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April 28, 2023
Beautiful results come from experience.
So it was no shock in 2013 for the first series of the Great British Sewing Bee, that an 81 y/o grandmother won.
As much as TV and the media tries to say it's "better" to be new and on edge, the fact is that you can not beat experience, and at least the show was honest enough to come out with that revelation. For some of us who are older, it's no surprise.
When you have those many hours of experience behind you several things happen.
- You don't get as flustered when things go haywire, cause you understand that's a natural process.
- You know that no matter how long you've been sewing, that mistakes happen, and most of the time, you can make it work.
- The time you spend doing the best work you can is always valued for every time you wear the garment, you remember that extra hour or two and you thank yourself again and again for spending that extra time to make it right. It's like to take the couple of hours and then enjoy it over and over and over and over, which is way more hours enjoying than the hours you spent correcting or making it really nice
work.
- You know that there's almost always a solution to the problem even if it may take a little longer.
One of the great joys we get when we are older is a calmer and more holistic view of sewing. We also have the practice and experience of time on our side, so that usually makes for a different outcome.
I've shown these pictures before, but (for the younger set out there), it's important to know that different figures require different skills. And (as time will teach us), we only have to fit one shape, not a gazillion, so we only have to learn one set of skills to fit that shape. 
This is a great example of how you can fit and flatter a body that isn't reed thin. There are a couple of things here that make this possible. One, is that the movie designer is an accomplished Parisian designer with his own fashion house. The other is that this character has excellent foundation garments. If you would like to see how outstanding, here's a clip of the movie to watch the garment in movement. Also note that the seam across the bust and the shoulder, and the waist is not skin smooth. It's not stretch either, which means it's been tailored to fit which is much prettier and harder to do. Think that a good
bra doesn't matter?...
And even when she raises her arm, the dress looks magnificent on her - for two reasons: the dress is designed and executed by a great design team in Spain, and because she has excellent undergarments, which I wouldn't be surprised if the design team made the undergarment for her, they have thoroughly checked to make sure that when she moves, stretches out her arms, and taking the applause, that the dress moves well on her.
So that takes of those of us who have a little experience and are less susceptible to disappointment and an imminent defeat in sewing.
But what are folks who are younger to do?
How do you get experience when you are 20?
Why can't you have it now? Why do you have to wait?
 It's about the time. It's about the practice and practice takes time. That's what you get in school. School is that wonderful place that gives you all the time in the world, where you don't have to go out and earn a living to have dinner tonite, or clothes on
your back or a roof over your head.
All of that is provided for you while you take the time to learn about what works and what doesn't. School is the luxury of time. We think of it that way when we're in school, but that's exactly what it is. A luxury of time to study and to practice.
It's only when you're out of school, out on your own and working to put a roof over your head, clothes on your back and food in your stomach, that you appreciate the time you had in school. Cause it's with that time, that you learn and practice and realize that
- you're going to make mistakes
- mistakes aren't the end of the world
- your problems are only solutions waiting to happen (yeah, I know that's a little on the sunny side, but think about it, and you'll agree)
Practice in Sewing Isn't All We Learn
There are other things that come with practice. We don't really think about this, but they do. When we are in our teens it's an argument between parent and child about what to wear. As we go off into the world we are more in charge of our own wardrobe. And as our brains haven't full developed, we can make some pretty rare choices in clothes. I remember one day making a fuss that I should be picking out my own clothes so I
picked out a darling print blouse, a plaid skirt and a printed jacket. Everyone's eyes were wonky at breakfast and I thought I looked stunning!!!!
As the Grunge generation went to school, graduate school and then to get a doctorate, wearing those ripped jeans and ill fitting tops looked great for the starving student. Finally out in the work place, the nerd who had the khaki pants and blue shirt goes to work, and the student with the doctorate goes to work in his ripped jeans and torn top, and it's the nerd that gets the raise and the higher position and the office with the window not the
doctorate with the ripped jeans. It's all about how to make a decision on what to wear. Suddenly the doctorate guy gets it, dresses up a little more, and poof - he's in the corner office.
We learn about our style and our fashion sense as we get older. Our friends or a new boyfriend or girlfriend tells us we look nice in something, or our boss says we look really professional, we take note, and begin to develop a style that flatters us and reflects the person we would like to reflect. All of that comes through time. So it shouldn't be a shock that sewing skills improve with time and practice. Practice takes time, and
since we can't go to the time bank and borrow more time....well, enough said.
Hopefully that makes you feel better about spending your precious time on what may seem to be a failing effort or at best a mediocre effort. You still learn. So the time is not lost nor missed. Anytime you are learning, it's not wasted time.
Dealing with a New Technique
And dealing with a new technique is always haphazard, messed up and does not go well the first time. Remember when it's being demonstrated to you, it's done by a pro who's probably done it 200 times before. It's naturally going to look wonderful, easy and a piece of cake. I remarked once to my mentor that she could pin so fast, much faster than me, and she said, "I better be able to. I've been doing it 30 years
longer than you have!" And she's right, if it took her longer than me, there's something wrong - very wrong!
So be gentle with yourself when you're learning a new technique or even when you've been away from a technique for a while. I do this with my formal wear that I do all the time, and when I get ready to do a tailored welt pocket, I may practice it a couple of times on muslin to hone up my skills.
The Cost of Learning
This was probably the hardest thing for me to learn in sewing and in my art. But I had an excellent art professor who advised me that using "student grade" art supplies wouldn't give the same results as regular supplies. Even well-known brands would have the "cheaper" versions of their brand, and he recommended against using that.
Sewing with polys and cheaper fabrics, can often be so cheaply woven, that the grain isn't really straight (particularly the widthwise grain), and other flaws that can cause huge problems in the garment, that you don't even have to contend with while using finer fabrics. This doesn't mean you go out and buy silk to practice making jeans. This is simply to purchase not the most expensive, but not the cheapest fabric when you are
learning. Eventually you are going to want to make most of your clothing from nicer fabrics because this is what lasts longer, and looks better, and is actually cheaper than the cheaper fabric. Remember too that your time is your most valuable resource, and spending your time on cheap materials will give you extra problems, but your time is worth more than working with inferior materials.
Now there are sales, and this is fine, but it's working continually with poorly woven and especially poorly stored fabrics. Those bolts that haven't sold and the fabric has been stretch on the bolt so badly that the grain has been so warped that tons of pressing can't bring it back - maybe many washings, but again, waste of time and energy in washing over and over, when it really cost more to fix cheap fabric than to purchase something that
you can work with immediately.
Learning new techniques is always compromising and fraught with complications. Learn to be gentle with yourself and learn to allow yourself time and space to let the process take place. Here are some other helpful guidelines - even if you aren't a newbie.
- Take a break - sometimes a simple stretch or stand up and bend over is enough to make a break. About every 1½ hrs or so I take a quick 30 second break, breathe and stretch, and then back to work. This helps refresh you enough to keep your mind sharp and your mistakes to a minimum.
- Practice Patience - man this is a toughie for me, but it's key to working through a lot of processes in sewing that might otherwise be unattainable. This isn't a horse race or the Monte Carlo - and you aren't having to make sure that you get this done in speed time. It is a process that will come and there's no reason you can enjoy it.
- See advice and guidance - and that's what I'm here for. I love hearing from you. No I'm not sick or under the care of a shrink - I promise. The reason I love hearing from you is that it gives me excellent ideas about what you really need to know about. It also gives me a chance to really dig into a problem and solve it. This is one of my favorite things to do - solve the problem, not
just hear about it! (I promise I'm not nuts - I think!!!)
- Keep a positive attitude. Learning something new is opening your mind and your life up to something completely different. This sort of exercise is incredibly beneficial to your life, and the state of your life. It keeps you young, and alive, and that you can do just about anything. Stay with the process, and of course be sure to congratulation and appreciate yourself after you have completed
it.
- Be open to making mistakes - holy cow - if there's anything to remember it's this. Plan for it, make time for it, and when it happens it's OK - it means you're human, your infallible and think what a bore it would be to be perfect!
Enjoy the process of learning and getting that experience. Enjoy the time at your disposal that you can languish in the luxury of time and above all be gentle with yourself!
The SewingArtistry Resource Library is designed to contain information to not only make your sewing better, but to aid you in fit and flattery of your shape, size and style. Check it out.
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