styling up a purchase from the 50c stall this week; a great all-round black dress, which i paired with leg-warmers and wee leather bootshoes
What an amazing week this is – of creativity, of communing with friends, of reflections on my life in Guardia Sanframondi (which is step-by-step coming to an end) ….and feeling most tangibly the absence of my Most Beloved @vincentnijman whilst he is in the Netherlands visiting his dear mamma.
i bought me and vincent each a magnificent winter hat, too!
There is MUCH to keep me busy, sorting my house out in Guardia, and being here amongst my rather epic fabric collection. Another trip to the 50c stall in Telese Terme: a particular delight this week, as I had the company of two favourite friends, one American and one Italian, who joined me in a rummage through the favolosa montagna dei vestiti!
me and stefania, having a fab time at the mercato!
I have multiple new projects now on the go, but no end in sight! The latter, partly because my powerbank ran out, and I only have the car-charger option (with me here in Guardia) right now.
This has led to an interesting compromise, with my sewing in relative darkness, at the window with just enough street-light illumination to thread a needle!
Comunque...
The white trousers with a collection of other jeans being used as stripes down their sides, I found in a box here. I’d been thinking about this bunch of coloured jeans for a while, and imaginating the possibilities…. Now the side stripes are pinned to the max, and needing to be taken back to my sewing machines in Molise! Plus there are two projects that I brought with me, to keep me busy in the unlikely potential of my staying the whole week in Guardia (so as to meet my Beloved off of the train when he returns on Friday).
The first is a glamorous week dress-like top, kind of oriental style, which I noticed had a really cool inside effect on the fabric; reverse of the colour on the outside.
I took it upon myself to carefully unpick the bodice, and reverse the main ‘skirt’ of it, to create a more dramatic style altogether. I then had to go and buy a ton of pins, as I’d forgotten to bring any, and realised that my atelier in Guardia is quite empty of accessories!
A nice visit to the sewing stall at the market too, and I was set. The pinning is extensive, with the dress-like top having a line of black piping running around the front and back seams: as I seam-ripped my way around the edges of this piping, it has to be re-secured, before I went through the reversal of the skirt-ish part, and resetting of the garment…. It’s an exciting transformation, this one.
The other project I began – number three this week – is a mix-up of multiple blue and white pinstripe items, which I have a vision of a funky wide trouser for. Again, the finishing line is quite far off, and many, many, many pins are required on the journey to completion! But this is another of my favourite fabrics to work with, blue pinstripe.
It is similar to another dress that I finished last year, and which my dearest Italian friend (who I visited the market with) wants to buy! It just needs a quick-ish adjustment task, so as to fit her very perfectly. It was a joy to have her try it on and be instantly in love with the dress! This is always such an unexpected boon for me, to have someone love the clothing as much as I love making it! Now I have to also figure out what price to ask for the garment…
So that’s my week in sewing… Complete overwhelm and confusion, unanchored-ness without Vincent and not finding it easy to focus on my own again, with a million things to pack and ship to Molise…and my phone battery almost depleted. But the sewing keeping me jolly!
Sending you all the very best, and looking very much forward to seeing what everyone is doing this week :-D
With Love!
Alone with a lot of things to do it's kinda confusing, but you can use it as a time to see how your creativity works under that conditions! Sewing in the dark for sure is an uncommon experience!
The most satisfying part of being a fashion designer is when your customer eventually likes the dress after all the hardwork put into making the dress, the feeling is so refreshing
I miss you(r presence) too, lieverd.
Definitely the weirdest week in a while.
But unlike you, I struggle to find enough time and space for myself to really reflect on things, these days. And once I'm in bed, I'm too tired to do so.
Exciting to read about your new projects, looking forward to seeing/fitting my Winter hat etc. and pleased to hear that Stefania wants to buy yet another creation of yours. She is so supportive! ✨
Sending love and a huge hug!❤️🤗
❤️🔥💝🪷
Your week sounds full of creativity and life. It’s amazing how you keep sewing and creating even with the power issues. Hope you and Vincent can be together again soon.
Sewing in the dark just to meet deadlines for customers can be stressful, just to give them want they want. Great job, you're doing well.🫰