Does this ever happen to you?

You sew clothes, follow the pattern, take your time (as best you can with all the other things going on in your life), and end up with a garment that DOES NOT fit…not your body or your closet.  

Maybe you even got disappointed with yourself or, for crying out loud, your body?!

Yeah, me too.

To be very clear…honestly, I wish I had a billboard to plaster this on…it’s not your body’s fault.  Not ever.  Sewing patterns, like ready-to-wear clothes, are designed for one body.  An average body.  Not your body.

I used to sew clothes that frustrated me.  Clothes I didn’t really like, that didn’t fit as I imagined, and that didn’t light me up.
It took getting really mindful about my sewing practice and getting in tune with what I really liked, what lit me up, to shift that for me.  

Now, I’m not saying I never make a dud anymore, I do.   But, it’s rare.  I am very clear on what I like to wear and how I like to feel.

My sewing experience (and dare I say my life experience) shifted when I got mindful about…

• what I like to wear
• what makes me feel most authentically me
• the fabric I like on my body and in the world
• planning my projects with intention

AND…began taking the time to do the adjustments to the sewing patterns before I even cut the pattern…then I began to really love what I was making.

…Oh, hey…like the idea of this, but not into sewing clothes? 

Knowing yourself, finding what lights you up, and ruthlessly cutting free anything that doesn’t fit – that works with ready-to-wear clothes too.  It’s about going inward, discovering what elevates you rather than what brings you down into frumpiness or too-tight discomfort, and consciously choosing that…every time, even when you’re home alone.

Honestly, it’s not about the clothes.  Not really.  It’s about showing up in the world as authentically as you can in that moment.  And clothes can help or hinder that in equal measure. 

Think about the clothes you choose to wear when you wish to impress.  The clothes you pick for a first date or a job interview.  I’m guessing you choose clothes that you feel good in…because what we put on our bodies or how we adorn ourselves has the power to amplify how we feel..and give us a boost when we need one.

Now imagine if everything you wore gave you positive reinforcement. 

It fit the body you have now, you weren’t constantly fiddling with this or that to get it back into place.  It made you feel cozy and safe or it helped you feel strong and dynamic…whatever it is you’re wanting…and yes, sometimes what we want is something that allows us to hide and tuck in.  All of those things. 

That’s where the mindfulness comes in.

When I began to choose mindfully, sewing clothes started to both have a deeper meaning for me and produce a garment that I loved with a whole new depth. 

And I was able to show up in the world with more ME-ness in what I wear. I want that for you too.