Making and Making it Last

 Hello, a new month and a fresh page, at least that is always how it feels.  I was listening to the radio while cutting out the other day and they were discussing the need for everyone to consume less and to make things last.  It is a double edged problem for me in a way as I have always made clothes and really made them last, but I also make and create sewing for my job.  This always leaves me feeling a mixture of emotions relating to that.

 One.. I love that I get to work on sewing projects for my job and I really enjoy that.

 Two.. I am teaching other people to make their own, cherish those clothes and reduce the need for fast fashion.

 Three.. There are those who now just use this as another area to splurge.  It is awkward and of course none of my business, then at the same time all of our business.

I have made myself a couple of things this week, the first being a top from french terry that was bought months ago and the second being a dress from all the offcuts of a work project I made earlier this week.  Now because I am a small size I can often use up all the fabric in this way.  I like to use it up and I am always on the look out for ways to use the fabric scraps. I do watch a few sewing you tubers, but I don't watch any haul videos.  I am not against a chairty shop haul video, if someone gets their fabric or clothing in that way as it keeps it all in the loop. 

 Then again I promote new fabric in  my work,  but that doesn't mean that everyone has to buy every piece and every pattern, rather that everyone should find something just for them.  I would hope they would enjoy making that item, love it, keep it for many years and that it would become the norm again to make all our things.

The need for constant newness has become quite obvious in a lot of home decor too, I see many vloggers who do makeovers constantly changing their homes in a way to keep up with the need for content creation.  In fact there is one who I can think of who has moved house about five times in the last few years.  What is it that is missing?

  Now I personally need to repaint my hall and bathroom, not for fun! Rather that these high traffic areas are in need of freshening up, I am also hoping to choose better paint this time so that it can be washed.  The paint in my hall just wipes off with the cloth when I try to get hand prints, so trade paint is just false economy. 

Getting back to the radio show someone suggested that they always swap out their wardrobe seasonally and that the act of getting all their clothes out again each season was just like having all new things and provided that much needed novelty.  I like to do this too, although I only swap some of it as I have clothes that I wear year round but I layer up.  It was quite eye opening when I was doing this recently to see some of the colours together.  Having recently been looking into what colours suit me best I could quite clearly see that I already gravitate towards the right ones, and my autumn palette is there already.  

I will leave you with a little peak at my memade top, I can assure you I will have this for a long time.

The pattern was self drafted so no pattern to share, I cut a slit a the neck then backed it after that I made topstitched darts either side to pull the front open and add interest.  There is also bias tape on the inside for a neat finish.  That  is all for today, have a good week.