Sunday, May 31, 2009

Time to Sew the Good Stuff

Is everyone else as tired of the recession as I am? It has taken the fun out of everything. My favorite Sunday morning activity is reading the New York Times, but lately the paper has shown a certain lack of ambition. All of the bad financial news must have broken their spirit. Today they suggested vacations in the United States. Whatever happened to trekking in Bhutan? To staying at the ever popular Tuscan villas? It was fun to imagine that we might do those things. It was aspirational, for Pete's sake! Don't take that away from us and start getting all practical!
In the book section there was discussion of making your own bacon (!). What's next, articles on Urban Deer Hunting? (Make Your Own Venison Bacon, shot right in your own backyard!) Will articles on weaving our own cloth be far behind? (I read that vegetable gardening and canning are hot now. Who could have predicted THAT a year ago? Although I am all in favor of growing vegetables and making jam. I do these things myself.) But I am worn out with being worried. I've had enough of that. It's been long enough and I've decided that it's time now to cheer up now. No more panic. No more gloom and doom.
Radical steps are necessary. I decide that it's time to break in to stash. It's time to sew the Good Stuff. After all, don't I deserve it? After making three shirts in a row for Mr. Hunting Creek, all with the dreaded buttonholes -which all came out perfectly after all the procrastinating - what was I afraid of? I decide to make a silk blouse. It's not practical, it's not frugal, it's not recycled or any current thifty-chic trend. And it's not for anyone but ME.
Isn't this pretty? So sweet and girly, so old fashioned, so not like anything else in my entire closet.
This silk chiffon is as impractical as it gets. I bought it from Gorgeous Fabrics a year ago and it's been waiting for its close up ever since. I think it wants to be something floaty and feminine. I'll have to search through the patterns and Burdas to find a worthy pattern.
So go ahead. Break into your stash. If you're a sewista, I know you probably have one. If you don't, then you have my encouragement to get yourself something pretty to sew for summer. It will help the economy and make you happy, which will in return make others happy and then - like magic! the recession will disappear. That's right - it's your patriotic duty!
What lovely thing will you sew for summer?

6 comments:

Karen said...

I remember that fabric! (I think one of the reasons I didn't buy it was I was afraid I'd never sew it).

Go ahead, make something fabulous with it, I'll be looking forward to seeing the result.

I've cut into some "good stuff" lately, and it really DOES feel good.

gwensews said...

I don't read newspapers, but had a bad, bad habit of watching news on TV--CNN and local as well. I noticed I was getting more and more depressed and pessimistic. So, I only listen to news once a day. AND, I buy fabric and cut it! Yay! No more worryiing!

Christina said...

I remember that fabric too. Yes, sew it! I am trying to use up more of my "good stuff" too. There was a reason I bought it, right? Might as well enjoy it.

Gretchen the Household Deity said...

Excellent advice! I have been having fun sewing up long-planned projects lately. It's very satisfying.

Toby Wollin said...

I combined 'breaking into the good stuff' with being practical: the DH and I have a fancy dress dinner/evening speaking/hoohah at the weekend and rather than go out and try to find something, I decided to make a tunic top out of lovely lime green dupioni to go over the long brocade skirt from the suit I made to wear as the MOB for Daughter the Younger last summer. I indulged myself a little bit with gold beads on the neck and the seams going down the outside center of the sleeves. I hate shopping and can never find anything that I like or that fits; this is a lovely addition to the wardrobe and I figure if I need something nifty for a slightly more casual fancy thing this fall/winter, I can always wear it with nice black pants. My next 'patriotic sewing project' is a knit dress..

Meg said...

Hmm, what lovely thing will I be sewing next.... Hopefully it's my white denim Chanel jacket. DD has me sewing a bunch of stuff for her first, though.