Awareness Ribbon Shirt

(Topic: Grief, being in public, explaining)

Hi Friends,

Remember this shirt?

A few days ago, I talked about how I altered the sleeves. Today I want to talk about wearing it.

Here's a picture of the front:

I first wore this in public on Mother's Day last year, and have worn it occasionally since. One of the reasons I like it is that it makes "being a mom" visible for me - I'm otherwise invisible as a mom unless you know me. I also feel that the awareness ribbon is fairly evident and recognizable. (I'll talk some other time about the pros and cons of the word "angel" in this context.)

Still, when wearing it, I have to balance being visible/recognized with being misunderstood or having to explain.

In fact, I've had two blatant misunderstandings, both leaving me baffled, when I thought the awareness ribbon shape is pretty widely understood in our culture.

Misunderstanding 1)
I wish my kid was an angel! (i.e. "well-behaved")

Misunderstanding 2)
I should have a shirt that says I'M an angel, for putting up with my wife!!!

I'm really baffled. I know I'm putting myself out there, by wearing a shirt like this, but I expected (like when carrying Pookie around) that people would say trite things and ask questions that bring Charlie up. I really didn't expect the self-centered misunderstandings that disregard the ribbon and the possible meanings of the text.

It's a truly unanticipated difficulty, honestly. I'm just not sure what to think.


Yours,

Sarah

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Resource list: Visit my spreadsheet at www.tinyurl.com/infantloss

Angel Mama Shirt

(Topic: Bereaved mothers, sewing, alterations)

Hi Friends!

Last year I got a T-shirt from a large online personalization/printing company that sells hats, shirts, mugs, mousepads... anything you could print and personalize.

One of the designs they carry is a "Mother of an Angel" shirt! There are options out there, and this company's shirt was one of the designs I liked better.

When I got the shirt, though, I was very disappointed in the sleeves, because I felt like I couldn't lift my arms up, because they were sewn at a strange angle.

Well, I can sew, right? So I figured I'd try to fix them!
I found a piece of knit/jersey in a coordinating pink, and cut triangles, hemmed them, and inset them.

Note the corner pointing toward my elbow...

Because the original sleeve was so slanted down, that the triangle ends up making a bit of a corner, but that isn't too bad. The only thing I could have done was actually make the triangle less wide. As it is, the sleeve is actually a bit too floppy and the pink kind of folds up on itself. But I don't mind enough to change it! As it is, it took a shirt I was horribly frustrated with and didn't want to wear, and turned it into a shirt I really like!



Yours,

Sarah

To subscribe, find the "subscribe by email" note in the left column and enter your email there. Posts will be emailed directly to you whenever I post them!

Resource list: Visit my spreadsheet at www.tinyurl.com/infantloss

Santa Pook

🎅

We were out getting a Christmas tree, tromping through the snowy tree field picking one out to cut, when hubby said that Pookie really needed a Santa hat. I agreed, and thought to myself that maybe I could pick one up at a dollar store.

Well...

I found some red fleece and an old sheepskin steering wheel cover, and got carried away...

I fitted it directly on him. It used about a half a yard of fleece, and I cut freehand based on the usual shapes of the pieces, using his measurements to guide me for the widths. I could have narrowed his pant legs a little more; on the other hand, his feet would be harder to get through! The pant legs are shaped normally, but there is an added semi-circle in the rear to accommodate his seat. The arms are plain tubes. The top is a little shaped around the armscyes, and is very short-waisted. The hat is a rectangle with triangles cut out of the top for shaping. And all of the fur edging - which was tricky to sew on! - is from the steering wheel cover. The belt is a ladies belt from Goodwill, much shortened.

Merry Christmas!

Sarah

Tiger Shirt 1

Hi Friends!

I didn't get a lot of feedback, but the feedback I did get was pretty clear: Keep showing how I make things! Well, ok!

I was at Joann's a few weeks back, searching for fabric for a curtain (didn't find what I wanted), when I found this MARVELOUS tiger print!!! I thought I'd only get 1 shirt out of it, but turns out I will get 2, plus possibly some doll clothes for my teddy, and maybe some accessories???

Here's the first shirt!

Garment Data:
- Type: T-shirt
- Date made: March 2017
- Pattern: Copied from an existing shirt, from the Cherish brand: RN#11856, STYLE#D5520, CUT#3519GS, size L
- Fabric/Materials: Cotton or cotton blend jersey (to be honest, in this particular case the print was more important than the fabric content, and I forgot to check)
- Trim: None
- Time to finish: 2 days

Guys, sewing jersey is hard! Not something I've done a lot, so I definitely have pucker where I don't want it. However, over all, I'm very pleased with how it came out, and it is now one of my favorite shirts.

Using a comfy shirt as a pattern.

Since the pattern was pretty basic (no complicated piecing or darting), I literally just cut along the shape, but added a seam allowance. I cut out the sleeves separately, so I had 4 pieces: front, back, and 2 sleeves.

Done except for hemming the neckline. The sleeves are set simply into the armscyes.

Done!

And modelling it :) It's so comfy!

Most sincerely yours,
~ Sarah

Half-Mourning Shirt

Hi!

Yep, I'm mixing eras! Oops! I found a t-shirt with meaning to me at Goodwill, and it happened to be in lavender and thus be perfect for half mourning. Hurrah! But wait, it doesn't fit...

However, upon consideration, I realized it would be perfect if I expanded it by adding panels to the side seams. I then found some silk in my stash that matched the color palette!

In the mourning traditions of the 19th century, people wore all black right after a loss, then transitioned to black with some white accents, and then to lavender and gray in the 3rd stage. Each type of loss had its own timeline, also based on how you were related to the deceased, but the color progression seems to have been culturally used in the Western world for much of the century.

Nowadays, the American culture does not have many symbols of mourning. People wear black to a funeral, but there is not much beyond that. So it can be very nice to adopt a little bit of it, even if not many people will know or understand. It can be a small symbol, like a hairtie or the color of your socks, or something larger, like hair ribbons, or a black edged pocket square, or even a black ribbon on the door. And since we are not constrained by "that's how it's done", we have the freedom to choose the symbols and timing. We can even go back and forth between colors/stages as befits our feeling at any given time

For me, the creation of the symbols is nearly as important as choosing to wear them. For me, this lavender shirt will be one of those symbols.

A few of you will have read my post on the full mourning dress I made and wore. I have to confess it was very nice to wear a tribute of that magnitude and also have everyone know what it meant, even if they didn't know details. Yes, I had to explain a few times that it was reflecting my modern reality, but everyone was very respectful. I'm a little sad we don't have something anymore that has the same automatic recognition. But being able to choose your own symbols has a different wonderful place.

This is part one because I have yet to assemble the pieces, but my sewing machine is getting serviced... I hope to show you the finished product soon.

Garment Data:
- Type: Shirt/Top
- Date made: September 2016
- Pattern: None
- Fabric/Materials: A T-shirt and 2 silk camisoles from Goodwill
- Trim: Silk accents from the camisoles
- Time to finish: Several days, off and on

The original t-shirt from Goodwill, polyester, size XS.

An interesting detail from the original shirt: an inset panel running down the length of the back, and a horizontal line of accent stitching. I decided to use the panel in my design as well.

Sorry, I hadn't ironed these yet when I took the picture. They are silk camisoles I found at Goodwill years ago, thinking that of course I would find a use for the silk! They are much to small for me to wear.

The first step is taking out the side seams.

Ironed and disassembled. They had nice french seams, almost made me feel bad taking them apart! Also, it took forever.

Most sincerely yours,
~ Sarah

Dabbling in Design

The following picture is of a shirt front that I designed. Not the actual shirt, of course, but the design thereon.

Garment Data:
- Type: Shirt design (picture)
- Date made: ?
- Pattern: n/a
- Fabric: n/a
- Trim: n/a
- Time to finish: ?
- Notes: This is the cast shirt for a production I was in, as Mrs. Medlock




Most sincerely yours,

~ Sarah

Doll's Clothes: Start Small

Before I began crafting my clothing on a realistic, to-wear, human-sized scale, I began by trying out my skill on small pieces, crafted for a 16" doll.
All of the dolls pictured (except the plastic one!) are Waldorf-style dolls that my mother made for me and for each of my siblings.
Thank you, Mom, for Molly!

Garment Data:
- Type: Doll dress/shirt/pants
- Date made: ?
- Pattern: Magic Cabin Doll patterns Magic Cabin Dolls (I can only find the doll patterns, but what you see them wearing in this picture are the clothes based on the doll clothes pattern kit they used to sell)
- Fabric: cotton prints
- Trim: n/a
- Time to finish: ?
- Notes: none



































Most sincerely yours,

~ Sarah