the valley of suck
Apr. 12th, 2009 09:00 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
anotheranonYesterday I met up with some local SCA people for my local shire's first (?) sewing circle. It was pretty cool - got to meet a couple of nice folks (hi ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
snarlingbadger) and bang brains together. I also got to help someone draft and make a pattern, the first time I've helped do this for someone other than myself :)
My sewing/constructing ability is one of the few things I can say without reservation that I'm good at. I'm not as good as some (and y'all KNOW who you are), but I'm better than many: I know my way around a sewing machine, I can read a commercial pattern and make some of my own, I can thread a serger (no small feat), do a fitting, tailor, do fair hand-finishing and usually choose the right fabric for the job.
This is largely because I've been doing this for almost 20 years. It startles me to type that because I realize I've been futzing with fabric that long and that my level of skill has taken twenty years to hone to the point that it's at.
I would likely have been further along by now had I pushed myself harder. As it was, I was almost 17 before I touched a sewing machine because I was so afraid my hands would go under the needle (!) When I did start taking lessons, my mother discouraged me from trying anything too difficult, and I don't blame her - I had a hellish temper as a teenager and avoiding broken plates was higher priority than my working with knits and zippers (which turned out to be pretty easy, despite my mother's nail-biting).
Even after getting a grip on my temper it wasn't until ~8 years or so ago that I had the nerve to try my hand at historic costume and pattern drafting - I had completely convinced myself that it was too hard to do, and probably wouldn't have tried it at all had I not got a fantastic deal on Queen Elizabeth's Wardrobe Unlock'd (call it new age fluffiness, I took that as A Sign :P)
With most things I always tried to do my best, but tried to choose projects and trajectories that ensured success. I shied away from anything I thought would be too stressful or difficult because it was the best way to keep sane. I think my real problem was (and still is) perfectionism.
But at long last I think I've finally reached a point where I'm confident enough to allow myself to suck for awhile - because all first efforts are subpar. I still have (and wear) my kirtle, and it's dreadful - lacing doesn't line up, and it's in the back so I can't even put it on myself. My only Regency is made out of nylon, fercrissakes :P
But I'm getting better.
Not just at sewing, but at everything I've had the guts to suck at for awhile :P
snarlingbadger) and bang brains together. I also got to help someone draft and make a pattern, the first time I've helped do this for someone other than myself :)My sewing/constructing ability is one of the few things I can say without reservation that I'm good at. I'm not as good as some (and y'all KNOW who you are), but I'm better than many: I know my way around a sewing machine, I can read a commercial pattern and make some of my own, I can thread a serger (no small feat), do a fitting, tailor, do fair hand-finishing and usually choose the right fabric for the job.
This is largely because I've been doing this for almost 20 years. It startles me to type that because I realize I've been futzing with fabric that long and that my level of skill has taken twenty years to hone to the point that it's at.
I would likely have been further along by now had I pushed myself harder. As it was, I was almost 17 before I touched a sewing machine because I was so afraid my hands would go under the needle (!) When I did start taking lessons, my mother discouraged me from trying anything too difficult, and I don't blame her - I had a hellish temper as a teenager and avoiding broken plates was higher priority than my working with knits and zippers (which turned out to be pretty easy, despite my mother's nail-biting).
Even after getting a grip on my temper it wasn't until ~8 years or so ago that I had the nerve to try my hand at historic costume and pattern drafting - I had completely convinced myself that it was too hard to do, and probably wouldn't have tried it at all had I not got a fantastic deal on Queen Elizabeth's Wardrobe Unlock'd (call it new age fluffiness, I took that as A Sign :P)
With most things I always tried to do my best, but tried to choose projects and trajectories that ensured success. I shied away from anything I thought would be too stressful or difficult because it was the best way to keep sane. I think my real problem was (and still is) perfectionism.
But at long last I think I've finally reached a point where I'm confident enough to allow myself to suck for awhile - because all first efforts are subpar. I still have (and wear) my kirtle, and it's dreadful - lacing doesn't line up, and it's in the back so I can't even put it on myself. My only Regency is made out of nylon, fercrissakes :P
But I'm getting better.
Not just at sewing, but at everything I've had the guts to suck at for awhile :P
