In Hiding.

Lately, my relationship with the internet is tormented. We used to be great friends. Over years it's introduced me to wonderful things and incredible people, we spent HOURS together each day,  and then it turned on me. For the past several months the internet has been a source of anxiety. I've tried to make our relationship work; instead, things escalated, and I can barely glance at it without getting upset. For the preservation of my own mental health, we needed a break. It's been a rude awakening. I didn't realize how much of my life was spent in front of a screen until I consciously decided to take some time to actively avoid it. 

I miss the blogs and stream of inspiration from my fellow makers that I've sacrificed as a result of my internet hiatus. But, disconnecting has been nice. I'm spending a lot more time at the library getting caught up on my reading list. Mike and I have been tackling some of the small projects we left unfinished when we moved into our house. And, of course, I'm knitting and sewing. Avoiding the internet hasn't shielded me from the current state of things; however, it gives me a lot more control over the content and amount of opinion that I'm exposed to.

In addition to breaking from the internet, I've decided that I need a little infusion of joy. In particular, I decided, that I want to work on projects that are more joyful. Less practicality, more fun. Useful, but not for the sole purpose of function. I want to sew the pieces of fabric that I've been holding on to; the pieces that make my heart go pitter patter. I want to sew cake WITH frosting. Lots of frosting. Dammit, I want to feel inspired again. 

I love my wardrobe staples. I firmly maintain that I can never have too many Archers. Right now, however, I want to sew patterns that push me: push me to try new things, push me outside my style comfort zone, push me to tackle new techniques. I want to have fun.

It's time to put my pattern collection and fabric stash to work and get a little creative. I can't promise that I am going to blog the way I have in the past. I miss it. I miss you. Truly. I'm going to take a relaxed approach and see where it leads. Without doubt, I'll check-in from time to time, but I'm not able to commit to posting with regularity. 

Pattern: Simplicity 7252, View 2 from 1967. 

​Fabric: Vintage poly/cotton blend purchased at an estate sale. 

Modifications: To get the above the knee hemline pictured on the pattern envelope, I shortened the body of the dress below the yoke by five inches. Also, I did a 1/2 inch narrow shoulder adjustment and omitted the sleeve cuff. 

Notes: The most time consuming aspect of this pattern was aligning, pressing and topstitching my pleats. Overall, I'm very pleased with the spacing and placement of my pleats. They integrated very nicely into the overall pattern of the dress.  There wasn't a lot of fitting involved in this pattern. The shift shape of the dress makes this easier to wear. My fabric is a light-medium weight fabric and it works very well with this pattern.

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