I read an article in Seamwork magazine about “unskilled” garment workers and how they have been and continue to be exploited. https://www.seamwork.com/magazine/2021/10/the-myth-of-fast-fashions-unskilled-labor
Garments are made in southeast Asia and workers are paid less than minimum wage and only a fraction of what workers in the US would be paid. None of the cost saving has been passed on to the consumer.
I’d like to tell you that I sew because I’m appalled by how garment workers are treated. I am appalled, but that isn’t why I sew.
Why do I sew? It’s not to save money because fabric hasn’t been cheap for a very long time. Quality fabric is expensive. Cheap fabric from stores such as Walmart isn’t worth buying.
I sew because I don’t want my clothes to look like everyone else’s clothes. I sew because I like to sew. I sew because the entire world disappears when I’m making art. I sew because I love color and detest that Panetone imposes colors of the year on us. I’m a grownup; I can choose colors all by myself. I sew because I love dying and manipulating fabric. I sew because I like designing fabric and love having fabric no one else has.
I’m slowly working on a messenger bag using a free pattern from Pfaff. https://pfaff.com/en-US/Inspiration/PFAFF-Blog/December-2016/2-in-1-Messenger-Bag?utm_source=PFAFF%20Master%20Database%20as%20of%20February%2C%202021&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=PF%20US%20Weekly%209-22%20%28WSPbrB%29&_kx=5QGBvh8dFFLpunc1mkrSNSSxO1pfMewr295QkvGARtE%3D.UYnuUe
I’m also tweaking the pattern. I like having zippered pockets in my purses. So I’m adding zippered pockets. I like to have an outside pocket for my keys and another outside pocket for my cellphone. I like an inside pocket to house my passport and emergency psych meds. Another inside pocket will hold one of the pens Jim made for me and my checkbook. I also like having a recessed zipper at the top of my purse.
Before we moved to New Mexico, Jim worked for a high end furniture factory. Employees could buy leftover upholstery fabric for $1 a yard. This was fabric that originally cost $70 a yard. It’s heavy duty upholstery fabric and perfect for purses and bags. The current messenger bag in progress will be the prototype. I’ll make final tweaks and then make a perfect-for-me messenger bag.
I’ve been designing fabric. A few start to finish photos….
Here’s what I did with a photo of the seed pod on a red yucca that’s in my yard.
Seed pods on barrel cacti are edible although I’ve never eaten one.
I had seen a photo in Threads magazine of a garment made from fabric that was pastel squares.
Dead cactus pads, dead agave leaves, dead plants all can be turned into interesting fabric.
Sometimes, instead of an editing progression starting with the original and ending when I can’t make another good design from that fabric, I’ll take an original photo, edit, revert to original, edit, revert to original and so on until there’s nothing more I can do with the photo. That’s what happened with this shot.
Not every photo gets turned into fabric – just the ones that I find are intriguing. Eventually, I’ll proof designs and put them into my Spoonflower shop here: https://www.spoonflower.com/profiles/deb_thuman
I’ve also got an on line store, Deb Thuman Art where I sell my art. http://www.DebThumanArt.com
I’m linking with Nina Marie here: http://ninamariesayre.blogspot.com
Deb's Art 