Memories

 

This is us, in 1995.  Both of us wearing hand woven garments.  Yes, that sports coat is handwoven - 2/60 silk warp with 2/60 silk and alpaca weft.  It was professionally tailored for Doug and yes, he still has it.

While I still have the outfit I'm wearing (also fine silk), I no longer fit it, sadly.

When I rummage in my closet I find a lot of hand made clothing and each garment brings back the memory of making it.  Usually I was trying to be 'clever' and sometimes I was pretty successful at getting the results I wanted.

But not always.  Sometimes my plans went awry and I had to get creative and really work hard to make the fabric 'work'.

It was the sports coat where I learned the importance of a good HARD press.  The first thing the tailor did after reluctantly agreeing to see me and see the quality of cloth I wanted him to work with, was press it - much harder than what I had done.  It was a revelation.  

Having a bit of background in terms of sewing, I immediately saw the subtle but oh, so, important change that extra compression had on a fabric that was ok, but not particularly 'right' for a highly tailored garment.

It was life changing, truly.  After that I would send yardage to the dry cleaner with on site pressers and pay them what they were worth to do the job properly.  Because hard pressing yardage with a hand iron is Very Hard Work.

Until I got my own industrial steam press.  Which I miss dreadfully, but since I'm no longer making yardage for sewing, I can manage.

Here is a close up of the top and jacket.  You should be able to see the tiny butterflies woven into the jacket fabric.  I really enjoyed wearing that outfit, but alas, no more.  I suppose I should take it to a re-sale shop and see if I can sell it to someone who would treasure it.  But in the meantime, when I rummage in that closet, I have lots of memories to drag up.

Bottom line?  Don't save your handwoven garments for 'good'.  Enjoy them when and as you can.