I cut out the pieces to the Folkwear Chemise a while ago, now. I’ve been intimidated by the pleating on the front and back. I’m a pretty lazy seamstress. I like fast and easy. But this pattern is so cool that I bought it thinking it was worth the work. (and lets face it the fast easy patterns I’ve been trying haven’t exactly worked out like I wanted). Then I cut it out and had second thoughts on how worth it the work was.
Surprisingly, I’m enjoying the pleats, on some level. It’s sort of peaceful. I’m much more invested in this dress now, and I’m hoping it’s as fun to wear as I’m envisioning. I started thinking that this is how these dresses were made a century ago. That after all this labor intensive pleat work, I was going to be able to stitch it all together relatively quickly with my handy dandy sewing machine. Ladies, back in the day, would still have many hours of hand stitching left, not to mention the lace work and finishing embroidery, that I’m likely going to forgo.
I don’t know if it’s a stage in life that I have finally reached, or if this is my response to the outrage of a throw away world powered by technology (she types, ironically, on the computer), being faster, working easier, and being more disconnected then any generation before us, but I’m finding great delight and pleasure in working hard…Digging into the earth in the garden, running wool yarn through my fingers to create warm, cozy clothes, or putting 204 pins into 68 pleats to create a new dress. I think all these things are working wonders on my emotional balance, which is a blessing, because lately I’ve been feeling quite overwhelmed and disjointed by what the world throws at me.
Wow, 68 pleats. There is a nice rhythm to small, repetitive tasks carried out with love.
Amy: this looks super cool, all the pleats, all the history. I love the impact the gardening is exhibiting. This beautiful brown fabric, linen I think, is looking very exciting, like furrows left by the plow. pleats in the garden.
I agree, Amy. That is definitely how I have felt about the project.
Thank you Kim! The garden has really been impactful! I’m loving it. The fabric is brown linen and very YUMMY!!! I love this dress. It’s been very slow going with everything else I’ve been doing lately, but it’s fabulous!
[...] I don’t tend to finish the sewing projects as faithfully as I finish my knitting projects. Remember the brown dress… I did find that, along with the last few pieces necessary for completion, while I was working on my [...]