Designing Comfort

I have a love hate relationship when it comes to making clothes. I love to knit, sew and so on but I hate cutting out and figuring out patterns. I hate doing the math, following directions, altering, and everything in that category.  I prefer to go by gut or eye. That is why I have the largest hand knitted sweater in the world in my closet and and nothing I knit or make comes out the same way twice. It is also why most of my clothes look a lot alike. I find a pattern I like and use it over and over again.

(My own designs, my first and second attempt)

Now patterns as we know them today start to be made just after the invention of the sewing machine. In fact the first official patterns were put out by a man in 1863 named Ebenezer Butterwick. Before that directions were put in magazines and before that housewives went by trying to copy fashion plates. Now some of my pieces were done by drafting from a pattern, I alter here, rethink a pleat or seam there, cry, rethink my process and something comes out eventually. Some I drape on my dress form, a flower on the shoulder, an elastic to gather under the chest and yippee. Some I go by sight I cast on a row knit a few inches and see it is too big, tear it out, recast find it is too small, tear it out again, along with some of my hair and try again.

Some patterns are handed down, taught as they taught you to knit or sew. As children my cousins and I all had three things in common. The first was our christening bonnets,  made by our Grandma B using techniques she learned from her mom. When I was in high school I memorized the pattern to recreate it for future generations.  The second was our Christmas stockings. Each as different from the next with our name, date of birth and some figures again made by hand by Grandma B. The third was baby booties, and mittens knitted for each of us by Grandma G. My cousin has worked to recreate the knitted pieces down to every detailed stitch.

Now I said I have a love/hate relationship with patterns but I have to say that whether I use a pattern or not, I always love what comes out. Now matter how big, or wonky it comes out. It is almost magic how the cloth or yarn forms this shape out of the material.

The images above are categorized by pattern I designed, altered and made. Shows how changing cloth, seam and a stitch can change a look.