Sunday 16 June 2013

Back to the wild






So, you may be pleased to know that I have finally emerged from a lengthy period of hibernation in my darkened room (see Another week, another skirt...).*

However, on discovering the 49-step pattern for this slouch top I almost retreated back inside it. I say 'almost', because after a stern talking to myself in the mirror (yes, that's how I roll) I resolved to complete the project. This would be my sewing Everest.**

It being summer (well, supposedly), I decided an injection of colour and playfulness was required. This zebra print fabric certainly did the job, and was inspired (in no small part) by the kooky new Basement Jaxx tune, Back 2 The Wild. If a psychedelic mash-up of a cartoon jungle with scary animal dancing and eye-watering 80s graphics is your thing, then go wild for this.


(Viewers of a nervous disposition are advised to move swiftly on.)

Sadly, this is where the fun ended. Not even a woman with a flowerbed on her head doing the robot dance could save me from this one.

1. Central to this project's woes was a lack of any 'proper' pattern. Now, I'm aware that I have championed the creative process of 'trial and error' in a previous post; on reflection, however, I may have been a tad hasty... 

The slouch top is constructed around the premise that existing garments can be traced to make new ones. On paper, this looks to be a cracking idea. In practice, it resulted in arm-holes flailing helplessly down past my waist.


2. This tracing (once corrected) was to be used to make identical front and back pieces. It was at this point, during the customary 'cutting-out', that I encountered my second glitch (regular readers will notice a recurring theme here; scissors are NOT my friend). Suffice to say my pieces were far from 'identical'.

3. All this culminated in a somewhat futile attempt to sew together four mismatched cuts of fabric; the end product not too dissimilar to an over-sized, wonky curtain.

Despite such epic set-backs, however, I'm comforted by messages of support from seasoned bloggers who assure me that the only way is up. I shall cling on (by the proverbial thread, of course) to this hope. 

           


*Very cosy it was too.

**Now that I've reached the summit, and completed the 49th step, I'm able to jovially shrug off any stitching misadventure. At step 7, though, I was not quite as smiley.
             

No comments:

Post a Comment