I hope I wasn't too boring, feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments section.

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 Or more to the point................................WHY DO I SEW?

Stranger: Oh I love this your top
Me: Thanks a lot, yeah I love the yellow fabric
Stranger: Yeah it's very lovely, where did you get it?
Me: I sewed it
Stranger: Oh ok, which tailor?
Me: No, I mean I sewed it myself
Stranger: You sew? (Startled face). Please sew for me.
Me: Oh sorry I don't sew for people
Stranger1: (baffled look) You sew? WHY?
Stranger2: (baffled look) You don't sew for people? WHY?

If you sew, then this conversation is not strange to you, especially for me as a Nigerian where sewing as a hobby is not the norm, people don't get it at all at all.

Sewing is a proper business in Nigeria, a very lucrative one at that.

But this is the boat I find myself in and I'm happy with it and the community I have found online. We can all gush over a pair of scissors and our day is made.

But getting back to this post, I find that this is a question I get a lot and have struggled to explain to people.
Some of the reasons/benefits didn't even make themselves clear to me until years later.

Or is the real question, "Why do I need to explain myself and my sewing?" (I've actually been called selfish for not sewing for others, has this happened to any of you?)

I have always been a lover of fashion and style but never really liked most things in the shops(high street).
 I'm that annoying friend you take to the shops and she doesn't like the fabric, or she wishes those pants were just an inch or two longer? etc

Well, since I didn't like most of what was in the shops, the next logical step for me was going to tailors to sew my clothes which is a normal thing in Nigeria.

So, off I went to the tailors with my bright ideas I'd gleaned from high fashion magazines, and, of course, I was met with disappointments.

Now you have to understand, this was many years ago and this skill of the average tailor then was lacking.
No real attention to the details, they were sewing a lot of caftans and fabric choices were very limited.

It was around this time that I came to the conclusion that I'd make my own clothes so that I could wear WHATEVER I WANTED or, mostly what I saw in high fashion magazines.

And I feel that this is the line or bridge if you will, that separates us sewist, dressmakers, creatives etc from other people.
Because I think other people despite bad experiences with any tailor would just continue looking for a good tailor instead of trying to DO IT THEMSELVES.

So, I found a local neighbourhood tailor to teach me how to sew and I've never looked back.

Are there times when I have thought, gurlllllllll go buy yourself this top instead of stressing out trying to draft out this pattern.

Yes, I'm not gonna lie, but as the years go by, the perks of this sewing gig are growing right in front of my eyes and those voices, no longer as loud or frequent.

Here are some of the perks/benefits I get out of sewing and why I feel it's so worth it.

A unique wardrobe, fit for my body

But when you know how to sew, you can sew to fit your uniqueness, dress it super fabulous like you feel you should look.
That gives you a shot of self-confidence like nothing else.

Complete design control

Like when Peter pan collars were on trend so errrrverything had to have a peter pan collar, which I don't care for.

If you sew, you have control over how everything looks and feels. Fabric, colours, embellishments, where your peplum starts etc, all depend on what you want.

You can also nurture your design skills, even if you feel you don't have any.

The thrill of a new challenge

I'm a slow sewer, I'd be the first to admit that, but starting up a new project puts me in a good mood because it means new ways of improving my skills.

If I'm making something I've made before, I find myself doing things in half the time, and I can literally see my skills improving.


It makes you feel like you're in control of things.

The sense of accomplishment

At the other end of that the absolute high you get from finishing a project. 

I promise you, nothing compares to having an idea for a finished item and watching flat fabric transform into a top, skirt, a quilt etc

I hate fast fashion

It's a marketable skill

For most people sewing is a cheaper alternative to buying clothes because you can get cheaper fabrics, I don't personally think so.
Sewing takes time and effort, that I sometimes feel is more expensive than buying RTW clothes.

And the longer you sew the more you realize the importance of good fabrics so that your makes last.
Right from the beginning, I was never interested in getting cheap fabrics, just the skill to make my clothes look as badass as the ones in Vogue magazines.

Where I feel sewing shines is that it's a marketable skill, it can make you money.
I don't sew for money but I won't lie that I've been in a pinch money wise and taken on a job/commission or two to tide me over.

There are so many avenues of making money from your sewing.

 Like you can be in the business of mending clothes and making alterations, you can work as a pattern designer, you can work in the wardrobe unit on film sets or also make custom clothing, home furnishings and even vintage clothing for people.

There are also other things you can do where knowledge of sewing is not necessarily required but it's an added benefit like in being a fashion designer or working in a sewing factory.

It's a lifelong skill

So........... RETIREMENT PLAN ☑

Now that you know what answers to give about your love/passion for sewing, how about ways of taking your sewing skills to new heights.

Did you know sewing was this badass? Do you agree or disagree with any of my points? Do you have anything to tell us?

Let's have a conversation in the comment section, I'd love to hear from you.

Don't forget to join other sewing friends by dropping your email address, like us on facebook etc




                                                   
                                                                 

I can't say this is a statement, I have ever agreed with or totally agree with now since my new skirt was made, but as imperfect as my new ruffled wrap skirt is, I'll have you know that I love it.

I am now a very proud member of the ruffled wrap skirt gang.

So, you started sewing recently or maybe you've been sewing for a while, and, have taken on a few projects here and there. You've mended a few clothes, made a simple skirt or two even made a pillowcase with invisible zips.
So, I put together a short list of things that will get you there.

1. BUY THE RIGHT TOOLS/ EQUIPMENT

2. INCREASE YOUR SEWING KNOWLEDGE

3. SEWING ERGONOMICS

                                                
                                                              

I remember when I started hearing the word culottes thrown around in the fashion sphere, I kept going "what the heck are those?" till someone pointed them out to me and I said...........but those are palazzo pants, and, they are, but every recycle has to come with a new name to be bonafide recycle, but you'll forgive me if I use the names interchangeably

Today I'm excited to talk some fashion trends that graced the designer runways. Considering where I live I'm usually most excited about the spring/summer trends because those are things I can/will wear.

I know some people cannot abide runway fashion, either because they don't follow fashion trends, or, they find some of the trends these designers come up with questionable.
 And, let's face it sometimes these designers come up with unrealistic and quite frankly annoying trends IMHO, case in point, the whole see through to your underwear(if you're wearing any) trend, ARGHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!! please don't get me started😃😃.
Some people are also put off by the combination of outfit pieces, that just make no real-world sense, my take, treat some of these fashion shows like art exhibitions(which, fashion is an art form) it's not always gonna conform to real life, just hone in on one item of clothing you like on the model and think of how you would style that particular piece.

This is why we regular folk rely on the trusty high street for their wearable, real-life albeit poorly constructed, cheaper fabric interpretations.

So I'm back for the usual roundup and while we're at it do check up the posts from previous months round up as some challenges do run for 6 months or the whole year.

JANUARY
FEBRUARY
MARCH
APRIL

 So its another month, and, another roundup of sewing hashtags and challenges to keep you creative and productive for the new month.
Now as always, there are year long, 6 month long challenges that started since the beginning of the year, so, do please check them out.

January 2018
February 2018
March 2018

But these were what I could gather that was kicking off this month.

On the blog today I'm sharing with you guys my first proper pattern drafting tutorial, it's kinda very involved and it's my first one so please do be patient with me.

In the tutorial I show you how to draft the front and back bodice, I also show you one way of drafting a short sleeve pattern(i'm still experimenting with different techniques, as sleeves are my nemesis).

The next part of the tutorial is going to be the cutting and sewing of the top.

This is the continuation of my clothing wardrobe essentials part 1 and like I said before, these are essential because they are the foundation to a good and timeless wardrobe, if these were all you had to wear, you'd be peachy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So without further ado let the games begin........

Its another round up of the sights and sounds in the sewing world, but this time for the month of March.

Now there are also some year-long challenges going on but I wrote about them in the posts for January and February, so, do check those out first.

Back to March then, here's what I could find

In today's post, I'm talking about the essential clothing wardrobe pieces every woman needs. they are essential because everything else can be based on them and if these were your only item of clothing you'd still be fine, OK?

And since this is mostly a sewing blog, I'll have some sewing patterns(which I will make clickable) to accompany the items.

OK, let's get to it............

 It's time for another "how to sew zipper series" and for today its one way of sewing an exposed zipper.




In case you missed other videos in the series.............
Check out how to sew an invisible zipper with a regular zipper foot AND how to sew a railroad/centered zipper






                                          
                                                       

This is a list of sewing challenges for February I could find.

I'll update as I find.

Also, there are a couple of year-long tags that I put in Januarys line up,  here is the list for March, April, so when you're done here go check them out.

So, I'm well aware that January is almost though, that makes participating in some of these challenges hard or impossible, but, there are some that you can join midway and some last the whole year round. I'm already working on the ones for February.

Also thanks to the new Instagram update you can follow hashtags to see posts by other Instagram sewers you never knew existed.

So, here goes the list...............

It's another sewing challenge video HURAYYYYYYYYYYY, I  think these challenges and tags that go along with them, bring the sewing community together, make us more visible to each other and makes our own corner of the big wide internet just that brighter.

 Happy 2018 to you guys, I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas celebration with your loved ones if you do indeed celebrate.
I was so stumped with work, and work-related activities in November, then Christmas prep etc all through December. All in all, I didn't get any type of sewing done in those months.

But today is a sewing tag video going on on youtube right now started/created by @agirlcalledboz and @cottonbycandy (you should check them out on the YT.)

Its a total of 5 question to help you put your sewing for the year past and the new year in perspective, to help you create general goals that hopefully you might adhere to.