But there were a couple of semesters where I was assigned the costume practicum. I had never sewn on a button before. Within my first week, I was handed a cut out pirate shirt and told to sew it together. I repeat, I had never even sat in front of a sewing machine before that day.
I was thrown in head first to sewing, and it's the best thing that ever happened to me.
When I go shopping, the clothes don't control me. Most women are at the mercy of manufacturers, and we believe that if the clothes don't fit then there must be something "wrong" with our bodies.
STOP.
If I had advice to give to any woman, it would be: Learn to Sew.
"Wow, Miss Blogger, sewing is for old, boring, or nerdy women."
Ever met a fashion designer? A costume designer? Don't you love what they do? Aren't they the ones that create the clothes you are dying to fit into? What can't you do the same for yourself?
On a side note, I've met Christian Siriano, and he's just as precious as you expect him to be.
"Don't move us back a century with your sewing talk. Are you going to want me to learn to cook good meals again too?"
Sure, while you're at it, why not? Then you can feed yourself healthy meals that fill you up.
See, since the 70s us younger generations have been taught that domestic duties are filthy, ugly words. If you're an independent woman, you shouldn't be sewing and cooking. I'll tell you why you should.
You'll never know true independence until you control your own clothes. Now I'm not saying you need to learn how to create an entire outfit. I don't expect the world to be filled with couturiers. But you should learn basic sewing skills and understand pattern construction.
Did you know that the sizing for patterns stopped in the 60s? They have not altered those sizes for vanity sizing.
"Which means what?"
When you pick up a pattern and find out what your size is going to be, your eyes will roll into the back of your skull and you'll faint from shock. You'll automatically rebuke this entire blog, and decide you'd much rather be a size 6 than a 14. Yes, the difference is that shocking.
But here's the freedom you will possess.
When I try on clothes, I look at how it's fitting my body, not at whether I can fit into what someone else wants me to fit into. I take a look to see if I can alter it to fit better. I have a working knowledge of why a garment doesn't fit me properly, and because of that I am not a prisoner to the manufacturer's sizes.
Don't forget, it's only fabric. Don't let fabric control your consciousness and tell you what's beautiful or not. Take back control.
Once you understand how a garment is made, you won't fear it anymore.
Beginning sewing classes are offered at most places that sell fabric such as Jo-Anns Fabrics. Wal-Mart sells sewing machines for really cheap, and since I'm not looking for you to become the next Valentino, a cheap little machine will work just fine. You want one that will offer several stitches (straight, zig-zag, etc.) for the little projects you'll work on. A pillow from Home Ec. (Do they even have Home Ec. anymore??) isn't what I'm talking about.
I want you to make a skirt.
Those are simple and great for beginners. Make it an A-line (pictured above). You won't have to worry about it fitting around your hips like a pencil skirt. Then move on from there. You don't even have to wear anything you make in public. Just as long as you know what goes into a pattern and the construction of clothing, your eyes will open up. You will obtain the best knowledge in the world:
"Hey! This garment is made poorly. Look how badly it fits me."
When you can say that, you have graduated from letting the fabric control you to you controlling the fabric. There should be a prize for that somewhere in Woman World.
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