Call Me Cassandra

Peace.

I have been super busy y'all. I managed to get all my Easter sewing completed. But dig this.... A so-called friend.... who up to this point has never really valued my ability to sew decided that I could make her a few outfits. 3 exactly. And these “outfits” are not dresses or something small like that. They are suits of clothes involving a jacket, top and pants. S1167. She fell in love with Mimi's website and thinks that this is easy for me to just whip up 9 garments on 2 weeks. Nevermind I have a non-sewing full time job!

She bought the pattern (at full price), the notions and some really cheap and flammable polyester and has given me 2 weeks to make 9 garments. I gave it back to her. There is no way that a person who is addicted to RTW going to be satisfied with what she gave me to work with. And I will be the blame for it. Not that nasty thick polyester that will cause her to sweat and smell like a fat girl in the already 80*+ weather we are having. And that that nasty fabric will coat my rotary cutter and gum up my machine... Since she couldn't return anything that she bought, she returned to my home with a different take on it.... and 4 pairs of pants she wants hemmed... By next week. I've done some work for her college aged daughter and I never charge her anything. I guess she is expecting the same treatment. B.U.T.... she has a job! This is why I won't sew for family or close friends, just strangers and of course Precise. But this chick is a dear friend so.... I just hope our friendship survives.

Another “friend” asked me to crochet her a sweater dress for a doll. Ok. I charged her $15 to make it and she had to supply they yarn which I gave back. Now was the doll for her child? No. it was for a doll that she was selling. She thought I charged her too much. She paid it but for her next job, she hired someone else. Guess what? They charged her twice as much as I did. She only told me because she was mad. I had nothing.

I have yet another person in my life who is getting prepared for her sister's wedding. Apparently, the attendants can wear whatever dress they want as long as it falls into a specific color scheme. She showed me a dress she was planning to order from China. I suggested that she needs to order it in as large as a size that it comes in, because special occasion dresses ALWAYS run super small. And that it's easy to take in but harder to let out especially when you don't have the fabric to let it out. she ordered it only 1 size bigger than she wears. Guess what? You already know. I don't have to tell you do I? Now she wants me to do something. What can I do at this point? And everything I suggest does not sit well with her.

As a seamstress, I find it annoying that people who don't sew think they are a better know than I am about sewing. My friend for example.... couldn't wait on a sale for the pattern that was to happen this week. She had to own it last week. She couldn't be bothered to go to the fabric store with me... you know the experienced person... but went with her BF. She didn't take my advice and purchase fabric based not on her rtw measurement, but on the finished garment measurement. She want pants and a jacket from the polyester but there isn't enough. And I'm not going to the store to buy it.

All that to say.... My clients are irritating me. And I'm really reconsidering whether I'm cut out to take on clients. But it is shark week so maybe I'm in the midst of a hormone imbalance...

Well....

Peace....


I've been to Fine Fabrics 3 times since I 1st said I was going.

I have an official stash.

That is all....

Peace

M6920 - My Easter Dress

Peace,

Well! I must have spoken this into existence.... I had last Thursday off. Some Jehovah's Witnesses were knocking very aggressively on my front door (I assume they were JD's they ran off before we could catch them) and knocked the glass loose from the door. No matter how we rigged the door, the glass would become dislodged with pressure. We cannot live in a house that opens like that. Our landlord said he could ONLY come on Thursday to fix it... so... BOOM! I got my Easter dress finished amid all the other stuff I had to do. On a side note... I beg to win the Mega Millions all the time, but me mentioning that I needed an extra day to get isht done causes my door to fall in. It just doesn't seem fair....

Behold.... M6920


Pattern: Misses'/Miss Petite/Women's/Women's Petite Dresses Version B

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the envelope?:Yes

Were the instructions easy to follow?: Yes

How long did it take from start to finish?: about 3 hours

What did you like/dislike about the pattern? Cup sized options

Fabric used?: Floral rayon

Pattern alterations or design changes made?:
I lengthened it about 4 inches. I am concerned with how gaping the front is. But it is not quite obscene... unless you are seated and folks are looking down at you.

Would you sew it again?: Yes. Sleeveless in denim

Would you recommend it to others?:Do it

Conclusion: I like this dress. It's not my absolute favorite. But it does everything I asked it to do.


Here is the thing... I look old. And old in this dress. This dress looked old ladyish hanging from the door. It is the fabric I think. But I'm 44 not 24. I'm supposed to look 44 (maybe 34?... please!!!). And it it happening to everybody. Taraji P. Henson looks amazing but she also doesn't look young. Jada Pinkett-Smith is another beautiful woman. Woman, not a young lady. Halle Berry still has men falling at her feet... but she looks maybe not exactly her age, but you can tell she's older than Beyonce'. Even J.Lo with her amazing attributes is old. These women are all my contemporaries. There is nothing wrong with age... that is the standard answer.... but I do mourn the loss, albeit slow loss, but loss nonetheless, of my youth. I'm Just Saying....

Yet another reason I don't smile in pics.


Peace.

Lace Skirt and Self Hate

Peace....

Last year, I ordered the prettiest Kelly green lace form an online supplier. I've been scared to cut it. I even asked y'all for advice. For 1 year that lace has been sitting in my sewing room punking me and talking trash to my face. This weekend I got even.

Behold.... B5760! My TNT skirt pattern. (It's funny because Carolyn uses this pattern for the cardigan. I made a wadder when I tried it. Go figure. Different strokes)


This skirt brought up some stuff for me....I was telling a “friend” that I had made a kelly green lace skirt. (I cannot stop looking at because it is so pretty!!!!) She asked me if I lined it. Of course I lined it. I work in a dentist office and not a strip club. She asked what color the lining was. That's a weird question. I still don't understand her motivation for asking. But I said, “brown.” She asked, “Why did you choose brown?” I said, “Because I'm brown.” She then told me.... that I should have lined it in beige and that my skirt would look dirty. Woooooooow!!!!!!That's a level of self hate I'm not used to. But maybe I should be...

I don't wear white bras. At this junction, I don't even own white bras anymore. Ever since I started buying my own bras, I have made the conscious choice to purchase bras that couldn't be detected under my clothes. I'm dark skinned. So I own mostly black, but some navy, some emerald green, etc. but all dark. When I know that I'm purchasing bras and will have to try them on, I wear a white shirt just to make sure you can't see it. My mother and I were bra shopping and she wanted to buy bras for me. My boobs are not ordinary, so I have to shop at specialty stores. At this particular store on this particular day, they only had white bras in my size. I didn't want them. My mother says, “But they fit.” I said, “I don't wear white bras.” She said, “Everyone wears white bras.” I said, “I don't.” Even the dark skinned sales lady said that she preferred the darker colors. My mother refused to understand. But I refused to bras. And that reminded me of.....

When I got married, I had a bra made. (yes you can to that). I had a black bra made. When I brought it home, my mother bitched because I had it made in black and not white. I countered that you would be able to see a white bra though my dress. And she said not if I wore a slip. That interaction brought back to mind this one....

I used to usher. On the 1st Sunday all the ushers wore their “usher whites.” I always wore Black underthings so that you couldn't see them underneath my whites. The head usher took me aside and asked why I didn't wear white under my whites. I said because you'd see them. She said not if you wore a white slip. She then said my whites looked dingy. I asked what about these white tights. She told me there was nothing I could do about them. And she made us wear these thick assed tights too. Not plain white hose, but tights. She said it would look better. What she meant is the color of our legs wouldn't seep through.

What's with this self hate dark people???? I know in this culture white people are seen as the default, so I expect foolishness from them... but not from us. We are supposed to know that everything that's for them doesn't always apply to us. I don't wear “nude” pantyhose. They are too light. I wear coffee. I don't wear nude shoes, because on me, they are beige. I will wear bronze or copper shoes with everything, though. I don't wash my hair everyday. I know to try on makeup before I purchase it because it may just disappear into my skin. I should own stock in Palmers cocoa butter because I use it like that. I know that “ashy” is a real thing. And guess what... I... Don't... Look.... Dingy! When I wear dark foundation garments. I don't see white as the pinnacle of any damn thing.

But if you do.... stay the hell away from me. I'm having a good time. I own all of this.


Peace