random thoughts – Day 2,250 (Friday) – a break

We caught a break from the rain. The day started out gray and cloudy, but the weather improved and it was sunny later in the day.

Velvet dance vest,
ready for rework.

The indoor part of the day was spent milling about. There was some reading (The Cactus, by Sarah Haywood) and thinking about alterations needed to a newly acquired dance costume vest. Then, I reviewed some pattern pieces on hand, plucked out about a mile of stitches, and set about altering the piece.

There was trim to be removed and seams to be opened and restitched to take the top in a bit. A neckline modification needed to be drawn on paper, then the fabric cut, and edges hemmed. Fasteners needed to be shifted. More trim needed to be removed.

As the daylight that is so good for ripping stitches dimmed, I set the project aside for the day. It had already consumed more time than I first imagined, but that seems to be the case with all the sewing projects lately.

Part of the problem is I am winging it and learning as I go with most of the alterations. The biggest lesson is that it seems easier to make something from a flat piece of fabric than to alter a completed garment. The big challenge with sewing from scratch is finding a pattern to follow (or making one) and finding appropriate fabric. Also, seamstresses doing alterations deserve every cent they request in payment.

The outdoor part of the day happened around 6 pm when I took a break from the costume project and left the house for the first time in a couple days. I walked to the mailbox, then looped around the neighborhood. It was so quiet. I saw one car traveling on the street, and one other walker. Trees are still blooming, lawns are fresh and green, and the spring yard ornaments and décor are popping up in yards.