Another Quick-n-Easy Fix

Whoa. I can't even believe I typed that: "quick-n-easy." It makes me shudder; I think of hot glue guns and a stapler. You know, for those people who staple the hem of their pants or skirt in an emergency and then go, "Huh. That worked really well. Guess I can toss out the needle and thread forever!"

Apparently I hit the resale shop just after someone who loves brick red had brought in a load of stuff because, man! did I end up with a lot of Brick Red Stuff. I'm not a fan of muted colors, and normally I would pass on this stuff. But it was cold, and I was looking for cotton tunics and sweaters, and this is what they had. That's the thing about resale shops: you have to take what you find and figure out what you can do with it. So that's my excuse. And, really, it's working out pretty well: I'm pairing a lot of it with orange, a combination I love. And this one, paired with pinks, turned out OK.

 100% cotton sweater, not as heavy as I'd like but with a nice shape and drape to it.

I dug through the bin of bright wool felt and found three pieces that worked, cut out hearts and layered them. The beading was an experiment, and I kept having to rip it out. I don't know what it is about trying to get perfect bead circles without a template or something, but you can see that I did NOT nail it. Not even close. But that's OK--it's obviously supposed to look a little funky, and I'm pleased enough with it I can let it stay like it is. Nothing fancy at all. Just a little bit of something to personalize an otherwise boring-but-servicable sweater. And for me, that's important. I don't like to wear boring clothes, and I like to make my clothes seem like they're mine, you know? My friend Wendy and I were talking last night, and she said she thinks dressing up in cool outfits is a service to the universe: it brightens up the world and makes other people happy. Not *all* other people, of course. Some people don't even notice what others are wearing. But a fair percentage of the time, someone will notice, and sometimes--score!--they'll tell you that what you're wearing makes them happy, or that it made them smile, or that it brightened their day. Think about it: you can make some stranger happy, if only for a just a moment or two, by what you pull out of your closet. That's just amazing to me, and such a cool thing. You don't have to go to any trouble; you're going to wear clothes anyway (at least we hope you are). By wearing something fabulous--either some wonderful color or something funky or maybe something whimsical or quirky--you can change the tenor of someone else's day. Not to mention your own: it's hard to be grouchy when your clothes are telegraphing happiness.

I think it's why cops don't wear polka dots.


OK--back to the sewing studio--got some stuff I want to work on today~~XO