Working Dates

Posted on September 8, 2010 by Cynthia Griffith

Originally, I wasn’t planning on having a blog be the main part of my new website.  Once I decided to give it a try, I was nervous that I wouldn’t be able to figure out enough interesting topics to write about, even for a blog that was just going to be personal instead of professional or helpful.  Of course, I’m not trying to make some ground-breaking, perfect site — it’s mainly for myself and for friends and family.  An easy way to keep track of what I’ve been up to.  There are themes I follow, but it’s not like I have to do anything special or try too hard.  I update when I feel like it or have the time.  It is fun, however, trying to come up with interesting ways to at least add a little bit of interest and variety to my blog.

Shaking off the cobwebs

Sometimes I do find myself wondering why I should keep up the blog that often.  I have so much on my mind that I feel like there is just no way for me to post even the most boring update.  That’s usually when my husband and I go out for a working date.  We love hanging out together, and we’ve always been able to bounce ideas off of each other.  Sometimes ideas just flow more freely when we change our surroundings.  We may not even have a big brainstorm together, but it’s still nice to get out and shake out the cobwebs or get our mind off whatever is holding us back from working smoothly.  My husband has several creative endeavors of his own:  two of his main focuses are his writing, and also his blog.  He sometimes has the same issues keeping his content fresh or wants to talk about a plot in his writing, so these dates work great for us both.  Many of my actual blog entries — like this one — were written while we were in a restaurant.  It’s just nice to be creative or do some work in a different space for a little change of scenery.

It’s all about the atmosphere

Some of our favorite spots are very simple and affordable dates.  We’ve gone to a few places enough times to get a feel for their slower times, so we aren’t having a hard time thinking, much less hearing each other.  We’ve gone to a bar and grill and been the only people in the restaurant for almost an hour or longer.  We usually have some chips and salsa and a  few beers while we work.  One of our absolute favorite work spaces is La Madeleine.  It’s just a wonderful atmosphere that appeals to us both.  It especially gets my mind whirring excitedly about my love of costumes.  We can easily sit at a table with coffee and work or chat for a long time.  I especially look forward to cooler weather, when they light the fireplace.  Some of my favorite dates with Christopher have been there working, or just relaxing.  I always walk out of these places with a big smile and a renewed attitude to keep updating my website and blog.

I look forward to finding new places to get inspired or feel energized enough to come up with ideas.  It’s just another great way to squeeze in some time with my sweetie, and fool myself into thinking that working on my blog isn’t as hard as I thought it would be.

If you find yourself struggling to keep focus or just needing a change of scenery, try treating yourself to a coffee or snack at your favorite place and drag a notebook or laptop with you.  You might even consider bringing along a friend you trust who could help fire you up about your project again, or at least lend you their ears.

Posted in Christopher, Website | Tagged , | 9 Comments

Conferences: More Than Just Technical Tips

Posted on September 1, 2010 by Cynthia Griffith

There are many reasons a project can come to a screeching halt:

  • Lack of inspiration
  • Unsure of how to organize something
  • Confusion of what your goal is or what to do next
  • Burn out
  • Being too busy

Sometimes you can find that second wind and slingshot your ideas and projects along faster and better than you thought you would be able to do.  It’s vital to at least continue on some level before your project stagnates so long that you decide to give up completely.

Joining a local group

I was a little hesitant at first to use WordPress when I was thinking about making a new website.  I heard some good things about it, however, and also discovered a group in Dallas that focuses on WordPress that Christopher and I could join.  If we had any problems, we would be able to get help as well as learn about this particular blogging platform.

One thing I swore I would never do is get too involved with customizing or reworking the code.  I wanted to stick with the easy one-click settings and not change the layout or functions of the already-existing layout.  I don’t have time to learn yet another hobby, after all!

Unfortunately, I did end up having to make a little change when Christopher wrote his guest entry.  I needed to set things for showing who was writing each entry so there would be no confusion.  Although I don’t see myself having lots of guest bloggers, it’s handy for the few times I would need it.

Changing the code — mainly just adding one line in the first part of the code, but I had to learn what I was messing with before I tried it — terrified me at first.  Once I realized what I was doing, it wasn’t too bad.  I still don’t see the need to do anything more involved, thankfully, but at least I know I can do minor changes.

My first conference

I enjoy the WordPress group, but I never imagined I’d really do much more than the occasional Meetup with them.  This past weekend, however, my husband and I attended Open Camp in Dallas.  It was originally Word Camp, a big event focusing on WordPress, but this year they opened it up to other things like Drupal and Joomla, as well as talks about podcasting and lots of other social networking and media formats.  I really enjoyed my first conference and had a blast meeting people and learning about some things for blogging and the Internet.

I learned a lot at the conference, but the biggest thing I gained was more confidence.  At first, I felt out of place because I don’t strive to get as many hits as possible or make money with my website, but I soon learned that people were still interested in what I was doing and were impressed with my hobbies.  I even had some photos to show of a few of my projects and people asked me a lot of questions about what I do and why.

Instead of hoping no one would really ask me about what I was doing and what I hoped to learn at the conference, I got into the spirit and initiated conversations — happily chatting with people about websites and goals.

Sessions and speakers

I attended many sessions covering various topics, mostly focusing on WordPress as well as podcasting.  There was a lot of helpful information — some I may not need for a while, but I still appreciated the opportunity to learn.  There were a few speakers who really stood out in my mind, but for different reasons than technical information.  In fact, I won‘t be going into detail about plug-ins, programs, or optimizing a website.  I‘ll be talking about things that inspired me, and why.  If you would like to see more detailed points from some of the sessions, please see my husband‘s site for his entries about the conference.

  • Cali Lewis stated in her Success With Multimedia session that success is different for everyone.   This was a great way for me to start my sessions for the weekend — because I’d been very nervous that my goals and website were too different and as I told her after her session, I’d been feeling a bit like a freak lately compared to the bulk of the people I’ve talked to or read about.  The thing is, my website doesn’t need to be anything I don’t want it to be.  If I want to keep things simple and quiet, as long as I’m happy and pleased with the results and keep finding ways to have fun with the content and have that outlet for friends, family, and myself, then I’ve achieved my goal.  If I meet new people, or help them in some way (even one person), then I’ve gone above and beyond what I set out to do.
  • Trey Ratcliff talked to us in his Clever Tricks to Make Your Blog More Beautiful and Popular session about making sure you write about what you love.  He keeps things simple and doesn’t believe in chasing the popular thing — he wants to stick more to inspiration and things you can be passionate about.  One of his examples to illustrate that point is that he has a blog about drinking chocolate.  While it may not get tons of hits, he is obviously passionate about it to create a blog for it.  This made me realize that I am on the right track with some of my goals, and even could help me focus on narrowing in on specific goals and projects for my own website.
  • Mark Ramsey has many podcasts and gave a session on Audio Podcasting Tips.  He went on to explain that there is no way to start off with a perfect show.  You learn as you go along, and it’s best to just dive in and learn from experience.  He also helped me realize that my interest in possibly trying a podcast of my own was just fine.  I’d worried that I really had nothing to talk about, but after listening to his session, I’m almost more excited about looking into a show of my own than the blog itself!  He explained that we all have a desire to get things off our chest.  Just like many of us post on blogs or websites about something, we also feel the need to discuss things verbally.  It just adds to our options for communication online, and actually conveys an extra level that the written word just can’t do.

There were many more wonderful and inspiring things I learned from the various panels, but those were the ones I think I needed the most.

Inspiration and goals

The whole event helped me think about what I wanted to do with this blog and website, and renewed my excitement to work on it.  One of the themes that seemed to pop up a lot, especially in the podcasting and videocasting sessions, was the need to just express ourselves and get things out there.  To communicate, and possibly even to get a response — even if it’s just someone thinking about what you say and acting on it for their own goals.  As Mark Ramsey said in his podcast session, don’t worry about whether or not it’s perfect — just do it and it’ll work out with practice.

If you need to find inspiration or learn something to help your craft, try to find a conference to attend.  You might meet some new friends or get excited about what you‘re working on again!

Cali Lewis gives her presentation on Success With Multimedia.

Waiting for a session to start, surrounded by technology.

Posted in Conferences, Reviews, Website | Tagged , , | 8 Comments

Sporran Review

Posted on August 25, 2010 by Christopher Gronlund

Pssst…this isn’t Cynthia; it’s her husband, Christopher. She wanted me to do a review for a piece I ordered for the 18th century costume she’s making for me. So here it is.

I’ve needed a new sporran for my kilt for awhile, now. Since I need a sporran that can come close enough to being 18th century accurate for costuming and be modern enough for contemporary wear, I went with a Rob Roy sporran, made by Joe Gondek. I know the sporran in this review is not 100% 18th century accurate; down the line, I’d definitely love getting a tan sporran from Joe that’s wholly accurate to the time. He did such a wonderful job making this sporran by hand that I will purchase another sporran from him.

I’ve been using an entry-level sporran for quite some time, and while it’s served me well, I’ve wanted something nicer for quite some time. I finally purchased a couple pairs of nice, wool kilt hose–and my wife knitted some hose garters that go well with both pairs of hose. I needed a sporran worthy of some of the higher quality accessories I’ve accumulated, so a handmade sporran made by Joe Gondek seemed a logical step. Joe makes period-accurate sporrans for re-enactors, and sporrans for contemporary use. What he charges for the sporrans he makes is a steal–especially after receiving the sporran he made for me, knowing I needed something for a roughly accurate 18th century costume and modern wear.

My old sporran lacked room for keys, wallet, phone, and anything else I might want to carry. More than that, it seemed weak at the sides, and even hung very light on the hanger and chain. The Gondek sporran hangs heavy enough on its own; full of anything I might need, it hangs perfectly. More than that, I can carry anything just shy of a VW Beetle in the sporran; it’s very roomy without looking large. When worn with my kilt, it’s a perfect size. While I have yet to wear it out and about, it’s so nice that I’ve worn it around the house, and the break-in time for the fastener has been fast. Already, even with brand new leather, I’m able to open and close the sporran quickly. Nice for being out and about.

Big enough for my bear paw of a hand.

I’m sure Joe’s made enough sporrans that it didn’t take him a very long time to finish the construction of my sporran, but looking at the construction, if I had a son, I’d be able to pass this sporran down to him. I see this sporran lasting me for years! More than that, though, is knowing it was made by somebody constructing kilt accessories out of love of history and wearing the kilt in modern times. More than anything, I love that I can wear this sporran with a costume my wife is working on for me and for going out in 2010. While not fully 18th century accurate, this sporran wasn’t made to be 100% accurate to the time. It’s the perfect sporran for my needs: nice enough to wear with a costume from another time, but hip enough to wear today and tomorrow.

Solid construction all around.

Joe’s communication during the construction was great. He was camping when we first placed the order, but when he returned from his trip, he went right to work. The sporran shipped before Joe received payment. Once we told Joe we were sending payment, he sent the sporran. We received the sporran a day before Joe received our payment. I know that’s no biggie to some, but when you’re waiting for something new from USPS, you want it as soon as you can get it. It’s nice that there’s somebody out there who trusts the people he’s making things for to send merchandise after hearing that payment has been sent.

More than that, the things Joe makes…they are nicer than what you can find for much more. He does this out of love, and it shows in every stitch.

I don’t know Joe Gondek personally, but I will definitely be ordering another sporran or two from him in the future. I don’t think I can beat the price and quality. He also makes handmade sgian dubhs…I can think of no better person to make the next kilt accessory I plan to purchase.

I used to feel that the kilt I owned deserved better accessories; after purchasing this sporran from Joe, I need a new kilt worthy of his handiwork!

You know you want one!

Posted in Christopher, Costumes, Kilt, Reviews | Tagged , , , | 8 Comments

On a Better Note…

Posted on August 9, 2010 by Cynthia Griffith

My last entry about my fiddle frustrations probably seemed pretty down.  Fortunately, I’m in a little better mood since I’ve been ignoring the fiddle for a couple weeks or so, focusing on sewing my stays.

The stays have been a little source of concern for me as well.  I created my own pattern based off one in a book.   I of course had to make things difficult by changing the design slightly instead of copying it completely.  This was my first time making something like this — I’ve never even worn stays, so I wasn’t completely sure how the fit should be.  I have made a corset from a pattern, so I thought it would be worth a try making one on my own instead of buying a pattern.  Plus, I had a book with some patterns in it and there’s always information on the Internet.  I’ve been piecing together patterns based off of information, without a pattern (like my shift and cap, and Christopher’s shirt), but this is the first foundation garment of this type I’ve ever made.

Except for a few changes in sizing and length, the first version of the pattern actually turned out better than I expected.  There were (and still are) a few spots I’m not happy with, but I’ll see how the final stays turn out and possibly make more changes for the next one down the line.  I’m not sure if the fit will be just right, but I’m looking forward to seeing how it turns out.

I’m in the process of sewing the boning channels and cutting and inserting the boning.  I’ve been nervous about dealing with the tabs on four of the panels, and I wasn’t pleased with how skinny my design’s tabs were.  The stays I based mine from have several tabs, and although it was difficult to see what size the original’s tabs were, they seemed somewhat skinny as well.  Unfortunately, I think mine were too skinny.  I got to a point Saturday, where I had to stop sewing and make a big decision: figure out how to make the boning fit the current tab design, or remove one of the tabs on each of the four panels to make each tab a little wider to match up with what I hoped to do with the boning channels.  When I first started working on the pattern, I didn’t even have any boning handy to figure out how much space per channel they would need, so I didn’t make a layout to double-check my design.  I’d been nervous to mess with the tabs, even though I knew what I wanted to do — I just wasn’t sure it would work.  It wasn’t going to.  So I nervously decided to redesign the tabs and see if that would work instead.  I couldn’t believe it — my first redesign worked perfectly for both panels!  I tried it on the other two panels, not expecting to have it go as smoothly, but it did!  Although I drew white lines on the fabric with a dressmaker’s pencil, they’re still subtle and should clean off easily.  I have to admit, with the lines drawn on I also feel more confident sewing the channels on those panels, even with the tabs.

Having the quick, on-the-spot redesign (I had already started sewing the channels on one of the panels before I made my realization) work out so smoothly gave me a boost of much-needed confidence.  I think this week’s sewing will be fun and relaxing for the most part.  Until I get to all the hand-sewing, like binding the edges, that is!

Next time, I know to make a layout for a better idea of how to fit the boning into my pattern, since I now know what to expect from the boning I am working with.  I also ended that evening on another good note:  When my husband was making us some well-earned martinis, I played a couple songs on my fiddle.  They weren’t fancy with ornamentation, or perfectly played.  They weren’t the hard songs that had frustrated me before, but songs I’ve played a lot and are favorites.  No one but my husband heard me play — but it was fun and I enjoyed it.  I didn’t push myself and learn anything new on the fiddle, but I have learned that I can push myself when I need or want to for certain things like sewing… maybe I’m just not ready for some of the things I tried to do on the fiddle.

Posted in Hobbies, Music, Sewing | Tagged , , , , | 6 Comments

Sour Notes

Posted on August 7, 2010 by Cynthia Griffith

Since I wouldn’t be able to get the fabric I needed two weeks ago, I thought I would spend more time focusing on my fiddle before the mad sewing rush started back up.  I thought I was doing well enough — I was enjoying messing around with tunes and trying to remember songs I used to have memorized.  I even tried playing around a little:  the odd double-stop or droning here and there if I felt comfortable enough (which isn’t that often, sadly).  It certainly wasn’t excellent or even great playing, mind you (maybe not even good to some people’s standards, which I can definitely understand).  I realize I have a long way to go and I still struggle with a lot of things even after the past several years, but I do try to have fun.  I’m still trying to learn and memorize melodies while adjusting my playing to sound better.  Still, I felt a little guilty having a whole week to focus on the fiddle and not push myself more to take advantage of the extra time to learn some new things.  So I pulled out two DVDs I bought last year that also came with sheet music.

There are two or three songs I especially have wanted to learn for a while, and since the first DVD had enabled me to learn a few tunes and tricks, I thought there would be no harm to move on to the next DVD to try a couple of those songs.  What a mistake.  The second DVD proved to be a very bad choice, especially since I have only skimmed the first DVD.  I can be a little lazy with reading music, and I’m not very good at learning songs by ear.  I wanted to get the basic melody down — to get a feel for the song — so I would be more comfortable playing and learning it before I added ornamentation and variation to it.  I thought having the DVD would help.  It only confused me more.  The fiddler played too fast for me — even on the “slow spots” — and he had too many variations and ornamentation thrown in before I’d figured out the first batch he’d used.  Half the time, I couldn’t even figure out exactly where he was starting and stopping in the music.  I had a hard time figuring out the basic melody and what he played didn’t seem like what I was reading on the music or playing in my own clumsy attempts.  I got frustrated.

The next day, I barely touched the fiddle, and although I did try to look at the music to figure it out, I had no luck.  I continued to get frustrated.  I then remembered that I had also purchased a small tunebook that came with a CD from the same fiddler.  I had never even listened to it!  I realized that it had the “slow” and “at speed” setup I like for learning songs and got hopeful.  I played it and put it on my iPhone for easier access.  As I listened and read along with the sheet music (without my fiddle), the first song seemed like it might be easy enough to figure out.  After that song, the same thing started happening to me that had hit me with the DVDs.  I felt overwhelmed, confused, and just as frustrated as ever.  Once I hit that point, it becomes difficult for me to pull out of that down feeling and make any progress.  I probably should have just put the fiddle away and not touched it for a few days, but I was still determined to keep practicing since I didn’t have any sewing I could do.

Practices after that felt like a struggle.  Bow issues like scratching, tensing up, even hitting the wrong strings, etc. plagued me constantly.  My confidence had been shattered and instead of just playing and having fun with the fiddle that week, I constantly questioned if I even had any business doing this.  So many years of hard work and I just feel like I keep hitting too many walls and fighting too many losing or struggling battles for so little progress.  I realize that the 5 (or how ever many years I’ve been at this since I can’t remember) is very little time to really be playing an instrument, but remember I had to actually cut down how often I was playing to prevent injuries and burn out.  I went from practicing off and on all day every day to trying to limit myself to a few hours a day.  In recent years, I have had to put the fiddle aside for a few days, weeks — even months — at a time for various reasons.  I’ve also had to back up and relearn some things when I realize that I taught myself the wrong technique, or found a more comfortable way to do this or that.

I definitely need to find my happy place with the fiddle again, but at the same time I need to focus back on sewing.  I have a deadline I’m nervous I won’t make, and a lot of new things I will have to learn in order to finish this project.  I don’t want yet another hobby leaving me feeling disappointed.  The fiddle will have to get out of the spotlight for a little while again while I try to push through the sewing projects.  The whole situation isn’t for lack of trying, really, I just don’t know what I’m doing and I’m tired of feeling frustrated and defeated.  Things like sewing — even when I make glaring mistakes (which are sometimes easier to hide with sewing than they are with music) — don’t seem to leave a sour taste for me like fiddle playing has been doing.  I know I won’t give up, but I need to figure something out and fix this situation fast.

One lesson I did learn that week:  Don’t push yourself too much, too soon.  Sometimes it’s okay to just do what you’re comfortable doing, even if you feel like you’re taking forever to get where you and everyone else thinks you should be.

Posted in Hobbies, Music | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

My First 18th Century Cap

Posted on July 30, 2010 by Cynthia Griffith

My first 18th century cap. It turned out a little smaller than I would have liked, so I might make another down the line. Sorry for the low quality iPhone photo.

Progress on the 18th century sewing projects has been slow-going lately for a variety of reasons.  I actually had two projects sitting around for a while, waiting for me to finish them.  One of them was my 18th century cap.

I didn’t use a purchased pattern for my first cap, but I did use instructions I found on the internet.  There were a lot of great options to choose from, so I thought I would give it a try.  My first version ended up not working.  I didn’t make the back part long or wide enough, so I stopped and started another one.  Version 2 still has some issues as well.  The back part of the cap still doesn’t seem to have enough room length-wise to cover my hair (I wear it in a bun).  This makes the band part of the cap sit back on my head a little more than I like.  I thought I had added enough without making the back too poofy, but I guess it wasn’t quite enough.  The cap stays on, but it feels as if it could shift too much if I move around a lot, or bump the cap with my hand.  I might try pinning the cap on to see if that will help it stay on more securely, otherwise my only other option is to make another cap.

Next time, I think I will make the top part of the back more rounded, lengthen it a bit more, and also use a better fabric like linen (I did not have any linen handy for any of these projects).  I used a combination of machine and hand sewing for this cap.  Unless I feel the need to use all hand sewing for the next version, I think this will work for now.

My next project is to finish my stays.  I’m hoping the pattern I made will work.  I’m still nervous to see how it turns out.  Although I have made a corset before, I have no idea if this will work out as nicely as I hope.  They’re such an important part of the look for this era, I don’t want to get too frustrated trying to get it right.  I’ll be so glad when they’re finally finished!

Posted in Hobbies, Sewing | Tagged , | 2 Comments

I’ve been a little distracted lately

Posted on July 28, 2010 by Cynthia Griffith

I’ve been very quiet lately, and although I’ve been busy, there really hasn’t been anything to write about in my blog.  I admit, I also just haven’t been in the mood to mess with my site, especially since I still need to work on other sections (and I still haven’t decided how I want to add them).  In late June, my husband Christopher went to a writers’ conference in Austin.  I went with him and enjoyed some time to myself, lounging around the hotel, reading in the lobby and by the pool.  An agent requested the full manuscript of Christopher’s novel.  He also got a call for a job interview, and was hired quickly.  I’ve been helping him out where I can, and adjusting to our new schedules.  My grandmother also passed away in July, so my thoughts have understandably been elsewhere.

It was nice having so much time with Christopher while he was unemployed.  It’s a shame how quickly time flies, but I look forward to the future — I know we’ll always have fun, and I’m so thankful things have worked out so perfectly during his layoff and with his new job.

I’m going to try to get things rolling smoothly again with all of my projects, not to mention this website.  I still have work to do on some of the site’s sections, as well as getting back to more regular blog entries.  I have also changed the way readers post my entries.  I went with the “summary” version, instead of the “full” version since the images won’t show up anyway unless you read the entry from my website.  Some of the blogs I follow have had various issues and changed to that format as well.  I don’t mind having to go to their blogs to read the rest of the entry, although I know some people prefer not having to do that.  It’s just what I’m going to try to work with for the moment with the way I have my settings.  I’m sure I will make other changes over time with some of the settings and options.

I still won’t post a blog entry too often (I don’t want to get burned out like I did on my old website with art), but I’m hoping to have a small update with one of my latest sewing projects either Thursday or Friday.  After that, I’ll try to space out entries to last so I can focus on sewing and other non-website related things.  Best wishes!

Posted in Christopher, Hobbies, Sewing, Website | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

First 18th Century Shift: Finished, for the moment.

Posted on June 10, 2010 by Cynthia Griffith

I’ve been busy, but there really hasn’t been anything important to post here at the moment.  I ended up pretty sick for a while with bad allergies like most of the people in the area I live (and summer is here, blech!).  I’ve had trouble focusing lately.  I have a lot on my mind, wondering how things will go with some of our plans coming up in the next month or so.  I’ve had a lot of distractions popping up randomly that throw me off and then I have trouble getting back on track with the things I need to do, like sewing.

I had actually tried getting to my next project fairly quickly after finishing the last project.  I decided to work on an 18th century shift, using two different website’s instructions.  At the same time, I started figuring out a cap pattern which isn’t finished yet.   I might start another cap for a better fit as my next project.  For the most part, I worked along at a decent pace, but that’s when I got hit with being sick and distractions.  At one point I felt so bad, I couldn’t remember how to do a simple step that I’ve done many times.  You’d think I was trying to solve a very hard puzzle, piecing the sections together to pin and sew.  My husband, Christopher, even tried to get me to stop and relax until I felt better, but I slowly pushed myself to figure it out and move on.  I finally got to the point where all I had to do was hem the bottom and sew eyelets in the sleeve cuffs, and then I stopped for a while.

It sat on my dressform taunting me for what was probably too long, while I got a little better and took care of some other things.  I’m sure I could have squeezed in time for working on it here and there, but I’ll be honest:  I hate hems.  For some reason, I have never been taught or learned how to deal with hems properly.  Oh sure, I can do hems on things that are straight across — cuffs on sleeves and trouser legs, even the bottom of my husband’s new 18th century shirt.  However, this shift has gores in the sides and has a lot of rounded shape there that throw me off.  Curved-hemming is what drives me nuts.

I did the best I could, trimming the side hems so they wouldn’t be too long, pointed, or weird.  I just dreaded the thought of attempting it.  I’ve read in my sewing book about gather stitches to ease the bulk smooth when you turn the edge for a hem, but I didn’t want to do that.  Thank goodness for hand sewing, though!  I put the shift inside-out on the dress form and folded and pinned the hem carefully.  I used a lot of pins, and then hand sewed the mostly invisible seam stitch to tack down the hem.  This enabled me to have more control, and there was no pressure foot from a sewing machine causing any weird buckling or warping.    It’s not perfect — there are some sections that have a little more width in the hem than others, but it was smooth, with no puckering, so I’m very happy.  Although I had to sit on the floor for a while to work at the base of the dress form, going slower than a sewing machine would have sewn (ow, my back), it was definitely worth it!  Even if this isn’t a perfect way to do this, it will work for me.  I only hope that laundering the garments I’m making will be gentle on my stitches and I won’t have any issues.  Next time, I will add some gathering at the top of the sleeve.  The gussets are hanging a little low on my sides.

I sewed the eyelets on the cuffs (I’ll use a bit of ribbon to tie it closed) and then I stopped.  Unfortunately, I can’t do the neckline until the stays are done at least, if not the top of the gown I’m making.  I want to make sure I cut it wide enough where it won’t show under the gown, but will still fit right on my shoulders.  I’m not sure when I’ll get around to finishing the shift completely.  I think I’d like to work on the cap first, and maybe some hanging pockets.  I wish I had more time to try some embroidery on the pockets, but I’m getting a little nervous about having both of our outfits finished in time (although the event isn’t until November, I’d like to have these handy for any possible Halloween parties).    I’m both nervous and looking forward to trying to make my stays.  I have made a Victorian corset before, but I used a pattern.  The stays will be a little different, especially with the fitting and shaping.   I’m not sure when I’ll start the stays.  I want to make sure my weight doesn’t fluctuate too much.  I was in the process of losing some weight before I got sick.  With everything going on, work outs and eating right were also affected.

Last night, when I was finishing the shift and sewing the eyelets, Christopher said “I can’t believe how much hand sewing you’ve done!”  Although I’ve still used the sewing machine here and there, I have been using more hand sewing than I expected.  I’ve really come to enjoy it.  Even though it takes me longer, I like not having to set up my machine and sewing area, having more control with weird sections, and being able to take it anywhere have made it very appealing.  I do have a feeling my stays might have more machine sewing on them, however.  At least for this time.

My first shift -- it still needs the neckline finishes, but I'll wait until I have a few outer garments finished to help with the shaping.

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One sewing project down…

Posted on May 17, 2010 by Cynthia Griffith

Finally!  I finished my first sewing project in a long time.  It seemed like it took forever because I didn’t take into consideration all the steps and details involved in making this 18th century shirt for my husband.  I incorrectly assumed “it’ll be quick — it’s just an unfitted shirt!”  I also used a lot of hand sewing on this project.  This was the first time I ever tried hand sewing.  There were some points where I felt like I was flying along quickly, but I was still amazed at how long it took me.  Of course, there were many parts that took me a lot longer — whether it was slowing down to be more careful with my stitches or at an awkward spot.  I also had to stop and figure out some of the steps I didn’t quite understand from the instructions, or to read up on techniques I hadn’t tried before like applique.  I also gave myself a day off here and there to take care of other things like hunting for a pair of cuff links and any other possible accessories we might find or be inspired by.

I’m very pleased with the outcome for the most part, but there are some little details nagging at me that I think I could have done better or differently, mostly due to my inexperience and misunderstanding something.  At least I gave some of the ways a try and I’ve hopefully learned a few things.  The good news is that it’s just a shirt and most of it will be hidden under other garments.  This is why I went ahead and attempted hand sewing for the first time.  I think most of the errors will be covered up.  My husband says the fit is very nice.  The cuff and chest ruffles are another part I don’t like and were a quick fix for now from a mistake I’d made earlier.  I can easily remove them and try something else if we feel it bothers us that much or just want a change.  I will wait until the waistcoat is finished before I do anything else with those.  The chest ruffles especially depend on the waistcoat for their proper positioning, so they won’t look quite right to my eye without the waistcoat regardless of how well I did them.

What I did like was that I learned some great hand sewing things I didn’t know before, and gained more knowledge on some of the things I did know.  I also definitely have more confidence.  I loved the seam finishes and some parts like gussets, which I always hated doing on the sewing machine, were easier for me to do by hand and turned out nicely.  I also appreciated not having to sit at the sewing machine or using and setting up tons of tools.  I could sit comfortably on the couch for longer periods of time and not have to move furniture around to get to the sewing machine.  This will also be great if I need to bring sewing with me, like to a sewing party with friends.  Less things to worry about packing and carrying around.

While I definitely enjoyed attempting hand sewing, I don’t know if I could do everything by hand yet.  There are a few things I still am not sure how to do, or saved myself a little time by sewing, like the first part of inner seams in the garment.  I definitely have a lot to learn and practice before I could entirely sew by hand with confidence.

My plans are to take a short break for a day or two so I can take care of a few non-sewing things, and then I’ll get back to work.  As much as I would love to keep working on my husband’s costume, I think I will work on a few pieces of my costume.  I will say, Christopher’s enthusiasm and deep appreciation for my having put so much time and work into this project has been awesome.  He’s been able to see all of the progress and how much time I’ve spent on it, and he has been amazed.  He also keeps wanting to try on the shirt, and he excitedly talks about the rest of the outfit and the fun our costuming group will have.

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One stitch at a time

Posted on May 12, 2010 by Cynthia Griffith

It’s been a while since I last posted.  I decided to focus on a few things even though I still need to work on the other non-blog sections of my website.  I actually have a sewing update, so I thought I’d post!

As I mentioned, I was having a lot of issues getting started with my sewing.  For starters, it’s been a long time since I last sewed, and I always had a bit of nervousness even when I regularly worked on projects.  I started moving some things around to let me have access to my sewing machine, but allow my husband, Christopher, the use of the way-too-small study for his writing and job hunting.  Just when I’d figured out a decent place to work (sewing and cutting/pinning), I ended up taking a quick trip to visit some sick relatives out of state.  I came back home determined to get started, even if it meant majorly messing up and needing to start over again.

I started with an 18th century shirt for Christopher.  I didn’t use a pattern, but decided to try some instructions I found online.  I liked the looks of the shirt, and it seemed like there would be enough information for me to give it a try.  I have some basic understanding about putting together garments from webpages like this, but I guess I felt the need to push myself, hold myself to higher standards than I used to, and prove something to myself with this “welcome back” project.  There were a few sections I wasn’t completely sure about, and I would sometimes take longer than I should have to figure out all the possible ways to proceed with some of the steps.  Where I wasn’t completely sure about how to do something, I picked the best choice I felt would work for me.  I also decided to give something a try once I started working on this project:  hand sewing.

I’d mentioned I was on a time limit and needing to move forward with everything I have to sew for a get-together.  I also am still new to sewing, even though I have faked my way through some pretty big (for me, at least) projects.  Even though I have some time before the event, there are a lot of things I need to make and purchase for our outfits (both mine and my husband’s).  I do believe — and have tried where I could — that where I feel comfortable or confident, I should push myself to attempt things like hand sewing or trying something new to learn for the next time.  Or at least give it a try.  I figured using some hand sewn stitches on a shirt would be good practice, and if it didn’t work out, it would be mostly hidden under other garments.  Besides, for some reason I hate sewing gussets on a machine.  I didn’t realize how nice hand sewing would actually be, though.  Except that it is a little slower than a machine (at times, it feels like I’m doing well — other times, I definitely slow down), I have enjoyed sitting on the couch with just a needle and thread and not having to rearrange a few pieces of furniture to get to my sewing machine.  It’s just a little more convenient, and a bit soothing to me.  I have used the machine on a few things that are hidden, or to sew some stitches for me to gather into a collar or a sleeve.  For the most part, I have ignored my machine, and I would love to learn a little more for the next time.

I’m almost finished with the shirt, and for a little while I actually thought I would be disappointed with  my work on it.  I just felt like I might have made a few too many mistakes.  As I started progressing, sewing the sides up and adding the sleeves, the shirt started hanging right and it seemed to be working out after all.  My enthusiasm picked back up, and I’m happy again with my first project in a long time.  The thing that has meant the most to me has been my husband’s reaction.  He’s been so happy watching me work on a project again and has asked here and there if he could see one of the seams I just finished, or try on a sleeve after I attached a cuff.  The smile that lit up his face when he tried that sleeve on said it all for me, and his joy at trying on something I’m making for him has just made all the work and frustrating moments worthwhile.  I’m so happy he’s enjoying it as much as I am.

I still have a few finishing touches to do with the shirt before it’s finished, and that’s only one project down from the many I have left to go.  It won’t be totally accurate, but I’m having fun making an attempt for the event and I look forward to trying another shirt down the line, possibly.  I’m also very fortunate to have a husband who loves the thought of fun costumes like this and gets into it, checking out accessories to buy or try to find.  I’m so glad I finally decided to jump in and get back to a hobby I enjoy so much!

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