Marcy Told Me To

WARNING: The first part of this is a little bit political and possibly controversial so if you don't want to read that sort of thing just skip down to the good stuff.

There was a discussion a while back at Oonaballoona about African fabrics and whether it is okay for white people to wear them. Short version: Marcy said "Go for it," so I did.

I have been attracted to these fabrics for a long time - the bright colors, the bold, unusual prints - but I have been hesitating. In some situations being a white person (especially one from redneck country) can be a little uncomfortable. Yes, I know, I know... my life is good; I have nothing really to complain about. But still. I don't want to offend anyone or make anyone else uncomfortable and sometimes it's not completely clear what is right. I think the Internet makes us all a little more sensitive in both good and bad ways, or maybe "aware" would be a better word for it. Thanks to the Internet I have been made aware that there is a such thing as cultural appropriation. Sometimes it's clear what that means; other times it's a little more fuzzy.

As Marcy pointed out, the fabric in question, Ankara or Dutch wax prints among other names, has a very mixed cultural background. That got me to thinking, there are other, more commonly used fabrics, with designs that have been "appropriated" from other traditional cultures, batik and paisley for example. (BTW I came across this amusing page (at least it amuses me) telling us that we're all going to Hell for wearing paisley.) These designs and others have been popular for so long no one even thinks about their origins and whether or not we "should" wear them. We are nervous about African fabrics because they are new to many of us and we first became aware of them during the Internet era.

If you think about it, almost everything we think of as American originally came from somewhere else and that's somewhat true of Britain as well. I believe that incorporating elements of other cultures into our clothing and home decor can show respect and admiration. I know not everyone will agree and that's something else I wanted to address. One of the mistakes many of us make in regard to Others is thinking of members of any given ethnicity, religion or any other group you want to put people into, as being all the same, having all the same opinions, etc. Learning to think of all people as individuals first would help us in a lot of ways.

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Okay, here's the good stuff:

The pattern is Butterick 5748, one of two that I'm currently obsessed with and can't stop making over and over again. (I was going to take pictures outside this time but it's been raining for two days and I didn't want to wait.)

Ugh. It is nearly impossible to hold one's face in a normal looking smile when taking timer pictures.

To be honest, only the bodice is B5748 and that has been modified. The skirt as it came with the pattern is a full circle but I used a self-drafted half circle with pockets instead. The bodice has a high, wide neckline, which I do not like so I always change the neckline and since I cut it freehand it comes out a little different every time.

Here's one more. I like this picture even though it's a little dark. You can see the actual length of the dress better in this one.

UPDATE: Oooo! I almost forgot the most important thing. I love it. Of course I love the pattern, obviously, but I really love the fabric. It has a nice lightweight but sturdy feel and the colors are great.

Soon to be Useful

A year or two ago (maybe longer; I can't remember) when the Hancock Fabrics in Tulsa had their going out of business sale I bought 3 pieces of cotton interlock knit. I originally planned to make t-shirts and only bought one and a half yards of each but later I decided it was too heavy for summer wear. Mornings have been cool lately so I was inspired to get out that fabric and make this:

I used this Butterick pattern, view D.

I wasn't sure I had enough fabric but I decided to lay out the pieces and see and it was just enough. It was very fast and easy to make, only two pattern pieces since it has kimono sleeves. I didn't bother with the button and loop because I doubt I would use it. I faced the neckline and front edges with wide bias tape.

Here it is with jeans:

The other two pieces of knit fabric are pink and orange. I don't know if I will make exactly the same thing with them but I'm very tempted.

A Pretty Simple Dress

Remember this?

This piece had been in my stash for a few years and I had planned to make something a little bit fancy and dressy but I decided that what I really needed was another casual, lounge-y type of dress so...

It's actually not very different from my original plan; I just made it loose fitting with no zipper instead of making it with a fitted bodice. As a "house dress" I'm happy with it. The arm holes are way too big so if I ever wear it in public it will have to be with a t-shirt or cardigan and I hope no one gets down on their knees to inspect my scallops but mostly it's okay. The little pink buttons are non-functional, for decoration only.

This fabric feels lovely - lightweight and smooth. I loved it when I bought it but as it sat in my stash love changed to merely like but now that I've made it and worn it my feelings about it are tipping back toward love.

It's HERE!

Look what came in the mail yesterday.

The top fabric in the picture is the purple fabric I wrote about in my last post. I am absolutely thrilled with it. The colors in the picture are reasonably accurate but there's a subtle quality that just doesn't come through in a photo. Anyway, love it and will sew it soon even though it's going to be a summer dress and fall is rapidly approaching. But that's what they make cardigans and tights for, right?

The other piece was an impulse buy. I can never resist a colorful paisley. It's from a different Etsy shop and even though it came from Florida both pieces arrived on the same day. This one will probably sit in the stash until next spring or summer.