Dressing Well is a Form of Good Manners

 

This is Style Arc pattern, Fran. With the weather chilling I need some tops to wear around the house. I like a stable knit, mostly cotton, 3/4 sleeves, comfortable. This raglan sleeve can often be a bit of bulk for those of us with sizeable "girls" but I am going to muslin it in a medium weight knit to see how it fits before I cut into the good fabric. Necklines are always a thing for me. I don't like a high crew or a low scoop, something that grazes the clavicle! Yes, I fully dress and do-up as my Mother would would have said, every day. The whole magilla, because that is me. Never one to venture in public torn and tattered clothing, unkempt hair, dirty shoes. No, I was not raised that way. And that brings me to.................

 Have you noticed how casual dressing has turned into sloppy dressing? This is not a new subject for me, we all know that, but my oh my! I recently ventured out to have lunch with a friend and stop for some groceries. Lunch, no problem...it is a private club. Now, everyone was casual but neat, cleaned, pressed and covered. 

Grocery stop, another thing all together. Bodies only partially covered and what was covered, nothing left for the imagination. Young women and men, older people as well. Pink feathered bedroom slippers! Really! What the heck happened? What brings me to my semi-annual rant? Well, one of the bloggers I follow, Sarah Gunn, is the epitome of dressing well. She is a lovely middle-aged woman, obviously one who cares about her appearance. In a recent post she used this phrase as a header,    Dressing well is a form of good manners.” TOM FORD 

That's it! That is where I have been going with all this angst all along. Respect not just for yourself but for those you meet as well. Sarah returned to garment sewing a few years ago because the cost of Ready-to-Wear was getting outrageous and the quality of the goods is poor. 

Now I am seeing a return and resurgence of Sewists who want to make their own clothes. A local fabric and sewing machine retailers has taken that interest and is now offering a video streaming class on how to make a basic t-shirt type dress. Free. Everything from a free downloadable pattern to assembly will be covered. Wonderful idea during a time of pandemic when people cannot attend in person classes. 

I have been sewing garments since age 9 but not much in recent years. You sort of loose the knack. So yes, I am taking the class too. I am using a different pattern though. I am not making the dress in the class but a tunic length top. 

• So, I am pulling fabrics right now to audition for the top. One must take care with the weight, drape and stretch of an item like this.
• I plan to serge all the seams and hem with coverstitch. 
• Joann's is having a flannel sale, I want to pop in there in the next day or so to check out the quality before I make husbands lounge pants and tee's...high quality flannel is a must for these items. Between shrinkage and pilling, a poor quality will last 1 washing.....ask me how I know!
   

 

Style Arc Patterns are available on Amazon and on their website, HERE.