Banner Project I: Why We Baste

No, not that kind.  Though it's equally important.

It's not particularly usual for me to come home from work & be ready to sew without a fair amount of dithering, futzing, yak-shaving and other avoidance; so to have had that situation, work steadily for two hours (with a break for delicious caldo verde brought to me on the couch by my loving and nurturing sweetie), only to have to unpick everything that I did, is particularly galling.

As is often the case, this lamentable state of affairs is nobody's fault but mine.  I have been slowly growing a visceral understanding of how important (and how much easier it makes your life) to baste when you are making clothing; and I knew that it's critical to have pieces on a banner lie flat, or it will be stupidly obvious; and I even knew that the materials + technique I was working with were not forgiving in this category.  But I was worried about time, and I thought "oh, if I get it all flat on the ironing board and pin carefully it will be fine".

HA HA HA HA HA HA HA no.

It is, I am coming to believe, axiomatic that any time I cut a corner to save myself time or trouble, I am in fact shooting myself in the foot and will end up worse off than had I just done it properly in the first place.  Indeed, in this case I am particularly desirous to smack Past Me upside the head because, after unpicking the work, re-flattening it, and pinning it again, it took me less than ten minutes to baste it down.  And lo! everything lies flat as I attach it!  Quelle surprise!  :-/

Lesson learned.  Back to production.  

Anyways, it's probably a judgment on me for watching Starship Troopers while sewing.

"Recruit-Trainee Rico, you are sentenced to ten lashes for being a damfool.  Everyone else, beefcake for dinner tonight."