers (again!?) and make my skirt pattern from those? Or should I hope to put on weight again and make it from my old sloper?

Oh and just because I love stealing pictures I find on the Internet and sharing them with you. This is what a blogger suggested to put on clothing labels:

I got hacked :(

Yeah that's right: A very mean trojan attacked my computer jumbling up ALL my files in the process. So instead of spending my time sewing or knitting I played around with  my computer. I love to hear music while I get crafting and it annoyed me that I couldn't. But after a few thousand crashes and hours spend in safe mode I got it out. Let me tell you it was not fun: I had to delete tons of files and redirect loads of processes too. It was almost 40 (!) in total.

On the bright side:

• I now know that my antivirus hasn't been able to update in almost 3 month (Whoopsie! Why didn't I notice before?)
• I won't complain about nerve racking sewing details or difficult projects ever again! If I do you may send me another virus :(
• I also took the time for a computer clean-up. I can't believe how much faster it is now :)
• I am healthy again! No more yoga pants and ugly, comfy knit-skirts for me. Even though I'll still wear the later for dance practice.
• I have new dance shoes! They're just plain, normal, golden dance shoes. Exactly like the pair that died on me! BUT: They're a size smaller! So they don't keep falling of. And they're still clean. Until next practice that is.
• I have a new dance partner. I just don't know who yet. Most of the options aren't quite as good as my old one. But they have talent. And they're way better than my replacement! Who had a knack for toe-stepping and boob squashing by the way.
• I have training tomorrow. For six hours or so <3 Yes I am crazy. No I can't just not dance: It's addictive! But I won't be able to post tomorrow.
• I found a RTW blouse that actually fit. Okay ... it's not really meant to be worn with a top underneath and the top buttons open. But if I do it just fits!
• I have sketches for the CCP. Now if the scanner worked ...

Butterfly

Sorry to keep you waiting

So it looks like I can't get the drafting post written in the next few days. A friend of mine just fell over yesterday. I mean honestly one moment he was walking next to me and the next he was just lying on the floor. So I spent the day making sure he went to see a doctor. So I couldn't type it up yesterday and I don't have a lot of time until the weekend. But I promise to try!

Meet the newest addition to my sewing family!

Sorry these where taken with a web cam :(

This is the newest member of the family. Meet ... oh hey! Puppet without a name! Can anybody think of one?

SOMEBODY needs a major swayback adjustment ...
and a dress that doesn't look like a dish rag!

   Okay on to the important things. Who needs a name anyway? I adopted this tutorial assistant for  3 Pounds. She might be related to Barbie, but her proportions seem more natural to me. I might even have a larger cup size than her :). Her waist is tiny though.
   If I'm nice she gets to have a name. Maybe even before the first tutorial. That is coming soon. Very soon actually. It will be about making spiral or swirl skirts with straight seams.

And as to stop you from wondering: I'm still working on getting all the measurements for the Christmas Coat Project (I'll shorten that to CCP). And it's more of a long term project.
   This swirl skirt is more of an Instant Gratification Project. Besides - I really, really need a new one. As soon as the sewing machine is fixed I'll sew one for me. Oh and as soon as I have my new measurements taken properly.

Read from me again soon!
Butterfly