I find that I do some of my best thinking when I’m doing something else. In this case, running is absolutely a time when my mind starts to wander toward problem solving. The problems to be solved seem endless – How do I get colleagues/customers to do what I need them to do? Where should I start cleaning the house (hint: the upstairs bathroom)? how much more is that guest house going to cost? You get the drift. Fortunately, today I let my mind start trying to solve the “What to do in 2013” problem that we’ve been discussing. I managed to get a good hour of contemplation in while jumping over fallen trees, avoiding mud puddles and spying a bobcat. I didn’t even trip/fall. Win!
So, Lynn – you talked about scarves. I thought a lot about scarves, but I also know that I rarely wear them. I like the idea of them. I like making them. But, I don’t wear them, so they’re not really a finished product for me. I could talk myself into them being samples, but that’s still not going to be satisfying. I also thought about bags – but I have *one* bag that I love and use all the time. Those lovely friends that have multiple purses and change the purse with the outfit? Unfathomable. And not going to happen. They’d be pieces that would sit around and not get used. Though, I could see them as repurposed scarves! :-)
I finally landed on vests. I *like* vests. I have two three handknit vests – one handspun – and I wear them often. And the fabric commitment is small enough that I could easily make sufficient fabric for a vest within a short period of time. Also, vests are supposed to be “eclectic”, right? Like a jacket but not something you put on/take off all day. Plus? Buttons. What more can I say?
Next weekend is another Palm Springs weekend – but this time just Jeane and me. It’s too close to the holidays for Suzanne (she’ll be there *this* weekend to get “caught up”) and Barbara’s out of vacation days so it’s just the two of us. Slopers, muslins and maybe starting a joint article for Handwoven. I’m going to bring up this idea when I’m down there and see what she thinks. If I decide to go that route, then we can start making a pattern for a vest. I like the idea of having a “Control” – which would be the pattern – and using that to decide how I like fabrics, colors, etc. And it’d also tell me where I need to be in terms of cloth width, yardage, etc. There’s also opportunity for embellishment with embroidery, inkle- or tablet-woven bands, the whole nine yards. Lots of cloth structures would be fun – Monk’s Belt, Overshot, Twill. Lots of fabrics – wool, silk, linen, cotton. I don’t think that one a month is reasonable (and that’d be a LOT of vests!) but one a quarter, I think, would be doable. And that would mean a drawing, then a sample, then a finished garment.
Separately, there are specific home-front projects that I want to do and that includes a rug for the studio, curtains for same, and some blankets. The Big Bag of Columbia/Mohair worsted 2-ply may become blanket and rug yarn, we’ll see.
So – what do you all think about vests? Also, the fabric and sewing learning from the cloth should help be step left-ward to a jacket, right-ward to a shirt/tunic. Or even to a coat/skirt/etc.
Yup, it already feels good. Maybe I can get one done before the holidays …