This week I have been hand-sewing a lot... plus using my serger/ overlocker machine and my regular, old-school Brother sewing machine.
My big sweatercoat project which I proudly completed last winter, was in need of some adjustment before this coming winter... and I wanted too to make an intermediate jacket - for between summer and winter (also known as autumn). And, I was completing a silk dress conversion, with which I cut the top from the dress, and then used the skirt part to line it.
The photos are a bit of a mishmash here, which is also representative of my style of creation: organic, free, spontaneous and intuitive. I almost never work from plans or designs, and I love free-form creating with lots of old items, and finding one step at a time, by just doing it.
This allows me to FEEL into the work, and to find an instinctive blend of form, function, fun, colour, harmony, texture, etc. I am a practitioner of Domestic Alchemy, and have a colourful career of over 35 years as a visionary artist living outside of the 'art' 'world'.
This means that I know how to use my hands! And I am always finding new ways to improve skills and gain mastery in my work... in all kinds of work,from gardening to crafts like weaving, to cooking and healing, painting and DIY.
Sewing is one of the oldest passions that I've had since my youngest years; learning from granny and mum, to make small items for my dolls, tiny clothing for my wee sister when she was born, clothing repairs and things for the house.
In primary school I did all kinds of eccentricsewing projects, even making shoes out of bark and string (!), and I frequented jumble sales with such a love of almost swimming through the clothing, rooting around for fancy items for 5p and 10p.
The prices have gone up over the years, but I have always held onto this absolute adoration of old things, and making them into new things. Or just really nice quality old things that I can polish up and make like new.
As many of us know, old things are often profoundly better quality than any new things. And few folks - at least in this part of the world (rural Italy) - value old things! Which is a great boon for me; a trawl them all up, and am able to use really cheaply bought, high quality fabrics, and play with them until they turn into something fabulous!
The recent sewing extravaganza I had was over a few days; long hours sitting in bed half listening to a film or two, a podcast or interview, and stitching and experimenting, unstitching and trying something different. I love working like this.
And I believe very strongly that this is how we are meant to live! Domestic work, safe and cosy in our beautiful home, making with our hands, no agenda or deadline or having our sweat equity stolen from us through the money systems...
I feel a strong connection with mental health, physical and spiritual health, through sewing in particular: the metaphor of stitching, of slow work by hand, and of second skin as celebration and play... this is the perfection of our gentle creative existence.
The second, autumnal coat is coming along nicely: I was working on it a little again this evening, waiting for my friends to turn up at the bar, and sipping on some red wine. This strikes me as a very good way of 'advertising my wares' as it were; showing by doing - I've loved social sewing, and feel it is another beautiful way for women in particular to take up their full space socially. I live in a culture where men are pretty invasive of women's space, and are often intruding on our meetings in bars (bars are also cafes here), to offer lengthy monologues about nothing very interesting. Having a sewing project in front of me at least means that I am focussed and confident about the subject matter, and can keep command of my own space.
And keep the chat around sewing!
My green silk blouse came out quite lumpy and not as fitting as I would've liked it to be... but I have an idea about changing where the ties on the inside were, and making them come through two holes in the side instead, which will balance the wrapover aspect - make the whole body fit better.
The big sweatercoat project needed new arms! I cut off the green and yellow parts, and added blue extra limb-length - it was daunting but fun in the end!
The third garment, the autumn coat, will have a skirt made like the longer winter sweatercoat, but short and in shades of red mostly. I'm adding a big green zip to this smaller coat too, which I had incorporated into another project, but the other project was getting crazier and less attractive the more I added to it - it felt good to deconstruct it and cut the zip right out of it, today!
I need a wee rest from sewing this evening. But am thinking-feeling-visioning where to work on next, for the autumn coat. It might be quite a quick project to finish. The basic form of it is already there, and it just needs a few quick seams with the serger machine: I'm getting more confident, but my, what a difficult machine this is to work! Four threads is kind of 3 threads to many... but it is a wonderful thing to use on certain fabrics.
I hope you enjoy these photos!
I can't always document my work easily, because it involves a strong concentration to make in the way that I make. To stop and to think logically about what will look good or make sense or help others to make what I'm making - this is not really compatible with being full-immersion in intuitively maneuvering multiple elements into a fitting, harmonious whole!
Either way, I do love very much being part of this community, and seeing all that you all make too!
I love sewing in company, and enjoy our co-creation sessions weekly, where we create online together. This feels like a time where a lot of us are coming back to hands, crafts, organic materials, making special things for ourselves.
I look forward to not too long in the future, when we are all returning around the hearth together, sewing, telling stories, drinking homemade teas and wines, and generally being happy, healthy and wise!
I look forward to seeing you all there, around the hearth...
Clare.
