Thursday, May 23, 2013

Seam Allowance: Tova Tunic

 
      It has been a little over seven months since I decided to take the Seam Allowance Pledge- well in spirit anyways because I don't live in Berkley- where they hold the monthly meetings- on the second Sunday of each Month at A Verb For Keeping Warm- that would be quite the commute. To refresh your memory the pledge was to make at least 25% of my clothing- that is a goal of making one out of four items in my wardrobe- that I actually wear.

     It has been a bit of a struggle between sewing for Miss Lo and The Boy- who just keep growing- I don't know somebody must be feeding them some good food or something- often my own sewing gets passed over. Case in point this great turmeric coloured tunic- it is the Tova Tunic from Wiksten- sewn out of some completely random fabric- it's gauzy with a slight sheen in an interesting basket weave- and the colour! How could I resist? At any rate although the fabric was a steal of a deal it has been sitting on my desk for over a month now- yesterday was the day to get this project going!


      The pattern it's self was very simple and clean- easy to assemble- although I did encounter some issue with fitting the collar. The fabric- regardless of being fantastic in every way- was perhaps not the best choice- as you can see the Mandarin collar does not want to stand up- I do actually like the open neckline so it's not an issue for me. This is a soft and breezy top- perfect paired with shorts or jeans for the Summer. 

     I am digging the Seam Allowance Pledge- if anything it has made me much more mindful of my purchases and consumption- where goods are made and how they are constructed means more to me now than a year ago. Instead of conveniently shopping at the mall I have managed to either sew, buy second hand or swap for almost every item of my clothing since October. I'm not looking for a pat on the back- instead I am just trying to share the possibility- of consuming differently- of craftsmanship- of patience. 

    If nothing else then I am just trying to share what I made- this super cute top- an easy tunic pattern from Wiksten that I will most definitely be making again- pledge or no pledge!
     

P.s.- yes I did buy these jeans- with a gift certificate from Anthropology during boxing week- guess how much they cost me? Just guess! $14.99! Marked down from over $150.00- how is that even possible? Should I have bought them? Probably not- then again I'm not perfect!

P.s.s- thank you to my friend Alison for snapping these pictures of me after preschool pick up yesterday!

2 comments:

  1. What an awesome idea - I'd never heard of the Seam Allowance Pledge before! I sew some of my own clothes, but since the factory collapse in Bangladesh I've felt that I should be doing more of it. It's the only way to truly know that my clothes are fair trade.

    Raj
    Pink Chai Style

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    1. Good for you! I think it is so easy for everyone(myself included) to forget where their clothes are made and who is actually making them- I think the key is to support companies with great working conditions for their employees -like this company local to Vancouver www.maiwa.com- or of course make your own- like you are doing!

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