Monday, April 02, 2007

Fear of the Unknown

I'll admit it. I'm afraid of sewing.

Silly, isn't it? I'll put several months' worth of work into a sweater that I can't really try on and have any good idea of how it is going to look for quite awhile without any fear, without thinking twice. A sweater I will have little occasion to wear, considering the climate. If it doesn't work out, I'll feel some disappointment, then rip without too much remorse and find something new.

But sewing? I don't know. There's something so committal about that first cut into a nice fabric you're totally afraid of ruining and/or wasting. Especially knowing I need to do all of these adjustments to the pattern before ever cutting into my fabric. Then, after you sew it up, if it's an atrocity, doesn't fit, and/or looks bad, what do you do with it?

A failed knitting project is a chance for a new beginning. A failed sewing project is a failure.

I really want to make a jacket. A nice, fitted brocade jacket. That fits ME, without being too long, or having sleeves too long, or being huge in the shoulders and tight in the boobs. I have the fabric, I have a pattern, I have fabric to practice with first. But thanks to my recent failures, I'm afraid to try any new projects. I want to make at least 2 sheath dresses, some tops, at least one nice pair of pants and some capris that aren't so long on me that I look like I'm wearing pants that are a couple of inches too short. I want to make up some of the darling 50s and 60s dress patterns I have, and I want to make a dress like the one I posted recently. I want to make use of the Burda WOF magazines I have. I want to have a wardrobe that is completely personalized, completely me, that fits perfectly and is exactly my style. But I'm afraid!

How do you recover from one or more failed projects?

Don't worry, I'm not giving up sewing. Just trying to get back in the game!

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