The weekend, the sewing projects

This weekend was a pretty nice one despite losing a precious hour of sleep. I finished up brunch at Crook's Corner with two of my good college girlfriends a few hours ago. Conversation with them is always so comfortable, but on top of that there was a plate full of biscuits and sausage gravy and a big, spicy bloody Mary all for me. Yum! Makes my mouth water all over again, just thinking about it. We're going to try to make it a once a month thing now. Not much time to spend together considering that we were all once living together and going to the same parties and drinking coffee around the same kitchen tables and (ahem) dating the same men. But it's time nevertheless, and I'm going to start looking forward to it every month.

I also managed to finish making my new skirt, complete with invisible zipper. It's composed of four unhemmed tiers that will start to get frayed and fringey after washing and wearing it a few times. I'd post a picture here, but I had no idea how frigging hard it was to photograph a skirt not on your body, or ON your body while you're the one holding the camera. So some other time maybe, when Husband is home and I can wear it, or after I've made a few things and can just photograph them hanging all together. It fits me perfectly, which is, of course, the great thing about making your own clothes. That is, if you can get past the fact that sewing pattern sizes are WAY bigger than the one you wear off the rack at, say, Ann Taylor Loft or what-have-you. You just have to not take that insulting little fact personally.

And speaking of sewing--which I'm kinda doing a lot lately, huh?--I read this great article by Susie Bright today in Craft magazine about making handmade gifts for others who may not appreciate them. For those who don't know, Ms. Bright is much more famous for her writing on sex and porn than for her sewing. But sew she apparently does! I'm just going to quote her verbatim here because I love this:

So why do we all ignore this hard-won bit of advice [to handmake gifts only for other crafters who know what you put into them]? Because we're showoffs. We know modesty is supposed to go hand in hand with our steady stitches, but we yearn for people's jaws to drop open at our handiwork. We like making things for our beloveds and watching their hearts melt. We're sentimental fools who want only to be adored for our talents. Is that too much to ask?

You must be a subscriber--or a holder in your hand of a hard copy--to actually read the article, but this is a link to the projects and resources she suggests should you decide to make up a little something for a non-crafty type anyway. And good luck with that. I know it doesn't always work out so great, right Kat?