Bikinis And Equal Rights

So, I made a new bikini. Because I wanted one.

And I also read this post, which got me thinking for a bit. I definitely identify as a feminist, but on the surface the act of sewing your own clothes and then posing in them for a blog doesn't really seem to match with that. OR DOES IT.

I am privileged enough to have the means to make my own clothes. This means that I have a lot more control over what I wear than most women. I'll still be a bit limited by the fabrics and patterns available, but sewing gives me the chance to completely ignore what the media/fashion designers/anyone want me to wear and just do my own thing. (Of course I'll often be inspired by what's around, but if I want sparkly dungaree shorts I can just make that happen). I also have the privilege of being a very average shape and size: buying clothes that fit me is not really a challenge. I just choose not to.

To me, sewing my own clothes no longer has anything to do with what the housewives from the past did: instead of a necessity and a chore it is now a luxury and a choice. In a way, for me at least, oppression has turned into empowerment.

Because sewing does make me feel empowered. Take this bikini for instance: swimwear can be quite expensive, and the things within my budget often don't fit right at all. I want to actually swim instead of lie down next to a pool and not move, so I need something that will stay on my body and allow me to move without boobs falling out all over the place. Sewing my own has given me that, for a price I can afford. Win!

And yes, taking photographs of what I make helps me too. I actually started this blog to document the things that I made because I'm proud of them and the process of making them. Writing about it to an audience gave me a reason to take some decent pictures, just like I will scan and save my drawings if I like them. I have to admit that this is the part that I struggle with the most, since I do have some issues with body image (as a lot of people do) but again, I have full control over what pictures appear online and how (or at least, initially. Once they're out there you kind of give up on that control). Anyway, I chose to take pictures of myself in a bikini and post them on the internet, as I've done before. Because it's not about my body and looking attractive or sexy to an audience, it's about me sewing a bikini that I like to swim in and talking about it. So let's do that:

Yes, I did take these pictures today. It was about 7° celcius with a cold wind. My mother suggested I wear some nude pantyhose, but it wasn't too bad! I can feel my toes again.

This is the Sophie swimsuit, which I've made before, and... I didn't really change anything. The previous one is still perfectly fine but I had this fabric in my stash for so long and I thought it would be fun to have a bit more choice in my swimwear! Hanne actually made me a bathing suit in this fabric for her lingerie sewing class but it doesn't get as much wear as I'd like: it looks great when I'm standing up or just lounging (perfect fit!) but when I stretch out whilst swimming the underwires slide down a bit and press into my ribcage, making it a bit uncomfortable. See what I mean when I say I want to be able to move in my clothes (not just swimwear!)?

(To be clear: this is not at all a dig at Hanne, she just had to make this exact swimsuit for her class! She's amazing and talented and you should all check her out if you haven't already.)

I used a different foam for the padding in these cups, and it's a lot stiffer than the foam I used before, which means these keep their shape a lot better! I still fully lined the cups with bra lining for a bit of extra support, and while this probably wasn't necessary it does look good on the inside!

Those tiny people in the background were clapping at some point

Tha biggest change I made was to only topstitch the outer edge of the underwire channeling down. The instructions have you topstitch once close to the seamline of the cup and then again a bit further to anchor the channeling, but I remembered how tricky it was to keep these two lines parallel (and how my channeling got a bit too narrow for the underwire in places, due to wonky stitching) so instead I stitched the channeling to the seam allowance and topstitched it in place. Which was a very lengthy explanation for something very simple.

Again, I did not use the bikini bottom from the pattern. I made it the first time I made this swimsuit, but I just don't like how those low cut legs look on me, so I used the pattern I had rubbed off from a well-fitting bottom the last time. I did copy the paneled look of the original!

I already swam in this once and it didn't fall off of me, so I guess that's a winner! That, and I feel like a speedy fish now.

So, what do you readers think about my new swimwear? Or about my rambling on sewing and feminism?

Blast from the Past

I used to do a lot of concert photography. I loved taking pictures and loved going to concerts, and the combination of the two seemed a logical next step. And then I stopped!

The Black Box Revelation

I started taking pictures at concerts because I was taking pictures all the time anyway. It turned out to be fun so I did some research on the technical side and just went at it (this sounds extremely similar to the way I taught myself how to sew. Or knit. Or... Most things really). My first pictures were pretty terrible, but I got some lucky shots sometimes and that was very encouraging.

Andrew Bird

Taking pictures also gave me something to do: I was super shy at the time and since I couldn't always find people to join me to a concert the camera gave me a reason to go by myself, something I never would have done otherwise. It gets easier if you have something in your hands and a clear purpose.

Grizzly Bear

I was also attracted to the technical challenges. Concert photography is hard: you have a combination of very low light and potentially lots of movement, which can make things tricky. I always took loads of pictures and was stoked if I had five good ones.

Dez Mona

I posted my photos on my previous blog, and after a while I was contacted by a group of young concert photographers in Antwerp. They had a deal with a local concert venue: free entrance in exchange for pictures, and they asked me to join them. I didn't even think about it!

Absynthe Minded

It was pretty fun for a while. I saw at least one concert a week and got to see a lot of bands I wouldn't have seen otherwise. But then I realised I had another hobby that was slowly turning into work, like drawing.

Vivian Girls

After a while, I just got a bit fed up with it. Sure, I was seeing a lot of concerts, but I had to go home right after the end to edit my pictures. I had deadlines. And if things just didn't work and none of the photographs turned out any good, I just felt bad instead of shrugging it off.

Dent May & His Magnificent Ukulele

I didn't enjoy my hobby anymore. I wanted to listen to the music and watch the bands play without thinking about light and composition all the time. So I stopped taking pictures at concerts.

Mauro Pawlowski

This whole story is the main reason why I'm wary of turning sewing or knitting into more than a hobby. What if the same thing happens? What if pressure and deadlines make me not like it anymore?

Dez Mona

So, there it is. I used to take pictures at concerts, and I don't anymore. They do make for some nice memories!

like this one!

Who Made Your Clothes?

One year ago, a factory collapsed in Bangladesh, killing 1133 people and injuring over 2000 more. This factory supplied clothing for a few well-known high street stores. If anything, it really made me think even more about where our clothes came from. Is it really worth it?

Today is Fashion Revolution Day. It's a day to challenge yourself and the people around you to wonder: where do your clothes come from? Who made them, and at what cost?

I started sewing as a creative outlet, and the switching of my wardrobe from storebought clothes to mainly handmade had more to do with the joy I got out of it, and the higher quality garments. But the ethics of fashion have always been present, at least in the back of my mind. I bought cheap clothes because it was what I could afford, and I tried to ignore the pang of guilt I felt. At this moment I try not to buy anything I can make myself. I still buy things like underwear, t-shirts and sweaters, but I do try to limit the quantity to a minimum.

I won't judge anyone for what they choose to wear (or not to wear). Hell, I'm not free of blame at all. But if a few people put some more thought into what it is they are buying, and how these stores manage to keep their prices so low, there is progress being made.

Tis the season for Self-Loathing, Fa La La La La, I hate myself

Don't worry about my mental health readers, I stumbled across this a few days ago and can't stop snorting. Any suggestions on how to continue this song?

Last year I did a little post at the beginning of the year, talking about my sewing plans and resolutions for the upcoming twelve months. These twelve months are almost over, and since I now spent over a year blogging I thought I'd reflect on what I made, and the things I managed to cross off my list!

First: coats! I didn't get around to making the red tailored coat, but I'm still planning to. I've made another wool coat (for my trip in Iceland) with a lot less tailoring on and this definitely eased my mind about the process, but the red wool is very smooth and will show any mistake, so I might make another coat (I'm thinking a female version of the coat Sherlock wears) in a more textured wool from my stash.

I did manage to make my blue raincoat! At first I was planning to adapt an existing Burda pattern, but then Sewaholic came out with the Robson coat and I went for it. It was a verysatisfying project, documented here!

I can proudly say that I've made both these dresses and they get tons of wear. They fit me pretty well and are comfortable, so that's two plusses. The bird dress was blogged about here, the forest/bear/moose (!) here.

Now these two... I never got around to them. I changed my mind on the leaf print and will probably make it into a Bleuet, since I love the pattern but the velvet version I made isn't exactly daily wear.

I still have the chambray around and am still sold on the shirtwaist dress idea, but I'll pobably add an embroidered yoke!

As for the rest of my resolutions: I definitely slowed down some of my sewing this year and paid more attention to details and finishing... Resulting in clothes that I like and get lots of wear!I had planned to tackle knits but only made one project so far, a very dramatic Mission Maxi. It wasn't so bad, but I have so many wovens in my stash I want to use first!


I've made plenty of things that weren't on the list, and have loads of plans for more. Some of my favourites from the past year:

This Cambie dress in a floral Liberty lawn is incredibly comfortable and quite flattering in my opinion! I even wore it in the fall with tights and boots.

I love my Space Oddity dress for many reasons. One being SPACE PRINT, the others being that I got this fabric with help from the awesome Roisin, wore this to a great exhibition, and have worn it loads of times since then, especially on days when I felt like I needed some extra confidence. A definite winner.

I was really happy with the outcome of the Confetti Factory dress, since it was a bit of a personal milestone when it came to pattern hacking. I took something that didn't work for me and changed it for the better, and this got me excited about personalising things more often!

This Sewaholic Saltspring was one of the surprises of the year: it was meant as a wearable muslin but I ended up really liking it and practically lived in it during the end of the summer. I still wear it (when it's not raining) with tights, boots and a jacket, and it works just as well!

I'm really looking forward to the new year. 2013 was a year full of changes: I graduated school, moved out of my parents' house, met loads of new people through this blog and started learning a completely new skill (shoemaking! Expect a post on that soon!). Here's to another year of exciting new things, and I'll see you all in January, unless I turned into a popsicle whilst celebrating New Year's Eve (in ICELAND)!

A Sewing Break

As some of you know, my main occupation is not sewing. I'm currently studying comics and illustration in Brussels, and working towards my master's degree. This means working on a large project for a full school year, a project that has now entered its final phase! I'll be spending the next few weeks drawing and writing, and won't have a lot of time for sewing, taking pictures or writing posts.

My master's project is connected to sewing though, so if you are interested (are you?) I will try and post a few bits and pieces about it now and then. You can always follow my illustration work on my drawing blog too. The project is due on June 18th, after which i'll probably sleep for a day or two. And there's a trip to London planned right after that. So expect to see new sewing projects pop up again at the end of June!

Just to give a sneak peek at what those projects might be, here's a picture of all the fabrics in my stash I have a plan for right now:

There's some pretty cool stuff in there: my usual cottons, but eagle-eyes people might spot a knit, some silk, or the beautiful shiny gold navy linen I just want to pet all day!

I will miss sewing, and blogging, but I just can't afford to spend a lot of time on anything apart from drawing right now (if that isn't a first world problem I don't know what is).

(Speaking of first world problems, have you read this post by Oonaballoona? It's about a beautiful cause trying to help widowed women in India- a group of people who are generally not accepted by society. The project is trying to get enough funds to get some of these women trained as seamstresses and pay them a fair wage so they can sustain themselves and their children. If you are interested in donating, you can do so here)

See you around!

A new Year

I might just be the last person to make a post like this. Happy New Year everyone! It's been quite busy around here, with little time for sewing activities. Thankfully I spent my Christmas money on a truckload of fabric, and found a few spare moments to make some plans!

I never really make New Year's resolutions, but I did spend some time thinking about what I want to sew and how. Lately I realised I was hurrying to finish projects as soon as possible, producing as many garments as I could in the limited time I had. When I noticed I started skipping things to be quicker, an alarm bell went off. What was the point in spending time sewing my own clothes if I wasn't going to do it properly? So that is my first and main resolution for this upcoming year (and the ones after this one as well): sew slow!

I have mentioned before how I wanted to make a proper winter coat, and the red wool I'm going to use arrived this week. The pattern will start from a basic double-breasted coat pattern I bought last year, but I will add some things such as wider lapels, pleats in the front and of course the back detailing (which I've completely ripped from a vintage coat I saw on Etsy). It will involve a lot of muslins and a lot of tailoring, but hopefully I'll end up with a gorgeous and warm coat! (By the way, the wool I bought is nowhere near as pink as the colour in the sketch, it's just really hard to photograph! The colour was called 'cardinal' and it's a lovely red, slightly deeper than your average bright red.)

The second coat I have planned for this year will be a trenchcoat in blue. I have made a trench before (pre-blog) and loved the idea, but the pattern wasn't quite right. I found a Burda coat I love, and will probably add a few details and make a couple of changes.

I will definitely continue my love affair with prints this year. The birds have already arrived, and the woodland fabric is on its way. I realise this might not be everyone's cup of tea, but I really really love simple dresses as a canvas for an amazing print.

Here's another one of those prints, and another resolution: I do need a few more basic items as well. I have this chambray lying around and think it would make a lovely dress, to be worn just as is in summer and spring and with a cardigan and tights in fall and winter. I'm also planning to learn sewing with knits: at the moment I still rely on H&M and such for t-shirts, but being able to make my own would be a huge step forward. A t-shirt doesn't take a lot of fabric and the end result wouldn't even be all that more expensive than the cheapies I buy (and ruin) on the high street.

So these are some new year's thoughts, and an idea of what to expect on this blog the following months!

Dear Burda

Dear Burda,

Even though I sometimes laugh at your attempts at 'edgy fashion', I still appreciate you offering a load of reasonably priced patterns every single month. I love how almost every issue includes at least one classic garment that opens loads of possibilities.

But these pattern sheets really give me a headache.

Sewing basics

Here's a little confession for you all: this particular skirt is probably one of the only wearable items I ever made that can be considered a 'basic'.

The pattern is the Ginger skirt from Colette patterns, and I often refer to it as my TARDIS skirt. The blue is slightly more vibrant in real life, not unlike a certain police box! I love the pattern and I love the fit of the skirt, even though it could be considered a bit of an exception in my handmade wardrobe.

You see, when I'm shopping for t-shirts or sweaters or underwear, I tend to go for the 'goes-with-anything' kind. It will probably be navy, grey or white and not look weird in a year. But when I'm thinking up new projects I seem to find it impossible to make anything simple and solid, something to go with everything...

I'm currently working on my floral linen Ceylon dress, and the initial idea for this dress was entirely different. I had linen in my head, but off-white, solid, with fabric-covered buttons. It would make the lines of the dress stand out and be something I could wear all spring and summer on different occasions. But something strange happened at the fabric store: I stood in front of the linen section and all the solids just looked... bland. The pretty white picture vanished and I returned home with a floral print.

So even if I have the intention of sewing something simple and basic, I rarely go through with it. Truth is, I'd rather work on something slightly mad or outrageous than on something ordinary. If I go through all the effort of making a garment for myself, I want it to be fun to look at. So I'll skip the beige and make a bright red trenchcoat instead.

What do you think? Should I give the basics a chance or is there nothing wrong with a wardrobe full of prints?