Perfection Found In Nature
  • Journal
  • Designs
  • Unraveled
    • Spreads
  • Shop
    • Sales
  • About
    • Press

Folk Fashion - A Book Review

12/19/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
I just finished reading this book I saw recommended on Instagram. It is all about handmade clothes, sewing, knitting and why making and wearing stuff we make is important.  It also touches on taking care of our clothes with mending, buying quality when necessary and all the good this brings to both society and our own mental well being. 
As some of you know, I have slowly been working towards trying to develop a handmade wardrobe over the past few years with learning how to sew and to wear more of my handknits.  I really felt this book was speaking to me as I am learning more about the process of making a garment, a wardrobe and to express myself how I have wanted to for years but haven't.
It is definitely written as a doctoral thesis paper so there were some parts of this book that I found were getting TOO detailed, but I did find myself nodding in agreement for most of what she writes about.  Here are a few excerpts I thought noteworthy.
Page 3: "Making attracts people who are somewhat frustrated by their jobs and are searching for an activity they feel to be more meaningful."

Page 146: "Go ahead, dive in, have fun, play with colour, break the "rules", and use colours that sing songs of joy to you even if only your ears can hear them."

Page 161: "Putting together a wardrobe and a home will become a life long process and something of a quest"

Page 177: "...they reflect the fact that these sew-ers are constructing, physically constructing, in the case - the person that they feel themselves to be.  While everyday items may get a great deal more wear, these aspirational garments - even if never seen by others - help them to feel that their 'everyday self' is not all of who they are."

Page 187: "The intrinsic motivations of the craft process meet our needs for identity and participation and create a positive sense of well-being.  This positive feeling can be heightened by integrating a greater sense of creativity into the activity.  In many cases. these satisfactions extend to the wearing stage; makers enjoy wearing on-off, personalized garments they have worked hard to produce.
​
Page 192: "Making provides us with an alternative means of participating in fashion."
She also has a list to sum everything up starting on page 199:
​
"1) Make to suit the maker, the wearer and the materials
2) Spread your wings
3) Enjoy the journey
4) Seek and give validation
5) Share, reflect and act"
If you are a maker of any kind, I feel this book is worth a read.  It talks much about making and its effects on society and how us, as makers have a stronger impact in the world than we may think.  We also need to focus on making just for the sake of making.  Creativity is important in this digital world.  With that said, it is also important to connect with other makers on the internet, whether it be on blogs, through social media or communities like Ravelry.  Think of how making something with your hands and mind makes you feel, how this will get passed down (either as a skill or an actual item).  These things are important.  I feel that what all makers do is important so never give up what you do and never stop learning.  
​I don't do resolutions but here are my goals for 2018
- Live more "handmade" when possible (including food)
- Knit at least a pair of socks a month - this will be helped by The Naked Sheep's #SockFlock2018. When not working on a KAL pair I will try to have at least a vanilla pair on the needles
- Wear more of my handknits (and make more handknits for myself that are wearable)
- Work towards 65% handmade wardrobe, 25% thrifted, 10% store bought (with a focus on buying quality)
- Learn more about mending, hand stitching and fixing clothing.
Thank you to all those I met, talked to, taught, learned from and supported me in 2017.  I have been doing what I can when I can as I suffer from chronic pain so please be patient with me as I am also trying to be kinder to myself this year and resting when I must.  I appreciate everyone who has ever tried one of my patterns, read my blog, bought my yarn and handknits, visited me at sales and taken my classes, I hope to continue to keep up this year.  I have so much up in my brain that one day it will get out and I can share even more of myself.
0 Comments

Etsy SK Winter Market and Some Finished Projects

12/11/2017

0 Comments

 
​I wanted to send out a big Thank you to those who stopped by the Etsy SK Winter Market on Dec 2nd at the U of R.  This was the 3rd sale I organized at this venue and it still is my favourite.  I had a good day talking to a lot of great people and meeting new vendors as well.  I bought some yarn from Midknit Cravings; some to make another Aura shawl and a sock appetizer (pics below).  I also got some fat quarters from So Sweet Quilts which I am planning on making some quilted mug rugs.  A hand blown glass tumbler from Glassy Eyed and some beautiful notecards from Sparkling Medusa.  Thanks to my chronic pain, after the sale I slept from 9 pm on Sat to 2:15 pm on Monday.
Picture
Picture
I spun 5 new skeins this week which at at The Naked Sheep Yarn & Fibre Emporium
I also finished 2 pairs of socks using the Straight Up Socks pattern again.  One pair was for my dad's birthday and I used good ol Kroy sock yarn.  I really like knitting for him because he truly appreciates it.  When I gave them to him (as he was going out the door) he cam back in, took off his boots, ripped off his socks he was wearing and put my handmade socks on.  I love that.  
Picture
Picture
Picture

​My other pair I made in only a couple days using some new yarn from Midknit Cravings.  It is one of their appetizers as I mentioned above.  The colourway's I used were Bad Mood Monday and Wine Not!  You get 50 g of the main colour and 20 g of a contrast colour.  I was waffling between doing an afterthought heel, or maybe just tube socks but thought I would try to see how far I could get with the Straight Up Socks recipe and was left with 5g of the main colour and 6g of the contrast so I could have been ok.  I just love them!  Can't wait to make more.

Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture


​I also sewed a brand new dress!!  It is the Fen Dress from Fancy Tiger Crafts and I highly recommend it!  For starters it comes in a bunch of sizes and it has POCKETS!  You can also make a shirt.  I love the hem line and it is SO comfortable.  I will be making more of these as well.  I also just bought the Metamorphic Dress by Sew Liberated so it will be my next sewing project for my handmade wardrobe. It also has pockets and it is reversible.

0 Comments

Ann Carolyn Smock

12/1/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
I whipped up another smock the other weekend using some sheer, textured fabric.  I didn't add pockets this time but kept it simple.  I. LOVE. THIS. PATTERN.  Everything about it is perfect.  I wore this dress with some jeans and a black slip dress underneath and my thrifted pink Holt Renfrew merino cowl to my work Christmas party this past weekend where I received my 10 year award (a watch). I work in a place that is very male dominated and being one of 3 women out of 63, I felt very appreciated by all the guys I work with who cheered for me.  It made me feel good and since many of them know that I make things, I did get asked about my smock haha.  If you are looking for a really awesome sewing project you should make one for yourself as well.  
Picture
Picture
0 Comments

    Follow Me:

    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    The Wardrobe Architect
    Picture
    Knit Natural
    Follow Knit Natural's board Knit Natural on Pinterest.
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture

    Patterns

    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture

    Categories

    All
    Bankhead
    Blocking
    Blue Hills Fibre Festival
    Braiding
    Classes
    Contest
    Cool
    Cotton
    Coupon Code
    Crochet
    Dyeing
    Eco-dyeing
    Etsy
    Events
    Fibre
    Field And Fable
    Flatlands Collection
    Friday Fibre Update
    Giveaway
    Guest Blogger
    Guild
    Handmade Wardrobe
    Handspun
    Inspiration
    KAL
    Knitter's Oracle
    Knitting
    Manitoba Fibre Festival
    Manitoba Makers Challenge
    Memberships
    New Design
    News
    Olds
    Patterns
    Press
    Products
    Project
    Review
    Sale
    Sask Fashion Week
    Shawl
    Sheep
    Silk
    Soak
    Socks
    Spindles
    Spinning
    Storage
    Thank You
    Thank You
    Thank-you
    TourdeFleece
    Tradeshows
    Tutorial
    Unraveled Oracle
    Weaving
    Wolseley Wool
    Wool
    Wool Judging
    Workshop

    Archives

    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    March 2017
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    November 2012
    October 2012
    January 2012
    October 2010

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • Journal
  • Designs
  • Unraveled
    • Spreads
  • Shop
    • Sales
  • About
    • Press