The working title of this post was How I reinvent the wheel. All. The. Time.
I find this really embarrassing so I don’t generally discuss it, but I can be very indecisive when it comes to sewing. In every other aspect of my life, I make decisions quickly and efficiently. In sewing, I tend to reinvent the wheel.
Recently, I admitted this in an email to Carolyn of Diary of a Sewing Fanatic. She assured me she did the same every time she sewed. Umm, okay, but it’s probably not quite this bad. Let me illustrate:
Last week, having fixed the dart position on the KS3003 knit top pattern, I was ready to move on to the dress (next to the last garment in this summer 6-PAC). I wanted to try the M6355 Diana made so successfully. I compared the pattern pieces to the KS3003, and decided it would be too much in terms of pattern adjustments. Then…
I thought, maybe I could just morph the bottom of the M6355 to the KS3003. A-ha! Neat idea! I did just that, made the whole pattern and was set to cut some fabric, when I realized I never really like wearing T-shirt dresses. They’re always too loose and need to be belted, which is not good for summer. Back to the drawing board…
I remembered the dresses in the above picture. I drafted the pattern back in 2009. It fits well, curves in all the right places, and doesn’t require a belt. Oh, but I want a different neckline. I always feel sort of naked in collarless necklines. I think it’s because I don’t have long hair to accessorize the sides of my neck. So I prefer necklines with some stand in the back, not necessarily a full collar. I looked through my pattern collection and found these:
Oh cool, a dickey would be nice! I could make a bunch in different colors! Hmm… I don’t know, not really a fan. How about one of the collared ones? Maybe. Wait! Let me look in my Burda index and see what’s there. How about a wrap neckline? With a contrasting band? This pattern:
Yay, we have a winner! I traced off my base pattern and copied the Burda neckline in the front. It’s ready for fabric.
Me? I’m stuck trying to decide between the black Sophia knit and a dark gray woven. (Today I’m leaning toward the knit.)
So dear readers, fellow sewers, please tell me, is this normal? Do you do this?
Carolyn
I do this mental exercise but I do it as I’m riding the bus to and from work and in very boring meetings. Sometimes my notes are all about the different changes I would make to a garment. It’s just that I use my commuting time to work out those things so that by the time I’m actually in the sewing cave, I know what I’m going to do and do it. There are so many decisions to make when sewing a garment that it’s not surprising that sewists dance around the process before we finally settle on what we are going to make.
Alexandra
Thank you, Carolyn, I feel better now. Mental exercise sounds much better, very purposeful. I’m adopting the term.
Beryl
Yep! that is normal….well if I’m normal that is, and I have been doing that for many years,……what to make out of a certain fabric …or what fabric to use for a certain pattern. Then realising I only like that style on other people!
I have found that when the right thing comes along, I get so excited I can’t wait to make it…….sometimes you just have to browse.
Alexandra
Thank you, Beryl! It’s good to know there are others who will work out a new project only to realize that it isn’t for them. I think that was the part that bothered me the most – feeling like I had wasted all that time.
June
If that’s not normal, then there are a bunch of us weirdos! 🙂 I tend to make the garment in my head so many times (with variations in style, with solutions to anticipated problems, in 5 different fabric combinations, etc) that by the time I’m actually in front of fabric and pins, I’m a little bored and ready to move on. Amazing how I get anything done, really. LOL.
Alexandra
Thank you, June! It sounds like you take this mental exercise (new term, yay!) to an even greater depth. I bet working out solutions to potential problems makes your sewing time that much faster and easier.