In Kinship - A podcast for makers
who crave a vibrant life on their own terms

Show Notes

Episode #30 - Elevate your project and just maybe...your life!

(want the transcripts? scroll to the bottom of the page)

Listen in as I share how choosing just a wee bit of creativity, instead
of rushing through what I usually do, elevated my project!  I also share
about the free series I did recently…Break the Rules of Sewing. 


Mentioned in the show

Break the Rules of Sewing – a free series (catch the replays until June 15th)

Fall Sewing Retreat on Mackinac Island

With Ease! Fit the pattern and draft new designs with knit fabric

 
 

 

 

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Hey there you are listening to the in kinship podcast, a podcast for makers, makers who crave a vibrant joy bill led of life full of use. And excitement and adventure and curiosity. Whew. Or, you know, just folks who are like want a little more joy and a little more ease in their lives. I’m so glad you’re here.
I am. Your host, Tina Vandenberg.
I wanted to get on the podcast today has been a little bit since I’ve. Shot an episode and let you know that one, if you have any interest in sewing clothing whatsoever. Or even just in ways people make their artistry their own. I just did this live two weeks series last week and the week before. This is Erin today on May 17th.
With eight sewing clothing and sewing experts. And we talked about the ways that they deepen their artistry, they elevate their craft, how they got to, where they are. And how they break the rules, how they do it their own way. And it was live and it was so much fun. Like.
It far surpassed what I was hoping for in the series. It was fun. It was light failed. It was full of heart. And if you have any interests, you can check out the free replays until June 15th. And then there’ll be off the website, but check them out until then and share them with a friend, like share them, share that link.
You can get onto the website. Kinship handwork.com right there on the front page. The first thing you’re going to see after. My little intro. Is a big green image that talks about the breakthroughs are sewing. You can sign up as freight. It was so much. So much beauty. In that series. .
So what’s comradery is so much wisdom, so many really beautiful, tangible ways to increase your artistry.
And again, Obviously, it relates very directly to sewing with clothing, but it could be relative in some ways to so many different ways that we exist and make things in the world. So check that out. I had so much fun. Doing live shows with guests and lives shows solo and having an audience there to interact with and engage with.
I have decided. I want to do the podcast live. So you’ll be able to join me for the podcast on Thursdays at noon Eastern standard time
You can come on at like 1150, if you want. And be like, you know what? I’ve got some time I’m going to do the show live today. And you can go onto the website, click on the link and join us live. Which is going to be so much fun. And you also just like your head now are going to be able to get the podcast through your typical podcast. Uh, Broadcaster. And I think I’m going to do the video, cause it will be video. On YouTube.
We’ll see how that goes, but definitely you can join us live and you can get the podcast. On wherever you listen to podcasts.
I am so excited. You know, you can actually just come in, whatever you’re wearing, whatever lunch you’re eating. Like you don’t have to put your video on. You can just engage in the chat if you want to. But at the end of the series, I am going to over, excuse me, the end of the show. I’m going to open it up to you, chatting with us if you want to.
So you can come on the shell as a live caller and ask questions. If I have a guest. I want to just talk to me. Or you can just be there. And be part of the beautiful energy. That is something that slime and exciting. So join us for your lunchtime on Thursdays at noon is going to begin on. May 30th. And it’s going to go through at least the end of July. And then I’m gonna reconvene and see. When my next session will be, or my next series will be probably in the fall or how it’s going to go.
Like, if I want to keep doing it live or not. We’re going to give it a shot though. I have some really fun guests coming up. I have Roxanne camper coming on to talk about her very unique way. Of engaging in the world and not just as a psoas cause she’s a garment.
So isn’t a garment teacher.
Uh, custom clothing and teacher custom clothing, sewing teacher. Here we go. Also just as a human who lives her life in a really.
Um, Specific way. Like she chooses her path. And even if you are not on that same path, if you’re not doing clothing, Zane. There’s something really beautiful to watching somebody make. Choices that. Light them up. And give him a life, a little out of the norm, if you will. And so I’m excited to talk with her again. And we’re also going to talk with. Sorry, Mitnick from scene work.
If any of you are SOAs, that’s really exciting when coming up for me as well. And I have a few other people that I’m working on as well to get onto the show. So I’m so excited for that. I want you to join us again. You can check this out after the fact that anytime you want, but if you want to join live on your lunch hour. It’s going to be Thursdays at noon Eastern standard time. Okay. And Mel. Under the show. One of the reoccurring themes in the breakthrough as a sewing was how do you elevate your artistry? How do you take what you’re doing and sort of move to the next level, whatever that might be and like, Levels are all really subjective, right? Like, does that mean you want a better finish? Does that mean you want it to be more professional?
Does that mean you want it to be. More creative. Are you looking for it to be. A better fit. Like there are so many different ways that upleveling or elevating can be defined to and you get to define that. Always. One of the things that I absolutely adore though, is this idea of slowing things down. And adding in special touches.
So. Um, one of our guests, I can’t recall who at this point you’re going to have to listen. Cause it was so good. Uh, one of our guests. Talked about just on each of your projects. Just take an extra bit of time and do something more than you are inclined to do. Right. So that might be when you’re sweating clothing, that might be. Adding some pin talks into the bodice. Or it might be using lace on the Raglan sleeve.
Like I did on a dress. I did recently. Rather than just going with the easy solution, which is just to do what you’ve done in the past. Use the fabricy views of the past. Now stretch yourself in that little way.
It might be. Hand sewing you’re finished. So like one of our guests talked a lot about how. So many people have the feeling, and this is me paraphrasing for her. Sorry. We’re saying so many people have the belief that if they can’t do it on their sewing machine, somehow they are lacking, right?
Like to have to hand sew as a burden or to have to hand sew a button hole or have to have to have two hands. So something, it means that like, maybe you don’t have enough skill with your sewing machine, which is like, So natural. These are two different tools that give you different degrees of finish and control.
And so. Slowing it down and. Coming out of that. Sort of. Mindset. If you will. That you to be. Um, your best self you have to use. The tools in front of you rather than be like, you know, actually. This is going to work better for this situation, or I get to slow it down and I can actually watch the new series of Richardson, which of course I just saw a million advertisements for. Um, While I hand sew the hem rather than solely on my machine.
And so like, we have so many choices in life and slowing that down and creating a little stretch in our projects. It’s such a beautiful way to go about that. And that could be anything in life, right. That can be your painting project. That could be your workout. It could be like, just go a little bit extra and stretch yourself a tiny bit. So for example, Last week I was sewing a dress and. I had a fiddly little finished round on that because I took a Raglin pattern that I had. And I’ve been doing this cowl on the front of dragline, but not on the sleeves.
Are the backs, the sleeps in the back. I have to finish independent of the color because the cowl is, if you’re not familiar as kind of this drapey. Fabric that hangs on the front. And like, I think there are obviously gorgeous, but like you have to then figure out how are we going to finish the back side or the back neck opening of your garment. And for the Raglan and you have to finish the slaves as well.
The top of the neck opening of the slaves, because I’m not including that in my job. Which has been an interesting process. I’ve probably made like five of these, I guess, at this point. For like a year of, and kind of fiddling around with that, getting the tray just right and figuring out how to not have it.
Um, Lay funny where it’s not driving on the slave and the Chrissa. Uh, nevermind. Let’s get deep into sewing for you. And I know a lot of you are not here. So, so let me back to that. Regardless as I had this finish. To do. And I almost shoved it through the sewing machine. And like, if you use a sewing machine, you know, one, they operate quickly. Two, it’s a small space.
You’re trying to take your whole garment, your whole project and kind of shove it through. And can you get to where you’re really skilled at doing that? Whatever that means. Yes. But you don’t have to. There’s a beauty to hand-sewn. Finishes. There’s a beauty to just taking the time and like tacking your finished in by hand. So I had to go to a soccer practice.
Uh, maybe I should say I got to go to soccer practice for my little boy. And. And let me say he’s eight years old. So right now soccer practice looks a lot like baby chickens, chasing a grape in the yard. Let me just tell you that. Which is quite cute. So it was a beautiful sunny day. I’m about to leave for soccer and I have this one last piece of the dress to finish, and I almost shoved it under the machine. And like the worst possible circumstances, right? I’m in a hurry.
I feel this rush to get it finished. And I’m shoving it under the machine, which is not the best choice anyway. So I’m like, you know what? Hold on.
I’m going to elevate this. I’m going to take your moment and I’m going to do something a little differently than it would have before. So I grabbed my hand, sewing CA I grabbed my dress. I grabbed my. Foldable chair. And I went to soccer practice. I sat in the sunshine. And I watched the little baby chicks front around the yard. And I hand sewed my seam down and now. Whenever I see that same.
I get to like sort of lovingly stroke it and be like, I remember when I put the semen. I remember how relaxed it was and how ease filled it was and the sun was shining. And is it perfect? No, but it wasn’t going to be perfect on the machine either. Like, because I’m fallible, right? I am not a perfect human.
And also too, because I was going to rush it. I was going to try to shove it through in the 10 minutes I had before I went. And picked up my son. And so that little bit brought me so much ease and so much joy, and I just thought that’s so simple and so beautiful. And then along those same lines. The other day I was making a dress.
Cause you know, that’s pretty much what I do is anytime I’m like I was making, it’s going to end with address. Maybe like games. And occasionally something not avoid, but generally it’s going to be addressed. I was making a dress and it was again a Raglan, which is one of my favorite, my favorite sleeve options when it comes to clothing. And I. Wanting to do something different.
This is actually before the break, the rules of sewing series started. But, um, It was repeated so often in that series. I just don’t like, yes. This is like the key, the key to life. Right. I mean, like maybe not the cable line, but a really doable, simple way to add more joy and is Tierra your existence.
And again, it doesn’t have to be something clothing. It can be anything. So I took this Ragland pattern that I’ve done a million times. If I there’s a pattern I developed when I used to teach. Um, I waited until monetary size pattern for all sorts of bodies. Like it’s, it’s a pattern I’ve had for a long time that I really liked, so I can sell this really quickly.
And I often do cause I just need a new shirt or I need a new dress. I need something new. And so I’ll just quickly do it. Because I don’t have time. I’m I’m. I have definitely operated in my life with the idea that time is finite. Which of course. It is right. But.
I have operated under the impression that my time to do what I want to do in life is finite rather than realizing how much. True. Uh, control. I can have over the time that I spend, like I can decide. Not to watch the Bridgeton series and go and make something that that’s going to bring me more enjoy. And like, we get to choose mindfully what we do, right. So. I’m making this dress.
I have this beautiful. Like Kelly Green. So pretty world Jersey, which is one of my favorite things. And I want to make something a little more elevated, a little more special. So I thought, what if I talk and I use lounge area. Lace for the sleeves, like a six inch wide. You would use maybe on panties or something like that, or maybe bro making. Um, what about years of stretch lace for the sleeve rather than the fabric?
And so I have this Kelty Kelly Green Suzy. Wolf. I birthed that absolute door and I had this black polka dotted, floral stretch lace. And it’s just beautiful. But it wasn’t big enough. So then I got to spend some time. Like getting into the flow, being the designer and taking in, lining up my lace and just the right way.
So that, that seemed that I was going to put into that lace to make it big enough to be asleep. Would fall in a really pleasing manner. And it would have a beautiful little scallop edge at the end. And so I. Did that, and I’m going to tell you, like that took me maybe 20 minutes longer than it would have taken me just to cut it out.
A fabric like that’s negligible. When it comes to time, but like sometimes I don’t know about for you. But doing that little extra step. Especially when it comes to something that’s just for me. Can be such a big hurdle. And I thought this was, this dress brings me so much joy. It turned out so lovely.
And so then I added all sorts of other little things like for the neck binding rather than do a rub net binding, which is what I usually do. I used a smaller little, like. Three-quarter-inch stretch lace that I had. And so it’s got this beautiful little scallop internally internal.
Detail, I guess if you will.
And then I thought, oh, it needs more. So then I put a tiny little bit at the waist seem to sort of highlight the way you see when it looks like a, like a thin little black. Lacey bit right there at the wave seam. And I put. The extra.
Wider lays that I had, I cut it down and I used it as the hem. And I absolutely adore this dress. It’s a simple silhouette. It’s a. It’s a silhouette I’ve sewn a million times. And I probably spent an extra half an hour to do these extra little bits, maybe an hour. Let’s just let’s guess. Hi. Maybe I spent an extra hour to do all these extra little bits, and now I have this dress that feels extra special. Because I spent time with it rather than rushed through it.
And I don’t know if you do the same thing with your hobbies that I do. Like. I hope not. And I don’t do it all the time. Right. But I, it is a tendency of mine to kind of rush through. And. I’m, I don’t want that anymore. Like when we, when I talk with someone, I guess later on in the podcast, You’re going to hear the different ways in which I’m bringing more slowing down and more artistry and more design into my life. Um, I certainly have all that skill.
I. Can draft patterns. From scratch. And I’ve been doing that for a really long time when I teach people to do that and I teach people to go deep and even in the retreat. So I’m going to do this year. We’re going to go even deeper into that, slowing down, gaining those skills, being curious and experimenting.
Right? Cause being curious and experimenting all require you to let go. To some degree. Of the final product to let go of the finished. The finish line.
And let it unfold as you go. Right? So once I was doing this wrangling with the lay sleeves, I know I no longer had this idea. Like I want to have this dress done today because I typically dress. That’s just a simple, regular, and I can do easily in an hour or two. But I let go of that idea and that I don’t know when it’s going to be done and it didn’t take me long.
It was done that day. But I didn’t have the pressure to make sure that it was, I had just allowed it to unfold. And so I’m going to explore that more in my own practice. And certainly they talked a lot about that in the right throws and sewing. And I’m also going to be teaching more of that in my classes, especially the retreat that I have coming out.
And then I’m also about to announce. A series for the summer, then I’m going to do called with ease. And in those class, I’m going to show you how to take a basic fit and flare dress. So it’s obviously with knits. Cause you know, if you’ve been following me for any time, you know, that I adore sewing with nuts. I’ll just talk about this briefly, because again, I know that this isn’t like all of you are not here to sell clothing. But. If you have any interest, this is going to be so much fun.
We’re going to take a basic fit and flare dress, which I have updated the pattern and I’m going to increase the size as well. So once you get onto the website, you’ll be able to see what size that goes up to and goes down to zero. But I want you to understand as well. We’re going to work through this together.
So if you fall outside of either of those ranges, We can work through that. I don’t want you to feel limited by that in any way. Because that really any limitation there is simply in my time that I have to spend on the pattern drafting and my ability to have a fit model that works for that. And I want you to know, like, I’ve walked hundreds of people. Through fitting. And we can do that.
So that’s a side note anyway, so I’m taking the pattern. We’re gonna take that fit and flare dress. We’re going to get the fit down. We’re going to get it really good. As far as fit really well and fit how you want it to fit. Like that’s really, obviously that’s what your thing is.
I want you to be. Lit up and thrilled with what you’re wearing. And then we’re going to make three garments out of it. So then it’s going to become, now that you’ve worked with a commercial pattern and you’re going to understand better how to take that pattern and have it fit your body, even before you begin sewing. Once we worked through that process. Now we’re going to make three different garments.
So we’re going to make a sleeveless dress that has a gathered knack with a keyhole and the slit up the front. It’s like one of my. Favorite makes I’ve ever made. I made it last summer. I get so many compliments. I feel so powerful in that dress. When I walk around town. And I know that you will as well.
And silver, I’m gonna show you how to make that out of that fit and flare dress. Then we’re gonna go and I’m going to show you how to make a princess, same dress with these panel pockets that are into the side panel. It’s one of my favorites as well. That’s like a crowd favorite. I’ve been teaching that Irish rates for awhile and I. We absolutely adore it. Someone to tell you how to take that fit and throw a dress and make it into that princessing dress.
And then finally, we’re going to take that fit and flare jazz pattern, which is going to be what I would call like a basic core pattern. And I’m going to show you how to make. I’ll dress. That has a wrap top. But that is sewn into a pencil skirt and has these beautiful bishops slaves. So. Very exciting. I am thrilled.
It’s going to go through August. We’re going to meet. Live for two hour chunks at a time. And then, so I’ll have a class time. I’m gonna show you how to do the pattern drafting and how to do so. The trickier bits. Then between those classes, we’ll have a fit class where we’ll come together and I’ll help you. Diagnose what’s going on and help you work through your process.
So that is about to be announced. I’m so excited for it. We’re going to have such a good time and we’re just going to have that flow and ease, and you’re going to end up with four dresses. That you really adore it. And I want to say too, if you’re like, yeah, I don’t really address wearer, but I like this idea and I want to learn how to work with mints and how to work with patterns and how to draft a bit on my own. Every single dress I’m talking about could easily be made into a top or into a tunic.
Like we can. Absolutely work through that. So. That’s coming up. I’m super excited about that. Thanks for letting me. I ramble about that here on the podcast. But what I really wanted to talk about, again, was this idea of taking the small things. And whatever you’re working on, whatever you’re doing. If you want to elevate, if you want to shift.
And I think a lot of us do, right? Like we want. We want more joy. We want more ease in our life. So what is that little bit that we can stretch to add more of that?
Is it. Like I do a morning walk every day. I try to every day and there’s a section of it I can easily do twice. And so. I’ve been trying to incorporate doing it twice. Cause it’s, the walk has gotten to where it’s not quite long enough. But I don’t always feel like I have the time. Cause you know, time, time, time. To do the whole walk a second time, but then the other day, I’m like, why don’t I just do this loop a second time? And it was such a simple concept that like, I had not thought of for a very long time. And it was perfect.
It gave me the perfect amount and I actually did it in the opposite direction so that I had a different view. As I was walking back the other way. And it was exactly what I needed, but where else in your life can you take the time to add in the lace sleeves? Can you take the time? Two.
I don’t know, maybe you’re doing dishes, like of all things.
I just talked to somebody about, you know, that sort of Buddhist mindset of when you’re doing dishes, do the dishes, because. Life is full of my mundane. Regular tasks that we have to achieve in order to exist. Right. So, whatever you do the dishes, and while you’re doing the dishes out, this is not very Buddhist, but maybe you’re listening to a podcast. Or maybe you’re just doing the dishes. And maybe you dry them after, rather than put them in the dryer and wreck.
Listen, I’m probably never going to do this. Just saying. Maybe the act of like, sort of adoring what you have and like tending to it. And going a little extra mile when you tend to, at least maybe you also take out while you’re doing the dishes, you take your cutting boards and you. Oil though, does anybody oil it cutting birds?
I have in the past, I have not for a really long time. But there’s a beauty to that tending, right? There’s a beauty to the like mindful tending and you know, things that we’re doing anyways. So maybe there’s small ways in which we can elevate our existence, elevate where we are. Not only our skill level or our like,
Growth as a human, if you will.
But just our experience just to elevate our experience, because I’ll tell you those two dress examples I just gave you. Dude. Both of those things. They made my experience so much more beautiful and they’re either of them. We’re gigantic commitments. Neither of them were big. Choices. Like, I think that the joy in life..
Comes from our small day-to-day choices comes from our little bit of like, you know, I’m actually going to do this a little bit longer. Right. And for me that means like, so this morning, let me just be. Very transparent. I have been like stellar for like three weeks on my morning routine. I do the morning routine more often than I don’t, but there are certainly days and, uh, you know, periods of time where I am. Less.
Able to start my day that way.
And I know that when I do start my day, that way, my day is full of much more is enjoy. And so. For a while three weeks, I’ve been really diligent about it and it feels amazing. I feel lit up and I feel alive and like I’ve stressful things happening in my life. I’m better able to navigate them. Like it just has been beautiful.
Then this morning I woke up early. It’s so easy to get derailed. Right. I woke up early. I ended up checking my phone, which I try not to do in the morning. Cause it. Is so. Easy to get derailed with our stinking phones and there’s sometimes a life. Even though I get to talk to you on this podcast right now. As part of our technology and I love so much of what, where the world is.
Technologically. I also sort of hate it, right? It’s a love, hate relationship for me very much. So. And so.
I get on the phone and before I know it I’ve wasted all the time, I had to go and do my morning routine and I, it was mindlessly done. And I had a meeting today at nine. So I.
Didn’t even eat breakfast because I just got caught up and scrolling, I guess. And I. Was so frustrated with myself and then it’s like, we got to have that moment of grace and be like, that’s okay. I get to choose differently tomorrow. Right. Yep. That’s what I chose today. And. I don’t like how it feels. I want to like cement the way that I feel in my body when I don’t choose well for myself. And well as subjective, like you guys just who’s that, and you get your Tuesday on a minute to minute basis.
Like. Someday. Scrolling on my phone could feel exactly like what I needed. I needed to check out in some, for some reason, I didn’t want to make whatever that is. Like, you get to make those choices today. That was not the case today. That choice felt like mindless time waste. And I didn’t go and do the things that I know bring reasonable strife. And so. I’m not going to beat myself up for it.
I’m not going to jump all over myself. But I do want to remember. I do want to like cement into my body. How it felt to.
Not too. Mindfully.
In that moment. So. Huh. Today. Uh, how are you going to elevate your experience? Your artistry, maybe your experience in life, whatever that might be. I think that I.
And I’m going to. Do my work. And do the work that’s most important. And then I’m going to work on some, a creative project I’ve been working on for business. And I’m going to give it more space than I have because I sometimes get pushed to the back cause I have too much. Busy work to do so I think that’s how I’m going to try and arrange my day today in a way that will feel more life-giving and more full of ears.
Folks. Thanks for being here. I cannot wait to talk to you my live podcast is going to start on May 30th. And you’ll be able to join us live.
There’ll be a link. On the website, right underneath the podcast link, you’ll be able to click on that and there’ll be the link you can join us live. It would be so amazing. You don’t even have to say anything. You can just put it in the chat if you want. In fact, like it won’t be interactive that way until the end of the show.
And if you want to come on and ask questions, you can, if you just want to put them in the chat, you can. So you don’t have to feel like you can’t be eating your lunch and like being your pajamas because you totally can. So, I want you to be there.
Thank you for being here. I hope that you have the most beautiful day. And if you would share the podcast with people that, you know, in love, I would be so grateful because I enjoy putting it out there and I love it. I love connecting with you. And to that end. I remember I heard an, a treat coming up in the fall.
If you want to join us for the retreat. I have the, with ease. The program that’s going to be going through the summer. It’s going to start in June and end in August. And that’s going to be coming up. If it isn’t already, by the time this airs. And you can sign up for that. And then also as a free thing, you can listen to all the right players on the breakthroughs of sewing until June 15th.
So also go on the website, kinship, handwork.com. Right on the homepage, you can sign up right there. So.
Oh, have the best day.

 

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