Building a wardrobe: 2018.2.20 Wiksten Oversized Kimono Jacket

For my birthday this year, my sweet husband relented from his desire to surprise me and I purchased myself a secondhand Janome Magnolia sewing machine to celebrate my 27th year of living. It's not an exaggeration to say that having a machine that runs as well as this one does, with the functions that it has and the possibilities that it opened up for my sewing life, was nothing short of a game-changer for my wardrobe this year. (Also, you know you're a nerd when you spend an entire night practicing making buttonholes on scraps of fabric just because you can DO that now. But we won't dwell on that.)

I decided to christen my beautiful new-to-me machine with a really challenging make (for me). I fell in love with the Oversized Wiksten Kimono Jacket from the time that I saw it on Jenny's feed in the most recent Making zine and had to have one. I combined a black semi-mystery, cotton blend fabric I purchased at the Scrap Exchange with some wonderful linen-rayon from Freeman's Creative and am so happy with this piece, even with its many imperfections. 

That "I'm just so excited I just finished this thing late at night" feeling

The only changes I made to the pattern were to shorten the jacket by about 5". I wanted more of a cropped, boxy look but I kept the pockets the same placement and size because I also LOVE a generous pocket. I made the size medium but for a more fitted fit would have gone for the small. All in all, the instructions were really clear and easy to follow, especially since this was my first fully lined garment!

We had such a weird, long winter this year that I have already gotten a great amount of use out of this piece, and the two neutrals have gone with a lot, including some darker prints I have in my closet. 

Since its debut in Making, Wiksten has also published a re-worked version of this jacket for sale as a paper pattern, so if you found yourself wanting this jacket with some modifications, check that out. 

slow fashion, and other deep thoughts on a seemingly not philosophical topic (what we wear)

I've had quite a few thoughts, feelings, ideas, philosophical arguments, rants etc. swirling around in my head about slow fashion for about a year now that I feel it is time to finally get out on paper (or, HTML, as the case is today). I know there are others who will say ALL of the things I want to say much more eloquently than I, but I also know that I want to be a part of the conversation around sustainable and ethical clothing choices, and not wait for the right words or the perfect moment to share my thoughts with the world.

Slow fashion, for me, is the idea that there is a better way to live than supporting large corporations who make cheaply constructed and environmentally destructive clothing overseas, only to be sold for an outrageous profit margin to consumers in the US, who in turn will grow bored with these clothes or find a minor flaw in their construction after some use, and either donate them or throw them away. The issue of how our clothes are made has so many human rights and environmental implications, from the time that the fibers are produced, dyed, sewn, sold and eventually, passed on or disposed of. There are lots of resources out there for anyone interested in understanding these impacts, but a book I found helpful last year was Overdressed: The shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion. 

For something that is so essential to our day to day living, as essential as the food we eat, the water we drink, the jobs we hold, how do we break out of the cycle of consumerism and a culture that demands new clothes every season, no matter the cost to ourselves or our planet? 

There's so many ways, and I really struggle with articulating my feelings about slow fashion sometimes because the ways that we can work to make slow fashion a reality are so expansive. From high-end ethically grown and USA-based clothing companies all the way to sewing up the holes in a skirt you've owned for 15 years to make sure it sees 15 more, it can sometimes seem paralyzing to even know where to start or direct your energy.

In fact, while returning to a draft of this blog post, which I first sat down to write in January of this year, I discovered another, much shorter, blog post (which depending on how you feel about my verbosity, you may have preferred) in which I literally just wrote: "SEWING IS IMPORTANT. MENDING IS IMPORTANT. BUYING LOCAL FIBER IS IMPORTANT. SUPPORTING ETHICAL COMPANIES IS IMPORTANT. HOW DO I KNOW WHICH ONES TO DO THE MOST??" I could, and I know that there are organizations out there that do, focus on the impacts of fast fashion and trace their way back to the source, lobbying for fast fashion companies to make changes in their labor practices, environmental impacts, and sourcing, and I want advocates to keep pursuing these very important efforts, knowing that even with the maker movement having a huge comeback in the past 10 years, the majority of people in the world will continue to acquire most, if not all, of their clothing from a large retailer. 

The most beautiful thing to me, and where I think I am in my journey of slow fashion, is as a maker, when slow fashion and the joy of sewing and knitting meet. Because of my interest in creating my own wardrobe by hand, wearable garments and accessories that I love, I think there was always going to be a natural interest and focus on being a part of the label of the "slow fashion movement" and to see others interested in creating a sustainable wardrobe chime in on the ethics and pleasure of a wardrobe that is at its core, slow, is a really exciting thing. I don't think that I am wrong for choosing to sew my spring and summer tops, or alter clothes I swapped at a local clothing exchange, rather than advocate for the reform of fast fashion companies, just as I don't think that anyone who focuses on buying sustainable retail are wrong for not wanting to learn to make their own clothes. It's all important. And I want to hear everyone's voice who care about the people who make our clothes and the impact of what we wear on our planet. 

Teaching on Skillshare

Hello world!

It's been a colorful summer so far, literally and figuratively. But I have an exciting new project to talk about. I recently began teaching through Skillshare! Skillshare is an online platform with nearly a million and a half users, teaching everything from watercolor painting to how to pair wines with food, professional design skills and more. My class is on Fiber Arts 101: Spinning Yarn on a Drop Spindle. In the class I go over the basics of drop spindles, what fibers to spin, how to ply and tips and tricks for when you're just getting started. The yarns above are three types of fiber prep that I sample spinning so you can get an idea of how they differ. I'm excited to share a bit of what I've learned since I started spinning and hope you enjoy it!

The class and many others is only available through Skillshare premium, but right now you can get 3 months of Skillshare premium for only 99 cents! Click here for the link to check it out. Happy spinning!

a long spring

This year is not quite shaping up the way that I had anticipated at its genesis. In February, we decided we were going to try to buy a house. And after 7 offers, 3 months and one drawn out conversation with our mortgage lender, we are walking away from that prospect for another year. But it took a lot of time and a lot out of us, and so many things have had to take a spot on the back burner. 

And unrelated, but I'm on my 5th pair of knitted socks for this year. Fifth! I never dreamed that I would knit so many pairs in 2016. It certainly was not on my list of goals for the year, but here we are. Magic loop method and friends who are beautiful indie dyers are to blame. They're quick and portable and I have read Cookie A's book on Sock design several times already thinking through the many ways they can be customized. So fun. 

There have been lots of good things this spring, the Mr. graduating from medical school, Nash surviving a harrowing vet visit, starting on my first weaving adventure and lots of time with those we love via family vacation. 

And so we arrive at June. And to celebrate, we are having a shop update this evening. Lots of lovely naturally dyed, handspun goodness. I'll be taking a little break and closing up the shop when we move next weekend, so be sure to scoop up everything you want before then!

Happy Summer everyone. It promises to be eventful, and wonderful. 

shop update for the weekend!

Since March was such a crazy month, not too many updates in the shop. But last week I put together another shop update and I love the yarns and fiber that got listed. Handspun loveliness with yak, sari silk, and American Finn wool, as well as some hand-carded batts! If you have been thinking about trying your hand at spinning and want to know where to start, I highly recommend batts. They look beautiful thin or chunky, and draft beautifully. I love 'em. 

I've started weaving this month as a way to distract my mind from some stressful life circumstances...let's just say the housing market in our area is a bit insane! It makes me even more excited to start spinning yarns for weaving and using these batts in chunky tapestries this spring and summer. I've never liked spinning or knitting with much other than wool or alpaca, so weaving with these yarns might be my answer for using these warm materials in the summer months! 

the month of march

Radio silence in March was not something I was anticipating! It was a much busier month than I was clearly prepared for, but for many good reasons. I've been going through some professional transitions, and the Mr. and I found out that we'll be here for his residency training at the University of North Carolina. We're ecstatic! We are also in the process of looking for a home to buy, and the market has been one of the craziest our realtor has ever seen. It's caused a lot of anxiety and feelings of uncertainty and has been VERY time consuming! 

During all of this we also got to take a half-week mini vacation to NY, which was so so wonderful. We ate our way around Brooklyn and Manhattan and managed to make it to Brooklyn General Store and Purl Soho (pure magic). Being a long-time follower and fan of the blog, it was so great to see a lot of the samples up close and personal, and the ladies there were so nice. Of course, I came home with yarn, including some of Brooklyn General's own NY raised Brooklyn Barnwool, and Purl's Worsted Twist and new Linen Quill (it's so wonderful). I also got to meet the wonderful, talented, lovely Gina Rockenwagner for brunch one day, she's been an IG crush of mine for a long time and I have loved getting to know her! 

As much as you can anticipate certain seasons being times of transition, there's only so much you can do to prepare for them. We are definitely in one of those seasons and I hope you can be patient with this blog of mine while we're figuring it out. Lots of wonderful things are ahead for this business and I can't wait to share them with you. 

Weaver's Packs and a new logo

As warmer months are approaching and I'm thinking about my fiber practices as I try to keep wool off of my lap, I have put together some natural weaving packs for Goodstitch Fibers! These were so fun to put together. Each one has three mini skeins included, a natural gradient pack, natural texture pack, and a love & chocolate pack. They contain handspun, naturally colored or naturally dyed yarns and come ready to gift tied with a ribbon. 

The raspberry-dyed yarn is beautiful and variegated, and no two yarns are alike. I can't wait to do more solar dyes this summer and experiment with different fruits and dye plants, and am creating a list of the dye plants I'd love to grow in my garden. In the natural texture pack are a few mini skeins of some Corriedale wool that has been raised and processed all within a 50 mile radius of my studio! They're the first products from the fleece that I am working with from Rising Meadow Farm in Liberty, NC, and are crazy textured, variegated grey. I love them. 

I have also been working recently with Julia of WoodFolk Knits to design a new logo for the shop. Her artwork is incredible, organic and expressive, and when I found her I knew I wanted her to work with me on this project. You should absolutely check out her work on Instagram and her online shop. Even her sketches seem like gorgeous works of art. 

Have a wonderful week!

Leah's fleece

Sweet Leah, the ewe who gave me this beautiful fleece! Unwashed, it weighs in just under 5 pounds. The majority of the fleece is grey, but it's speckled with brown, black and tan bits that I've been carding to make a gorgeous heather. I've been working through it slowly and deliberately, savoring the feeling of lanolin on my hands and taking the time to admire every perfect lock. They're still so connected when you pull them out and away from the fleece, all bundled up in a ball in its bag, you can still see the clear lines of where the shearer cut the fleece away from the sheep and how it all was laid out in one huge motion. It's as close as I can get to this farm without actually living there! 

When I step back to think about it, working with these fibers sometimes seems crazy. I live in suburban North Carolina, and much of the processing that I do happens not in a farm yard in work boots amidst flocks of animals, but on my 10x10 back porch and in my kitchen sink. My fleece dries in our spare bedroom. Moreso, though, it makes me grateful for where I live, that my husband can pursue his passions at a major medical center 15 minutes away, and I can drive less than an hour out in to the country and bring back treasures like this one. Farmers are closer than you probably think! And to get to experience their way of life and the fruits of their labor is why I'm so passionate about this work. It's a really amazing thing.  

I hope this Wednesday, you get to work on projects that bring you joy!