Createlivity: The Good, The Bad, and the Blog

I haven't posted in a while. It isn't that I haven't been making things. I have. But that "showing off" really isn't my style in the long run. And that is what I feel I have basically been doing here. I'm not selling anything, and I'm not trying to. It is the creative process that I'm really interested in.

So, I've been thinking and rethinking, considering and reconsidering, where I want to go with my blogging. My basic idea is to record and to share my creative process, with the hopes of learning something about that process, of recording what I'm learning for myself - if no one else - and consider where my creative process hasbeen/is and where it might/should go next. What I want to move away from is the show and tell that I started with. It was what I wanted for a while, but not what I want/need now.

I hope that I can move on to finding some other creative process sharing bloggers, authors, artists, etc to inspire me on my journey as well.

So here is my starting place. I'll start with a finish. I finished this camp shirt for my brother.

My latest finish

Earlier this fall, Carl picked out three fabrics for shirts for me to make for him. They were his birthday present, and this is the last one. I also added a Christmas shirt as well. All of the shirts were made from the same pattern, and old Butterick from I-don't-know-when - probably the 70's some time.

very useful camp shirt

I can't tell you how many times I have made this pattern up. I've sewed them for myself, my Dad, and my brother. At least. Of all the patterns I've used, and all the garments I've made, this is the one I've made most often. I have 2 or three of them hanging in my closet now.

It is an easy shirt to make up, and before my mother died, she and I modified the pattern to make a bigger version to fit my large sized family. Of course I've modified for size many times since then, making it bigger, or longer, or shorter sleeved. Every time I pull out that stack of newsprint, I get to share a moment and a memory of my Mom, so I haven't been able to transfer it to something more "permanent" than the newsprint. Believe me when I say the newsprint is showing its age, too.

Mom's newprint resize

I've learned some sewing by making this shirt as well. I've tried several different ways to finish the front plackets, from folding over and letting the buttons and button holes hold everything in place (didn't like that), figuring out whether or not I need to use interfacing (depends on the weight of the fabric the shirt is made of - lighter fabric definitely needs interfacing heavier, not so much - and iron in which I also like to sew down to get it to stay in place). What I've found that makes me happiest is to sew that self facing flap down near the fold, and (with the raw edge turned under)
on the inside edge. I really think that helps the front of the garment hold its shape better especially after repeated washings, and then it doesn't need as much other attention.

sew it down. sew it ALL down.

What I HAVEN'T learned is how to get the collar placement down. OK, I "eyeball" a lot of sewing. Sleeve hems? Eyeball them. Patch pocket placement? Yep, that too. But the collar? I carefully find the center back of the collar, and the center back of the shirt, and line them up... and still this happens.

AAARRGGH!!!

Not too noticable once its being worn, because its meant to be open, and all. Still, you would think I could do better. Still trying.

Here's something I started doing recently, as I have noticed that sometimes my hems will turn up in the wash, and then not want to lie flat. After every washing they do it the same way, in the same place. So I've tried double stitching them. Now, to see how this wears...