I can’t sleep.

I just returned from spending Canada Day in Stratford, Ontario. Hope everyone is having a terrific holiday weekend, I got a taste of it…

Fireworks, blueberry pie, roses, swans and gardens, the model T’s, the parade with the horses and the band and the whole bit. I quite live an idyllic life these past couple of weekends, eh?

The city reeks, and it is hot and mizzy, even at night. Ick.

So I’m going to cut a dress freehand, inspired by Julian, and insert a centered zipper, guided by Kathleen. I am so thankful to have discovered these remarkable people. The work they do inspires and empowers.

My material – a free sarong from some cruise ship.

The cut:

Originally I chalked something on there but once I got cutting I refined as I went. The round thing will be a pocket. There’s a centered zipper on one side. Facings on the armholes. I’m going to do a bias binding on the neckline.

Tomorrow night… sewing.

This is my piece of ritual cloth. I know I’m a little late for the Carnivale, but the the Sewing Divas gave us such a great subject.

It’s the first quilt my Mom ever made, for me, her first child. It has all sorts of scraps in it from friends, from my Nana’s stash, and I had it on my bed for basically my whole life, and brought it with me here. I still use it sometimes. It’s worn out from use and I have to patch it every now and then. My mom’s made a lot of quilts since then. One year she set up the quilting frame in my bedroom and I slept on a bed under the quilt for a summer. It’s such a simple little piece but it’s obviously a part of me and not at all disposable, even if it disintegrates into bare seams I’ll take it with me wherever I go.

The afghan on the couch is another piece of history. It was made by my great grandmother, who was a prolific maker of afghans – everyone in my family has at least one in their homes. It’s so amazing how our mothers just want to keep their families warm, and make these warm blankets for their offspring.

Every time I get a new project, I take my little cheque and buy a tool. Last time, it was a work light for my table. This time, I am finally buying myself a proper pair of pattern cutting scissors.

To inform my decision, I referred to Kathleen’s pattern scissors review. I love it when the research is already done by someone who would know… I’ve been deferring this purchase for a long time just because I wasn’t sure which kind to get, and also because I’m really good at putting off spending money.

To me, great tools and machines are the ultimate fashion must-haves. Here’s the next few items on my wishlist…

1. a light table for illustration

2. an industrial serger

3. an industrial coverseamer

Okay… it’s been quite the overwhelming past couple weeks. Besides narrowly avoiding gainful employment (don’t ask), I’ve been pounding the pavement, cold calling, and taking on a few freelance projects. One of which financed something I’ve needed for a long time – an overhead light for my cutting table.

Tada!

Now, I know it needs to be hanging a lot lower, I’ll have to go out and get some longer chains, but the difference is already completely amazing. Also the hanging rack above the table is kind of in the way but I haven’t figured out where to move it yet. I used to have to put all sorts of lamps on the table and turn on every light in the studio to get what really wasn’t anything close to decent light. My new light is industrial and not-pretty (I almost spent three times as much on a flourescent light that looked like a soft bubble), but it’s full-spectrum and very bright and affordable.

My cutting table, which I’ve shown before, is 4 x 6 feet. My boyfriend and I made it back when we had a smaller studio – today I wish I had used the full 4 x 8 sheet of plywood, though because the table top just sits on top of two heavy duty shelf units, that could be fixed someday in the future… but until then it’s a perfectly suitable, sturdy table.

It’s been great to rearrange and renew my studio. Now that I’m picking up the odd project here and there I need my workspace to be tip-top and there’s always something to do to make it better. I’m working on creating a patternmaker’s portfolio, to pursue my goal of manufacturing work experience. It feels really good to have a stated goal after all my experiences with interviews through school left me feeling like I was pursuing something I didn’t really want. I’m much more focused now and it’s helping me feel a lot more motivated in my search for gainful employment.

Oh, and by the way, the book on my table is The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Sewn Product Manufacturing… a most useful and fascinating reference! These days I’m also reading Handford’s pattern book.

Guess what? I scored a much-envied volunteer position at Fashion Cares tomorrow! Toronto’s glitziest, most fashionable charity benefit promises celebrity spotting, Canadian fashion, ultra-networking, and over-the-top runway action. Hopefully I’ll get the chance to snap some pics, but at the very least I plan on dishing my experience later this weekend…