Thursday 14 May 2015

Quick update and small tip

I start my new job on Wednesday but dropped in yesterday to do some paperwork and to have lunch with everyone. The company puts on a lunch every Wednesday for staff and students. Yesterday we had BBQ chicken and chips - delicious.

Anyhow, I got the skinny on the uniform and my assumptions were correct. It is just a blouse that comes in different formations. My new colleague said "and I make up the rest". I am still assuming there will be no prints and must stick to blues, blacks and browns from what I have seen, but at least it will give me some things to sew.

Now my dilemma is what to sew. I need to re-invent myself as a sewist. Otherwise I will go crazy sewing navy StyleArc Linda pants and StyleArc Abby cardigans. Lindas and Abbys are what I know and what I am comfortable with.





I am not a weekend wear sewist. I tend to wear trackie dacks and hoodies around the house in winter and house dresses in summer. Both I have plenty of. I don't go out much, mainly to sewing events.... I know I am a bit of a hermit. I even grocery shop online. I have as much weekend clothes as I want and I know some people love sewing casual but that is not me. I like to sew work wear because that is where I am seen the most. And who doesn't like to show off their newly sewn clothes.

So - a good deal of thinking will be needed. I have plenty of slacks so it is really skirts I need to think about. There is a great selection of different skirt patterns available - however - skirts don't seem to suit me much. I need to find "the magic formula" like I did with my TNT dress. Something that will look okay with the company blouse.

And........ I may even have to try my hand at a jacket. I have had many false starts with jackets. I really do want to make one but I am somewhat scared of the jacket. I will have to try to overcome my fear and sew one up. I have fabric and patterns but not the backbone!

And now on to my tip. A non sewing one I must admit. But sort of related.

I am not an ironer. I do admit to enjoying pressing as I sew but not ironing after the item is worn and washed. So when I wash I hang all of my clothes on coat hangers and then hang them on the clothesline. When dry I just take them off the line and hang straight in the wardrobe. The one thing I don't like is the poke bits on the shoulders from the coat hangers - especially in the heavy waterfall cardis.

So this is my tip. Make your own padded hangers to protect the shoulders of your knits.


Now when you first buy the insulation it will stink of rubber but that will go if you leave it out for a week or so.


I then use the clothesline pegs purchased from Maid of Shade in Australia to hang them on the line. I leave these pegs on the line ready for the next load.

Hope this tip helps you. Do you have any tips to share?

18 comments:

  1. You can sew a jacket, a little bit at a time, we can work on it with you during our meet ups or help via email. Do you have a pattern adjusted?

    Great tip for the coathanger.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for that wonderful offer. I do have a couple of patterns sorted. Just need to pull myself together and make it.

      Delete
  2. Yes, that is a great tip. Hangers always make my jumpers go funny. Jacket sounds great but a lot of work. Xx

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  3. My most recent jacket follows 2 failures, steep learning curves. I say give a jacket a go, count your false starts as steps on the way, will be very satisfying when you make one work suitable. Those clothes pegs look very useful.

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  4. Maybe you could wear plain waterfall cardis instead of jackets? Exciting in some ways but daunting in others eh.

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  5. Great tip re the coat hangers. I'm looking for work and although I need some well fitted smart clothing (for the job I presume I'll get eventually) I just can't seem to get the inclination to actually make something like that. I don't have a problem with sewing anything, but the fitting really gets me frustrated. I'm sure you can make a jacket... nice of Sharon to offer her help. Good luck in your new job.. nice touch with lunch.

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  6. Nice tips! Enjoy your new job!!!

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  7. Ha! Another proof that we were seperated at birth- Once a garments done, I resent ironing it!

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  8. Long line tunic jackets would look nice on you BeaJay. And nothing wrong with making TNT's for work, certainly at first. I'm like you on weekends - but I spend most of the week working from home too, or studying, so I will have to make a warm casual wardrobe one day. Like you, I am a bit of a hermit - not much to go out for nowadays, I find.

    Great coathanger tip - very inventive. I hate those coathangery shapes too - I often take clothes off the hanger and squirt those areas, then leave the garment overnight on a clothes rack - then no coathanger mark. Your technique looks better - straight from wash, to dry, to hang, no inbetween squirts :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. Been there. I used to sew a lot of clothes that were "too pretty to wear" and they hung in the closet rarely worn. I just couldn't see myself sewing casual but in the last decade I have changed both my notion of what casual means and what kind of things I sew.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I need some new work tops and would love a plain navy (or even black) jacket/cardigan too. My work place can get chilly and they are bringing in a uniform top too. This is your big chance to make wearable muslins of lots of new trouser & skirt patterns - in navy.
    Love the coathanger tip.

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  11. Great tip on making padded hangers!

    I think you should sew what you like - even if it's only a couple of patterns. I try other patterns, but always revert back to what I know works and that looks good on me. *hugs*

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  12. Great tip for us non ironers. I sew smart clothes but most of the time I'm plodding around the garden or village or home. I should really be making more casual clothes. Its finding a happy medium.

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