Week 49, the shirt from H@$%

Oh you guys . . . this shirt!  Upon returning from my trip to Minnesota I had a treasure trove full of fabrics I was so excited to sew.  Before I began diving into those inspiring and fun new projects I took a look at the things that had been cut out and neglected.  Approximately, six projects sat unloved and unconsidered because my interest had waned and other more exciting projects presented themselves.  I had a heart to heart with myself about these projects as I debated the pros and cons to skipping them entirely.  I asked my mom what led to her unfinished projects and she admitted that usually it did involve interest waning.  I wondered for a bit what I should do, sew the things I currently feel inspired to do or hold myself accountable to finishing what I had started.

After careful debate I started working through the pile.  First up was a Christmas apron I had cut out last Thanksgiving.  Next up was Week 48’s black bodysuit, a project I’d lost interest in but was so delighted with how it turned out I developed some excitement and momentum for all of these discarded and unloved projects.

I pulled out this weeks project and heaven help me I had no idea what I was in for.  I REALLY didn’t want the shirt anymore.  I had zero interest in wearing it but convinced myself that making it was wise and a good precedent to set with myself.  Jesus . . . take the wheel.

I laid out the pieces and started cutting my interfacing.  I quickly realized that this project may have been cut out while consuming some wines.  Yes, wines.  One of my fav late night things is to open a bottle of my fav Cab and cut out several projects.  My husband had pointed out at some time in the past something about that not being wise and me getting cut.  I’m guessing that comes from a place of wanting to kill my fun, not concern so I’ve ignored, LOL!  Anywho.  The back neck facing is cut wrong.  So wrong.  I put the wrong side of the pattern piece on the fold and in my infinite wisdom, I’ve sent the scraps to Minnesota for my mom to use.  Winning.  Trying to stick to my goal I think carefully and come up with a creative solution.  I’ll serge the edges so they don’t fray and iron the pieces to interfacing, problem solved.  The mistake is on the inside, no worries.  I continued on, I made the darts and continued the construction only to discover that once I tried to attach that problematic back neck facing that it once again isn’t going to fit.  Still, trying to not be discouraged I take a step back and think.  Hmmmm well, the instructions seem to suggest there should be a seam up the back and yet I have none.  My late night wines consumption struck again.  I had put the back pattern piece on the fold instead of cutting it.  Once again, I’m awesome.  So the back is about an inch and a half too big.  Okay, okay, I got this.  I added the seam and was back on track!  UGH!  THEN, THEN the arm facings don’t fit, as in REALLY don’t fit.  I need to cut off about two inches from each.  Still trying to remain positive I do that and sew them on.

Guess what . . . I hate how the arm facings look.  They are hideous.  They don’t lay well and they are sewn on REALLY well.  I rip them out.  They are sewn twice with serging, so that was loads of fun.  I decided at this point to pivot and use some bias tape as facing instead.  That finally works out, I may have had to rip that out again because I used the wrong color thread, do you see any patterns forming?  This shirt is cursed.

Next up I’m notching the bias tape facing so it lays properly and this happens.

Yep . . .

Sigh . . .

My son was sitting near me when I did it.  I screamed, “NO!” and threw my hands to my face.  I was horrified.  Tears pricked my eyes in frustration, because this is ridiculous.  His quiet voice chimed in and asked if my project was ruined.  “No,” I said, “but it won’t be perfect.”  I sat there collecting myself and trying to be grateful that it wasn’t a project that I loved, but as I sat there I realized that even though I didn’t want the shirt my pride was taking a hit at the shear number of blunders that I had caused.  I expected closer to perfection from myself after how much sewing I’d done and my pride was plunging from the pedestal I’d allowed it to climb to.

Should I quit?  The now “destroyed” project sat in my lap.  I had wanted to toss it since before the first stitch and now it was justified.  I could throw it out, it was ruined.  Somehow I knew I couldn’t.  I needed to finish the imperfect shirt and see the project through.  I worked out a solution and sewed the blunder back together.  A project, patched before it’s even finished.  So many humbling mistakes.

I think lessons in letting go of perfection and the humbling of pride are so important.  I’m glad the project is over.  I’m glad I persevered through the ridiculous number of set backs and I’m glad my son was sitting there when I screwed up so he could watch the response.  Yep I was sad, but then I overcame it and fixed it.  I didn’t curse, throw a fit or rage.  I grieved and moved on, peacefully.

So I title this the “shirt from hell”, but was it?  It’s easy to see our failures in a negative light but the triumph over set backs is much better than the perfection easily attained.  Until next week!