| Get out the box of bits and pieces of those scraps you can't bare to part with and just start sewing! It is so freeing to just launch into the process without much thinking ahead. It’s when I remember being young and it was always a surprise when my imagination and my fledgling technical skills magically came together. I like to put on my favorite music and sew and press until I have a nice size piece to work with. Sometimes I will include scraps of my printed fabric and trims into some of the seams. For summer garments, I love including some of my old linens too. Once the fabric is made-it can be enhanced with some surface design before you start cutting into it for more dimension.
Grainlines? The larger the pieces the more I pay attention to the grain directions as I use the pieces. The smaller the pieces I am using, the less I am concerned with the grain directions. Once you have a piece big enough to work drape it on yourself to see what it might want to be or whether it will be on top…or work better as pants or a skirt. At this point you can use pattern pieces or continue on the rebel path of cutting and sewing to create your afternoon play piece. I have combined a lovely linen piece with an Asian theme (which was a very small, thrift store garment) with a collection of fabrics with colors and prints. It is a great way making it into a larger piece of fabric with more possibilities. As you can see, once I narrow down to what I might want to make, I also use a dressform to pin the pieces on as I go. I can see these pieces becoming a vest or summer top.
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