Sunday, January 24, 2016

This is Not Just a Post About Sewing.

Just before Christmas, Elsa and Zara spent $3oo of their hard earned cash on swimwear and I was very happy with that.

'Couldn't you have sewn something for less'? was a family comment.

I possibly could have, but when? It is not their turn yet and won't be, for at least a month.

Swimwear fabric can be hard to source and the good stuff is definitely expensive.

I would have to alter a pattern, not a problem as such but definitely not quick.

They are a 'brand', it was a 'surf shop' perhaps they were 'paying for the label' but do you know what? A majority of the pieces were sewn in Australia so I have hope the machinist received a proper wage for their craft.

Besides, part of working is enjoying the fruits of your labour. The labour being cleaning our  house once a week. The fruit being cash.

Do you know what you cannot put a price on? Their utter utter delight in trying on dozens of bathers and my delight in them wanting me there to share it with them.


Jed made a special trip so they could do this and he played with Trixie so I could focus on just them.

After the Surf Shop, we hit the Mall and both girls tried on outfit after outfit but didn't buy a thing.
Why? Because Mum could make it and make it fit better.

Major buzz for Mummy.

Zara fell in love with a natty little outfit, shorts and a top but neither piece fitted that well. The XS was too big in the top and the M shorts were too tight around her derriere but too loose at the waist.
And it was $230 for both pieces.
Jed offered to take her on to Mt Barker, to Spotlight, to look for some similar fabric.
And we found it, on sale, $20 for 2.5 metres of glossy stretch drill.
I already had a suitable pattern in my stash.
Sorted.

Roll forward a month.
Zara is not so sure she will get this made for her next turn, she thinks she has other things she needs more and she is not sure where she will wear it, so this fabric may sit in 'her' basket for a later sew.
And do you now what? For $20 it doesn't matter.
For a $230 purchase it would have mattered a great deal!

Jed and I would not have stopped her buying that outfit, we didn't stop her, just advised her to have a good look at the fit and have a good think about where she would actually wear it.

But she got the thrill of planning and making a small purchase.

I refuse to have guilt over buying fabric, I tend not to impulse buy but if I do, I am going to comfort my self that it is much less then an outfit.

Have a lovely day!

xx N

22 comments:

  1. Excellent experience! And nice to know there is swimwear made in Australia!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It was such fun Jane. Jed taking Trixie off meant I could focus on my girls and not worry she was destroying someone's shop.
      The swimwear is very good quality, boned and underlined and several of the pieces has Made in Australia labels. They are washing really well too.

      At the end of the day, they earn the money, they should be able to spend it as they see fit.

      Thank you for commenting.
      xx N

      Delete
  2. Those are very (!!) valuable lessons to learn - I only wish I had learnt them a bit quicker!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Aynsley, me too!

      The Twins are very into 'Capsule Wardrobes' and they are quite firm with each other when shopping.

      It was lovely to hear from you!
      xx N

      Delete
  3. You have raised some sensible girls who really value their mum's hard work and talent. I hope to do as well with mine!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aww Masha, what a lovely lovely thing to say, thank you so much!
      I am very lucky with my girls and Jed is very respectful of my sewing. If people make comments about my sewing 'hobby' he always corrects them and says it is my 'job'.
      Love him!
      Thank you so much.
      xx N

      Delete
  4. Sounds like it was a valuable trip, fun and educational at the same time. I do love that pattern though - Cynthia Rowley patterns are lovely.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Tamara, Cynthia Rowley make a lovely pattern.
      xx N

      Delete
  5. I love this post. :) You got to enjoy time with your girls and they clearly value your input. Zara made her own decision in the end and whether it gets made or not .... it's priceless to see her maturity in the situation :D Yay for mom sewing!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I did enjoy them Kristin, so very much. Although they are identical twins they have such different style, it is so much fun exploring that with them.

      Part of me wanted to push her to have the outfit made but I resisted and I am glad I did. So what if it sits there? Liddy may use it, it may be a costume.... that $2o purchase gave us both a lot of pleasure.

      You are right, a big Yay for mom sewing.

      xxx N

      Delete
  6. I love this post! I don't have guilt over buying bits of fabric either and I don't have guilt over buying good well made things I know I'll wear and love either, and we have had similar discussions about swimwear here too! I really need to get a little bit more organised like you and take turns at sewing for everyone in turn and getting them all to think about what they really want and need.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Kate.
      The rota works really well for me. It keeps me on track (or Trixie would have far more clothes then she needs) and it makes us all think about what we need, rather then want, which can only be a good thing.

      I don't find swimwear easy to sew and the ones the Twins bought are just beautiful with special lace and metal detail. Just lovely!
      I was so happy to see they were ethically sewn too.

      As for fabric guilt, I don't smoke or over drink or buy collectibles. My fabric is my hobby and that makes it a pretty useful one.

      Thank you for leaving such a thoughtful comment.
      xx N

      Delete
  7. Replies
    1. That means an awful lot, coming from you Deb.
      xx N

      Delete
  8. I like this post. I think along the same lines, but I would like to be as good as you at making the clothes!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Thank you Ann.
    The sewing is just practice. My sewing improved so much when I discovered the O+S patterns. I don't use them as much now but I value the skills I leant.
    Thank you for the lovely compliment.
    xx N

    ReplyDelete
  10. A really lovely post - getting children to think about where stuff (not only clothing) comes from and putting together the work/money/time it takes are valuable lessons. Being with your children is worth the money they spent on their togs and fabric. My son get cross at me if there is something he thinks I ought to have taught him earlier - like how to put deodorant on properly, how to iron a shirt - just basic things. I love he has the expectation that I should teach him these time consuming but basic things. I love reading your blog and wonder at your amazing productivity.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Thank you so very much for your thoughtful comment!

    I had such a nice day with the Twins, I spend a lot of time with my children but it rare to get one on one moments (or one on two).

    xx N

    ReplyDelete
  12. This is priceless Nicole. In so many ways. Fashion conscious, consumer consciousness, relationships, life... Probably seemingly incidental in your lives together but lifelong learning nonetheless.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Thank you Renae.

    I 'write' so many posts in my head but never get them down. It felt good to share this one.
    xx N

    ReplyDelete