{"id":2289,"date":"2018-04-26T20:02:53","date_gmt":"2018-04-26T17:02:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.chocolatemintsinajar.com\/craft\/?p=2289"},"modified":"2018-04-26T20:02:53","modified_gmt":"2018-04-26T17:02:53","slug":"i-am-stepping-away-from-the-sewing-machine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.chocolatemintsinajar.com\/craft\/2018\/04\/i-am-stepping-away-from-the-sewing-machine\/","title":{"rendered":"I am stepping away from the sewing machine"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-2291\" src=\"http:\/\/www.chocolatemintsinajar.com\/craft\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/striped-fabric-skirt.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"750\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.chocolatemintsinajar.com\/craft\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/striped-fabric-skirt.jpg 750w, https:\/\/www.chocolatemintsinajar.com\/craft\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/striped-fabric-skirt-300x180.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\" \/><br \/>\nReally. I need to. I have been on a sewing kick for a couple of weeks. I made two <a href=\"http:\/\/www.chocolatemintsinajar.com\/craft\/2018\/04\/argument-for-sewing\/\">Lodo<\/a> Dresses, a <a href=\"http:\/\/www.chocolatemintsinajar.com\/craft\/2018\/04\/fringe-dress-and-going-to-the-places-that-scare-me\/\">Fringe<\/a> dress and two pairs of Luna pants.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/Bh_mXrMnxiI\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading\" data-instgrm-version=\"12\" style=\" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);\">\n<div style=\"padding:16px;\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/Bh_mXrMnxiI\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading\" style=\" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;\" target=\"_blank\"> <\/p>\n<div style=\" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;\">\n<div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"padding: 19% 0;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;\"><svg width=\"50px\" height=\"50px\" viewBox=\"0 0 60 60\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\"><g stroke=\"none\" stroke-width=\"1\" fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><g transform=\"translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)\" fill=\"#000000\"><g><path d=\"M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631\"><\/path><\/g><\/g><\/g><\/svg><\/div>\n<div style=\"padding-top: 8px;\">\n<div style=\" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;\"> View this post on Instagram<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"padding: 12.5% 0;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;\">\n<div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-left: 8px;\">\n<div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-left: auto;\">\n<div style=\" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);\"><\/div>\n<div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);\"><\/div>\n<div style=\" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a> <\/p>\n<p style=\" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/Bh_mXrMnxiI\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading\" style=\" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;\" target=\"_blank\">I made a pair of #lunpants with the elastic this time. So comfy. So soft and light.<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;\">A post shared by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/jessyzz\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading\" style=\" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px;\" target=\"_blank\"> Yasmin Gamal<\/a> (@jessyzz) on <time style=\" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;\" datetime=\"2018-04-25T12:39:41+00:00\">Apr 25, 2018 at 5:39am PDT<\/time><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Then I decided to make a striped skirt. I got a little bit over confident and decided not to use a pattern and to just follow the YouTube tutorials. Mistake number 1. I was also using a knit fabric. Mistake number 2. Mistake number 3 was making it.<\/p>\n<p>It turned out terrible in every way. Ironically the stripes matched perfectly. But the seams were wonky, the hem was unever. The elastic pulled in all the wrong directions. The machine ate my fabric twice. And even the iron melted the fabric.<\/p>\n<p>I should have stopped when I was ahead. There comes a point when I know I need to stop but usually don&#8217;t until disaster strikes. I was sewing because the fabric was there and I just felt there was a need that had to be met. I wasn&#8217;t making a garment that I wanted or needed. I was making for the sake of making.<\/p>\n<p>I had just done a stash inventory and felt really excited that I had a lot of usable fabrics.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-2290\" src=\"http:\/\/www.chocolatemintsinajar.com\/craft\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/fabric-stash.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"750\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.chocolatemintsinajar.com\/craft\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/fabric-stash.jpg 750w, https:\/\/www.chocolatemintsinajar.com\/craft\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/fabric-stash-300x180.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>That is the problem with crafting for me. At the beginning it was therapy. Something to keep my hands busy. To stay engaged in something from start to finish so I would feel accomplished. And as much as I still love making things, I really want to make things that will last, be cherished and are things that I actually want to keep and use.<\/p>\n<p>I have sort of managed to get there with knitting. But not yet with crochet or sewing. I still crochet bags with the full intent of giving them away because I don&#8217;t need them or have the space for them in my closet.<\/p>\n<p>I have been trying to minimalize my wardrobe. Not 100% minimal or capsule, but just own less in general. It is liberating for me. I generally don&#8217;t own a lot of clothes anyway and I like it that way. So there is no need to add more items to my wardrobe unless they fill a need.<\/p>\n<p>But that is challenging for me, because there are many afternoons where I just want to make something and get it over with. But you really shouldn&#8217;t do that with clothing.<\/p>\n<p>So, I am going to step away from the sewing machine for now. I think I will stick to smaller projects like heated rice packs and reusable grocery bags so I can get the satisfaction that comes with finishing a project that I can use.<\/p>\n<p>And in the meantime, I am going to do some <a href=\"http:\/\/www.randomlyhappyblog.com\/handmade-wardrobe-2\/?utm_source=newsletter&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=all_my_tips_for_making_a_handmade_wardrobe&amp;utm_term=2018-04-25\">wardrobe planning<\/a> and building.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Really. I need to. I have been on a sewing kick for a couple of weeks. I made two Lodo Dresses, a Fringe dress and two pairs of Luna pants. Then I decided to make a striped skirt. I got a little bit over confident and&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2291,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ghostkit_customizer_options":"","ghostkit_custom_css":"","ghostkit_custom_js_head":"","ghostkit_custom_js_foot":"","ghostkit_typography":"","_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[107],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2289","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sewing-2"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.chocolatemintsinajar.com\/craft\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/striped-fabric-skirt.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p10SDt-AV","jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.chocolatemintsinajar.com\/craft\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2289","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.chocolatemintsinajar.com\/craft\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.chocolatemintsinajar.com\/craft\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.chocolatemintsinajar.com\/craft\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.chocolatemintsinajar.com\/craft\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2289"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.chocolatemintsinajar.com\/craft\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2289\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2292,"href":"https:\/\/www.chocolatemintsinajar.com\/craft\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2289\/revisions\/2292"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.chocolatemintsinajar.com\/craft\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2291"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.chocolatemintsinajar.com\/craft\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2289"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.chocolatemintsinajar.com\/craft\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2289"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.chocolatemintsinajar.com\/craft\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2289"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}