Make It Work!

I channelled two very different but two decisively foxy silver hair men this past week. The first was Anderson Cooper and while I'm bummed I can't share that story just yet, I promise that it's pretty amazing and is really really bad ass.

The second silver fox was Tim Gunn.

Our mother, being a seamstress during my younger years, taught all 4 of us kids to sew. I could competently maneuver my way around a sewing machine but my technique, skill and workmanship usually left a lot to be desired. I rarely measured... I eyeballed A LOT of cuts and measurements and didn't have the patience to rip out and redo something I did wrong. Needless to say, I made A LOT of pillows, curtains or anything else with very few steps and a forgiving seam allowance.

Recently, the desire to take to sewing once more ignited. What ISN'T awesome about picking out your own fabric, picking the pattern and then making it fit your own body? The tragicness of having home made garments when I was 5 was that my mom's void of fashion and style (through the eyes of a kindergartner...) resulted in jumpsuits with big floppy collars. Now that I am in control it's no longer lame and hokey (the hammer pant phase she went through emotionally scared me), I just have to hone my sewing and pattern-following skills.

My Sis is a pretty good seamstress in her own right, in addition to knowing more about the craft... she actually has a sewing machine! I asked her if we could pull a Project Runway and sew, SEW, SEW!!! Skirts are the easiest garment to make, second only to the scrunchie, so we looted JoAnns Fabric Store and she took me under her wing.

The first skirt was the most basic pattern and a really fun print. I refer to it as my Navajo skirt. At this point, I've already had a time of it with the pockets. I was close to my wits end because all the pattern vocabulary was Greek to me and Nily had to translate EVERYTHING.

"So, when the pattern says to press??? Does that mean iron it?"

"Yes."

Making the skirt was A LOT of fun and gave me a really cool feeling of accomplishment. PLUS I was was really excited about getting home to put together an outfit!

I kinda look like a monkey hear, but it was the best shot I captured before my camera's battery died. Could Brian be right about my Casio after all?