A stitch in time

I always know exactly what I want to wear and with what.  But if I can't find it, rather than settle for something on offer in a store, I head off to the nearest fabric store and buy the material and notions I need to make it myself.

That's why I related so well to a column in yesterday's 'Globe and Mail' about just such a dilema.  "Find a black, A-line skirt so simple and classic it can be worn regardless of tends," wrote the author.  About 10 years ago, I wandered Bayshore Shopping Centre looking for the same thing.  Hard to believe, but there wasn't a simple, black skirt to be found.  Heading home, I realized I'd just have to make one.  So I went to Fabricland, hunted for a simple pattern, found one, bought several different fabrics and ended up making four skirts and three pairs of pants using different views of the same pattern.  My rule is simple:  No pockets, no zippers.  Just elastic waistbands for all seven garments.

Here are a few examples -- all simple and versatile:

One of the skirts, each has a slit up the middle.

For the pants, the slit becomes two legs (these were Christmas pants of a couple of years ago.)

The original black skirt.

A hundred years ago, sewing was a commonplace -- albeit highly-gendered -- skill.  I learned how to sew from my mother and grandmother, augmented by home ec classes in grade eight.  "For all shapes and sizes, sewing represents an alternative to the often disappointing experience of shopping for clothing stores.  Mastering the skill empowers people to create anything they want to fit their body, says a PhD candidate in the subject at Queen's University.  

Surprisingly, the process involves very little actual sewing.  Most of the time is spent cutting, measuring, pinning, basting and ironing.  The sewing part is just zip-zip.  The other benefit is when sewing, you never think about anything else.  When I look through my closet, I realize most of my most-worn, favourites are outfits I have made myself.  Here's my grandmother's trusty Singer, the one I still use:

It must be 80 years old, solid iron and weighs a ton!