Believe me, I've had a full life. I've been places, and I've done stuff. But there's been gaps. I've never seen a snake. I've never seen a peanut-butter sandwich. I've never seen an airplane. I've been told about them, but I haven't seen them. I've never seen snow. I have trouble even believing in it. As cold as ice cubes, but teeny-weeny and somehow fluffy? And it falls from the sky slowly, like feathers? And piles up like sand dunes, so high you have to shovel it away just so people can walk? I just don't buy it.
[dress, on ebay now — click it to go to the listing — from Jumbleaya]
Linkishness for today:
Elaine sent a nice link to a dress on London Daily Photo. What can I say to motivate you to click? How about "enormous polka dots"? That do it?
Advance warning: I'm going to take the days between Xmas and New Year's off from blogging — a combo of not having a lot of internet access and not having a lot of leftover energy. But I'm planning to do some Serious Sewing in that time … wish me luck.
Question: is it cheating to do a drabble from a pattern, and not from an actual dress? Or should it be in the voice of the pattern? Tell me in the comments, please, if you have an opinion either way.
A Dress A Day 
I’m about a third of the way through my holiday sewing, but heck, it’s only Thursday. I had one pattern that didn’t have all of the sizes on all of the pieces (that was tricky) and a couple of things that required very creative lay-outs (as my friend Jamie used to say, “I could get a lot more out of a piece of fabric before I learned about grain.”). Only two aprons, a corduroy jumper, two pairs flannel pants, a Christmas dress with circular ruffles, a tiny skirt and two sets of PJs to go.As far as the drabbles go, why not drabble a pattern? Some of my patterns have led very interesting lives.
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I like the idea of a drabble giving voice to a dress that knows she came from a pattern. Could be very existential. Go for it, Erin! Please? –Karen
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I vote for the pattern. It might be interesting to hear what that pattern you posted a couple of days ago(?)thinks. The one with all the notations on the envelope.
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A pattern of course. How about a plus size pattern? 🙂
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Oh, a pattern drabble would be a great addition!Love those British huge polka dots, you know just how to make -me- click..
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That polka dot dress is fantastic, not for London in December, no, but for the right weather? Oh, my yes.I think if you’re using a pattern it should be in the voice of the pattern. But I don’t think it’s cheating.
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Totally cheating. But I say go for it anyway. Love your blog.
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A pattern would probably use “baby talk,” wouldn’t it — since it’s a dress in embryo?Or maybe it would speak in a divine language of the spheres, since it is a template?Or maybe it’s at the cellular level — the pattern is the ovum and the sewer is the sperm.
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I think that a pattern would speak in a very wistful voice: that of the wallflower who just knows, that given the chance, could be the best dancer on the floor…if only someone could see their hidden potential.
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Here’s another vote in favor of a drabble from a pattern. I would envision a voice filled with hopes and dreams … unless it is a vintage pattern still unused. Then a hint of wistfulness or nostalgia. Never depression, a good pattern could never set into illness of that sort!As far as Christmas sewing, only one thing left; a black and white Duro that my Wife would like to have completed in time for the Christmas Eve candlelight service.
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Oh! I immediately saw/heard a pattern talking to fabric…but which one was attempting to seduce the other into a union was not clear ;)Sounds like a fun and imaginative concept! Go for it!
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While you’re at it, wouldn’t the McCardell dress recently on eBay, #110204259723 make a fine choice too?
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If a dress speaks from real experience, then a pattern would reasonably do so. But then, couldn’t a pattern have premonitory dreams? Dreams of a future as a dress? And then, could a pattern have psychotic episodes which stem from belonging to a sewist with a large stash (too many different ways of becoming . . . ?)
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Pattern drabble? Yes please! Especially if you give voice to the oh-so-superior line drawn ladies wearing the two-dimensional dresses. They have so many issues that they deserve to air their grievances.
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If my opinion sways you: I think you should have the freedom to get your inspiration from any source. Write about what moves you – that’s what it’s all about.The image on pattern envelopes is what inspires me to buy the pattern, to crave it, to hhhaaave to get it. This grand passion is the one I blame now that I have thousands of patterns.
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Voice of the pattern! I bet most of the dresses think you can’t remember before you were made, but maybe some do–they remember existing just as a drawing on an envelope, cloth on the bolt, and a cloud of notions, all yearning and willing and scheming to come together…I think that could be a cool story.
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Voice of the pattern. Kind of like a parent/child or teacher/student relationship (pattern/dress) where the offspring has gone away or is nothing like the pattern thought it might be…for good or bad. That’d be timely also, what with the raised tensions often found at the holiday season!
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Good luck with the holiday sewing, yay!!
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I too was thinking the pattern would be somewhat of a voice form the womb – a voice of what is yet to be.
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As you’re the Drabbler, you can set the rules. It could always be in the voice of one of the snooty looking illustrated females on the cover.
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Either way, but a pattern’s opinion would be different. 🙂 There’s the elegant evening dress that was too complicated to start, the pattern that was wonderful but no one gave her a chance because the cover sketch looked horrid, and the crumbling, elderly one who’s passed on her legacy not just with a completed dress, but with a new pattern copied from herself.
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Happy sewing! I’m envious. I don’t see much sewing in my future at the moment. *sigh*–Lydia
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dress/pattern debate?!? Happy sewing!CHEERS
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I liked the dress, should look good on a well endowed womanRegardsKartikFashion Evangelistwww.fashion-networks.comWe Blog at http://fashionnetworking.blogspot.com
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