We hired our contractors to do some asbestos popcorn ceiling removal last week and we had to clear most of our stuff away from the rooms. Sadly, this means lack of blogging and more unfortunately, the lack of sewing. My hands are aching from the absence of my sewing machines (I am constantly trying to keep my carpal tunnel at bay, and sewing let me use my hands in a different motion than typing, thus is a great remedy and relief for my hands! Isnt that an awesome excuse for sewing?).
Anyway, I somehow managed to pack everything in my sewing room (except the big furniture) to our bathroom, where it was popcorn-free. I tried to clear some of the scrape fabric I had been keeping “just-in-case”, and I stumbled my collection of sewing failures. They have failed mainly due to poor material choice, so there’s not really much more I can do for them (do I sound like a doctor here?):
- Talea coat from burdastyle — failed because a light weight super stretchy twill just doesnt work for a jacket
- Built by Wendy top — failed because a really loose top + crappy super flimsy knit+ white muslin just looks… bad
- Heidi prom dress from burdastyle — failed because flimsy polyester slippery thin fabric for both lining and SHELL is just impossible to work with!!
- Mccall dress — failed because that color and thick cotton quilting fabric with the extensive gathering looked a little, horrifying on me, I dont think I want to subject any of my friends or reader to that combo even though it WAS going to be well made!
- Vanessa skirt –It is actually a really cute skirt! but my sewing skill at that time was just not good for it, polyester shell doesnt help its appeal either!
And there was more! I dont know what I was thinking back then and why I even bothered shopping for fabric at walmart!! Looking at those pieces, I am slightly horrified. But I could not bear to part with them in the last move. I think it was because I am a person who learns by exploring and experimenting, and I get better through making mistakes. However, I have kept the failures for almost 2 years in the closet and have never needed them or even thought about them. So after much debate with myself, I decided that it is time to let go. There they went, into our recycling bin! (Sorry, they are not good enough even to give away!).
What kind of mistakes did you make when you started out? What do you do with your un-wearable and un-mentionables?
JuebeJue 
Aw =( it’s sad to give away but yeah, mistakes are opportunities for us to learn. The first time I applied to med sch and didn’t get in, I kept every single rejection letter. Don’t ask me why, lol. And I brought it with me on many different moves. Finally, I shredded every single one of them. And it felt much, much better. I hope you feel better recycling those pieces of clothings also =)
Btw, clothes can be recycled? I didn’t know that. We recycle everything else. Normally, I just give it away to Good Will. Hmm..I guess that’s recycling also.
aww! Maybe we were still burnt by the mistakes me made, and only when we are convinced that we wont be making those mistakes again, we destroy the evidence! 🙂 Im glad you shredded the rejection letters! Are you keeping the acceptance letters? I dont know where mine went! lol!
and yeah! City of san Jose recycle fabrics! It also recycle plastic bags, and almost everything else. Its AWESOME!
I did finally give away the horrible dress I made (waist seams at my natural waistline are to be avoided). The fabric was a fine choice, though I didn’t care for the polyester in the poly-cotton blend.
I kept it to remind myself that I have good technical skills and that I need to pair them with good fashion skills. I nailed the notched collar on that dress on my very first try!
I did hang the dress where I could see it and be reminded of these facts, but when I moved my sewing room last, I decided to put it in the giveaway bag.
haha! im glad there’s still someone out there who could enjoy the dress 🙂 mine are too horrendous to be worn by others 😉
I’ve kept my failed projects, too. However, I need to do some spring cleaning and re-organizing… I guess I should do something with them, too.
hehe, its always sort of entertaining to look back at our failed projects too! hopefully yours isnt as unwearable as mine!