One step forward…
… and two steps back. I’m in the middle of a sewing alteration project right now, and it’s not going well.
I say the “middle”, I thought it would be the end, but I’ve had to pick out what I did, change the plan and start over a few times already, so maybe I’m even closer to the beginning. It’s the linen skirt with the rose print I shared in this post. The elastic on the back was sewn badly, and so the skirt was really sagging, and I thought if I “just” added a couple more pieces of elastic in channels (like another similar skirt I have) it would be a quick and easy 1 hour project, with a skirt that fits better. Well, here we are a week later (I took a long break!) and I still don’t have a skirt with a waistband. That’s the problem with some projects; one thing leads to another, which leads to another, which leads to another.
I was reminded of a sign I saw on Pinterest that read, “We do this not because it is easy, but because we thought it would be easy.” Well, if that doesn’t just about sum up most of my creative endeavours lately!
And yet, I keep working away, altering things and improving them, despite the fact that I don’t particularly like altering, because I do like the finished and improved garments, when they are finally done.
One of these days this project will be complete…. just in time to start another one!
What are you working on lately? Is that quote a life motto for you too?
May 22, 2026 @ 11:14 am
It will be worth it in the end. I have a similar motto: why would I buy it for $5.00 if I can make it for $20.00. Yes, it was much more time and money but the end result is something that I truly like. Right now I’m getting ready to knit some shorty socks and getting some embroidery projects lined up. I keep hoping that warm weather will be here and I can do small projects in the summer heat. Eh, I’ll get that wish fulfilled in July. I’m excited to see your finished project. Like I always told my kids: do you want it good, or do you want it fast? You can’t have it both ways.
May 22, 2026 @ 7:46 pm
Definitely! The items we make for ourselves are heirloom quality compared to the fast fashion available in the shops these days!
May 27, 2026 @ 11:08 pm
I applaud your tenacity, drive, and ambitiousness! That’s quite a project. I’m not a a seamstress in any way, shape, or form, but I love how you dive in. One quote I often find myself repeating over and over in my head like a mantra: “If you can’t find time to do it right, when are you going to find time to do it over?” So true!
Plow on! Let us see the finished product (if you want to share it, that is.)
May 28, 2026 @ 6:20 pm
That is a good quote too! I will hopefully share it, though it might take me a while.