Happy New Year & Hence Forth...

~ Sewcialists Goals ~

Yes, on to 2020 and so on (in no particular order).  

I'm gonna:

• spend a minimum of 15 minutes a day in the sewing room.  I know it will all add up to something.  Even if it's sewing-related and not sewing itself.  Like organizing the space, or cutting out a pattern, or choosing the fabric for it, cleaning up, etc.

• I've resumed my intensive exercise and nutritional regime for the next 3 months (as I did in the beginning of last year).  So I need to...

• spend time reassessing what I've made and what I can/want to wear now that I've lost weight and inches over the last year and kept it off.  Since I'm continuing that program, I'll probably be losing more weight throughout this year, so I want to keep on top of things.

• spend time remodeling the clothes I want to keep so they fit the newer me.

• make some everyday, normal things I've always wanted.  Like stretch mesh t-shirts.

• use that amazing fabric, at least for one project.

• oh yeah, stop buying patterns and fabric, oh my.

• and here's a big one, be more creative in my sewing.  Actually this relates directly to stop buying more stuff.  I've always felt, less stuff = more creativity.   Remind myself to think of sewing as I thought of my art-making and the creative process.  

I do believe that should be enough already.

The only thing I'm already feeling some resistance toward is using the precious fabric.  Probably because it causes me to step back.  It doesn't free me up like all the other points do.  Think I'll just cross that one off the list for now.  Yep.



I'll leave you with this post I wrote for the New Year several years ago which sounds pretty familiar.

~ Buddha with mudra of greeting, prayer & respect ~

And we simply must bring in the New Year with Patti and the Visibles at Not Dead Yet Style.  Come on by.

It's a new year.

~ Buddha with mudra of greeting, prayer & respect ~ *

And it's time I get back

to simplifying my consumption and accumulation of stuff (especially clothes) 

the statement that started me on Project Minima over six years ago.




I haven't been shopping in stores for clothing during that whole time. 

That includes thrift stores.  I don't miss it at all.  I make or refashion everything I wear.  I started to buy shoes from ebay about the second or third year in.  And I buy funky sox online when they're on sale once or twice a year.    I don't go into clothing stores for anything, not even to look.  nah.  In fact, I really don't go into stores at all.  The ambiance (if you can call it that) is so jarring.  Too much stimulation:  noise, people, signage, lights, stuff.  My True Love does the grocery shopping.  Thank goodness he prefers it that way.



One place where I've been completely out of control

is buying fabric and sewing patterns.  Yes, it's true, I buy them on drastic sale and online.  But still.  I have enough of a stash for several lifetimes.

So I stopped cold turkey on 1-1-17.  I unsubscribed to mailing lists, etc.  If I don't look, I'm not tempted, and then not interested.



I'd like to refine what I already have.

Maybe reappraise my "style" as I, and my body, have changed over the last six years. See what still works, refashion what doesn't.   Do some repairing, if need be.

I have a desire to find some piece I like, that works for me, and then do it over and over for awhile.  Whether it's a certain pattern or a certain combination of clothing.  Like my series of tablecloth dresses from way back when (click on label from sidebar to see those posts).   Or like Michele Oka Doner's one dress in many fabrics.  Or like Spotty Dogs Social Club's evolution of Tina Givens patterns into her own daily uniform.



Yeah, I don't want more, I want better.  

And I can do that.  

Without buying a thing.

 

Cheers to All!

*the first image posted on 5-31-11, entitled Prequel

Oh No! A Moment of Clarity.

When did Project Minima turn Maxima???  I was just sitting on the couch last night when this thought came into my head like gang busters, totally unbidden.  "I have too many clothes."

~ painting by Jocelyn Hobbie ~

(You shouldn't have bid on that.  I didn't bid on it.  It just came in.)  

Out loud, I said "I am going to have too many clothes."  See, I changed it up a bit.  That went back and forth between my true love and I for a bit.  Being the practical person he is, I don't remember a thing he said, other than it helped clarify what I said, or the fact that I said it.  Meanwhile I was reeling with the ramifications.  I mean, this changes everything.  Everything.  First, I took a meandering trip down the river of deNile.  Followed by bursts of kick boxing with my shadow self.  Then got lost in a fog.  Oh, don't forget the naps.  You know, the usual 5 steps.  And here I am, true confessions.  WTF am I going to do now!?!

sigh.  sigh with arms folded across chest.  that's a little defensive isn't it?  hmmm.  Well, let's stop moaning and groaning and take stock.  It's a new world out there/ in here.  Ha!  It's a new year.  

It's not all bad.  I did stop going to stores (including thrift stores) and buying clothes.  I did get to the point where I now have clothes that fit me, I like them, and I feel good in them.  That's huge.  I was batting zero on all three when I started the Project.  And I've come to know, stumble across really, what I like to wear.  That was something I wanted to get to and I have.  yea.  I wear what I want, where I want, even at home.  I like that. 

Downside is, consumption has steadily crept in.  First with ebay shoes.  Then with sewing patterns, and sale fabric.  Now more fabric and some warm socks.  I don't need any of these things.  None.  I have enough of all of them.  Really, but I know in my soul I'll at the least buy some more patterns sooner or later - probably Tina Givens.

State of Project Minima: Y2 Q4

The Summer Quarter for Year Two of Project Minima has been stopped in its tracks by my Mom's sudden turn of events.  Rather, by my state of coping I should say.  Nevertheless, following is my summary.

painting by Haidee Becker

I've completed 13 pieces this quarter, all from patterns except 1 skirt that was simply gathered at the waist.  Some were very complicated designs, however.  Like the Koos Spring Coat and the Koos Kaftan, wherein I used multiple pieces of fabric from my stash.  

You can see the clothes I made on my Spring Clothes page. 

State of Project Minima: Summer of Year 2

Starting from scratch with Year 2, I've completed a total of 14 refashions during this first quarter of summer.    

~ painting by Marieloes Reek ~

~I notice a new trend with my posts where I'm including more of my everyday life, thoughts and opinions.  Like in the posts: Memory Lane, DIY Shelving, I Don't Donate/Thrift, Graceland Sketch Club, and giving out my art website.

~I bought something, the first thing in 1 year & 3 months:  a pair of shoes!  Sandals to be exact, on sale at Marshall's - for my 60th b'day.

~Then I got pneumonia.

~I've often been a nervous wreck about health insurance and work.  The Reader has been decimated and sold to The Sun Times and my true

State of Project Minima - The First Year

Yes, a year has gone by since I decided to launch Project Minima and I'm still as involved as ever.  Let's look back and see if I accomplished my original goals and what other doors have opened along the way.  hmmm.

illustration by Clare Owen.

Well, the main goal I had written on Day One was: "...everything works, everything looks good, it all fits and I like it."  I would say I have achieved that - although in ways that I had not envisioned at the time.  In terms of my starting with the clothes list, I have favored the "play with to be altered" item rather than the "give away the not wanted."  The significant refinement came for me in my second post when I decided to go on a shopping free ban for the year.  I haven't bought a single item of apparel (new or used) in all that time.  This allowed my creativity to flourish -

To Be and To Have

Okay, I declare the studio and art supply room are done and done.  The studio is really cleaned and completely re-organized to my satisfaction and the supply room is good enough to move on.  That took 2 weeks to do with intervening naps when overwhelmingness over came me.

artwork by Alli Arnold.

That leaves the enclosed back porch (if I really need more space) and the dressing room as the next target areas.   I just can't bring myself to deal with that disaster area - aka my dressing room - right now.  awwkk!  It is filled with all the clothes unearthed from ___________ (fill in the blank).

It was about this time last year when I started Project Minima and decided to do something about my accumulation of things, especially clothes.  What I had decided to do was remake whatever didn't fit, I didn't like, or wear. So now I have all this unwearable stuff that has become my fabric stash, so to speak.

State of Project Minima III

artwork by Sebastiaan Bremer.

Nine months into the project and still going strong.   Can't see myself stopping sewing, mending, creating and/or making do - why would I?  And I certainly no longer have an interest in shopping for stuff that I don't need, crave or want.  How cool is that?!  What I'm doing is way more satisfying...and fun too.

Anyway, let's tally up.  I've completed &/or reworked approximately 29 pieces this quarter,