Monday, August 30, 2010

Is it time to give this up?

I took a break from the sewing for the summer, thinking I could take some time to prepare for the next course and hopefully find my enthusiasm again.  Well, I didn't prepare at all, and I think my little spark of a dream has been snuffed out.  Every single conversation I have with anyone in the industry is all doom and gloom, no hope at all. 

The next class starts in a week and I haven't registered yet.  I'm struggling with myself.  I swear, this has got to be the most frustrating thing I've ever done.  I want to go for it, but how can I?  It's obviously a high-risk career option, and rather expensive to boot. 

But that's just it, isn't it?  We don't dream about things that are realistic, prudent, and within reach.  For a dream to hold your attention, it has to be just that - a dream.  Fantastic, cloaked in an aura of near-impossibility, defying common sense and realism.  Dreams serve as a north star, a means of giving us enough magic to keep going.

So will I take the next course?  Who knows...let you know in a week. 

Friday, January 22, 2010

Haiti



I don't even know who reads this blog, but I just want to say that it is absolutely imperative that we make a bigger effort to help Haiti. It is our responsibility as human beings.

The company I work for, Me to We, the social enterprise that supports Free The Children, has just released a fundraiser T-shirt for Haiti. 100% of the profits will go towards our relief and rebuilding efforts in Haiti. I know it seems like it's just a T-shirt, but it's not just a T-shirt. I really think endeavours like this symbolize fashion at its finest, and I hope to do something along the same lines someday. Please take a look, at least. And please do everything you can to raise awareness and funds for Haiti.



http://www.metowestyle.com/La_Solidarite_p/20100LSOL.htm

Saturday, January 2, 2010

ah you've missed me haven't you!

I didn't post about this when it happened, but I did manage to successfully complete Garment Construction Level 1 (the first one was Intro to). Can't believe I made it this far, actually, and am starting to believe in my dream again. the next course starts on Jan 13 - I have to make a collared and cuffed shirt as well as an evening dress. ergh. (panic).

My dear friend Jo-Jo Mar recommended me to make cushions (!) I've been sewing for like, eight months? hahahaha - and i already have a potential client. AWESOME!!!!!! So I was down on Gerrard St. today meeting another dear friend (Jackie-ji!!!!) for lunch and we scouted for fabric together. Just so everyone knows, if you want cheap silk or imitation silk, that's the place to go - Little India, Gerrard & Coxwell. Anyway, i got into a discussion with the lady at one of the fabric stores about traditional embroidery and so on. I think if i shop there regularly, she just may teach me what she knows. So my goal is now to make friends with all the shopkeepers on gerrard st. They buy their stuff in India and would be a great source of information. As it is, i don't have an "in" to the Indian fashion industry. If anyone knows anyone, please tip me off and I will sew you something lovely.

Fashion tip of the day: wearing primary coloured tops (red, blue, yellow) with black bottoms is a sharp contrast that slices your body in half. if you're tall, this may not concern you. but it is a rather pedestrian look. all three of those colours work extremely well with dark-washed jeans, as well as navy, brown, or grey pants.

Second fashion tip of the day: please do not wear tapered pants.

Third fashion tip of the day: chunky white gym sneakers only look good with sweats, at the gym. for comfortable walking around (in warm weather), an old-school canvas or suede sneaker is much more stylish and cute. And they're much less expensive.

Thank you for reading. If you got this far, tell me and I will put you on my "favourite friends" list. You will be renumerated when I become famous.