Happy 2021! And good riddance to 2020. I can’t say that the calendar change has eradicated our stress or household chaos, but we’re getting through it. I’ve been wondering lately whether any resources will be available, post-pandemic, to get kids re-socialized. If my own household and my friends’ are any indication, a lot of kids have really regressed socially, while acquiring a range of anxiety-related disorders. We are doing everything — everything — we can to maintain my kids’ mental health, but there are real limits to what one individual can do amidst structural collapse.
Anyway, sewing! I can’t say I’ve been enormously prolific lately. The exhaustion is intense. But my fabric stash beckons me constantly, and I managed to complete a second Zadie jumpsuit. My first version was kind of a qualified success. I always get compliments on it, but the rise is unquestionably too low, and I’ve never quite gotten used to the way it blouses around my hips and waist. Most annoyingly, the waist tie is too short, which is surprisingly vexatious. For this second version, I raised the crotch a total of about three inches: an inch and a half from the bodice and an inch and a half from the crotch curve. I also took a wedge out of the back neckline, to control some of the pooching at the back of my neck. And of course I lengthened the sash considerably.
I guess this new version fits better? It frankly hard for me to tell. I still find it blousy around the hips, but I think that’s just how it’s supposed to be. I confess that I am having a hard time liking how I look in it, but I think that is due to the fact that I’m having trouble seeing past my postpartum weight gain. I knew this would happen, it’s not the end of the world, and it’s under control, but I have had issues with my body my entire life, and those don’t disappear overnight. Nevertheless, compliments from friends have really helped me see myself in a better light, and I now feel pretty good about this Zadie.
It’s made from a tencel twill from Fabric.com, and I think I prefer the tencel to the heavier linen I used for the previous version. The drapier fabric feels like a better fit for the garment, and it’s incredibly comfortable. I keep wondering what the jumpsuit would look like with a broader sash, sort of obi-style, and perhaps someday I’ll try that.
On a whim, I paid $60 for a steel pattern cabinet on Craigslist. Upon its delivery, I wondered whether I’d made a terrible mistake — the cabinet is pretty big and while it didn’t really have any structural issues, it looked rough. Our house is already bursting at the seams. And I’ve never tried to rehab a piece of furniture. Nevertheless, I took to the internet and learned a lot about repainting metal furniture. It turns out even really rough-looking pieces can often be salvaged.
While it was unsightly, the cabinet wasn’t significantly rusty. I washed it down with soap and water and used a palm sander to remove the top layers of paint, working from grittier to finer sandpaper. I then gave it a couple coats of Rustoleum spray primer, waited for it to dry, and applied a couple of coats of Rustoleum spray paint in “Green Apple.” The prep took the longest, as I understand it often does — lots of taping and tarping. The drawer hardware was structurally fine. It just needed some cleaning and WD40. The hardest part, surprisingly, was installing casters on the bottom. None of our drill bits made a dent in the steel, even the titanium-tipped ones. I finally ordered a step bit, which I’d never heard of before, but which did the job.
The result isn’t perfect (I saw some rehabbed pattern cabinets during my research that put mine to shame), but I am INCREDIBLY proud of it. I legitimately had no idea that you could rehab metal furniture so easily and completely, and now I’m restraining myself from purchasing various suspect items of furniture on Craigslist. My patterns fit nicely in the cabinet, and there’s extra room for some bulky cuts of fabric that don’t fit on my shelves. It was really refreshing to accomplish something totally new to me, and to use my hands to do something I’ve never tried.
And finally some kids’ clothes, which doesn’t really bear describing in detail, but is cute to look at: Christmas jammies, whaley clothes, and novelty onesies (mostly gifts from friends). As always, you can find details on my spreadsheet.
Speaking of the spreadsheet, a couple observations about 2020: I made 69 garments (NICE) and, surprisingly enough, the distinct majority were for other people. Who knew?
