For me, the creative process should be spiritually charged and meditative. I want you to put all your beautiful intentions into each garment you sew, so it helps you manifest as you wear it, wash it, and see it hang in your closet, waiting for you to suit up. There is a specific project that made me realize I was doing it all wrong. I made a skirt from a vintage pattern for a wedding, but I threw all my good intentions out the window and followed the muse down a dark rabbit hole.

Sizing Up

Before starting this project, I had a bad habit of making garments without wearing ease because my measurements only fit into the largest finished garment measures.  Accepting my measurements has been difficult because I do not feel comfortable at my current size. I want to make something I feel good in but hesitate to spend the energy fitting a body I desperately want to change. People in my spiritual circle don’t discuss weight loss, only acceptance. Can I accept my body but still want to change it? How do I love getting dressed in the meantime?

I started this project on a positive note by grading the vintage pattern up to my size, and also adding wearing ease. The muslin worked well enough that I used it as the skirt lining, and I was proud of myself for not succumbing to my past self-deprecating behavior.

Reckless Abandon

After I fit the muslin, I switched fabrics for the shell to a gorgeous pink floral linen.  Most of the skirt came together easily, until I got to the hem. My resolve began to flounder. Instead of reviewing my notes, I got overzealous and started the hem off the top of my head. I knew exactly what I wanted, and yet I strayed. I had no reason to rush, but I forgot my intentions. Instead of acknowledging that I was feeling fatigued and stopping to regroup, I pushed ahead.

Leg Curtain

The resulting skirt is not a creation I’m proud of. My partner says it looks like rich people’s curtains, he’s not wrong. The taper isn’t deep enough to make up for the length on my 5’4 body. It looks like I’m hiding under a wide drape of pink flowers and completely clashes with the top I meant to wear with it. The lining is droopy and doesn’t lay flat because I ignored my own genius hem strategy. No amount of self-love, positive intention, or fabulous accessories will make me feel confident wearing the finished skirt to the wedding.

The Takeaway

This project showed me how much I need a creative process that’s grounded in my spiritual practice. It also inspired the way I approach pattern design now. Join me for part two, where I dive deep into how I now hold space for the creative process.