SWAP 2019 Official Rules

[ciaraxyerra]

Weird question: could shoes be considered a garment, if they are handmade & include stitching & whatnot? I'm making a pair of black & pink leather boots with some broguing detail & they would fit in with my other SWAP garments perfectly, but not sure if they'd count since they are by definition an accessory. Thoughts?

[M lambie]

Hi mudcat

I have another question. Assuming that I already have the required number of neutral garments, if I decide to make a pieced or colorblocked garment using both of my neutrals, how does that count? Is it one of my accent "fabrics" then? Or will it count as a neutral garment, even though it uses both neutrals? (I know something like this was asked earlier in the thread but I didn't see the reply.)

Thanks in advance.

[mudcat]

regarding shoes ... I'm going to have to say no because it is outside the spirit of the SWAP which has always been 11 garments.  However, that would have worked as the bonus signature piece for last years SWAP.

m lambie, the color blocks shouldn't be an issue.  If you read carefully you could actually make an entire SWAP using only your two neturals and one print or accent piece.  As far as blocking with two neutrals it would be one of your neutral garments. 

[indigotiger]

As far as blocking with two neutrals it would be one of your neutral garments.

so, would that make my Alabama Chanin style cardigan one of my neutral garments as well since it is indigo and brown, and I certainly currently wear it as a neutral in my wardrobe?

[M lambie]

regarding shoes ... I'm going to have to say no because it is outside the spirit of the SWAP which has always been 11 garments.  However, that would have worked as the bonus signature piece for last years SWAP.

m lambie, the color blocks shouldn't be an issue.  If you read carefully you could actually make an entire SWAP using only your two neturals and one print or accent piece.  As far as blocking with two neutrals it would be one of your neutral garments.

Thanks, mudcat! I'm embarrassed to say that I did read carefully alas but I certainly appreciate the clarification!

[stephaniecan]

mudcat: I have a silly question and feel free to say no. I broke my ankle on Jan 30 and it seems that I won't be allowed to weight bear until March 14. I have a project already ongoing and can do some knitting right now, but I suspect will have difficulty doing all of the cutting if I want to cut out other items. Am I permitted to ask for some help with cutting, if I lay out the pieces for my partner to cut? If this is against the rules I will certainly wait and pile all of my cutting and sewing on the last six weeks or do a little bit at a time. This is my first experience of being without the use of both legs and so I am not really equipped with adaptive tech! I have a good, simple plan and have worked out how I can get it done.

[mudcat]

Stephaniecan, while the rules don't spell it out I suspect most of us make the assumption that all SWAP work is done by the contestant so regretfully I'm going to say no out of fairness to everyone else.

[stephaniecan]

No worries! That's what I figured. I never cheat on anything so you don't have to worry about that. I will see what I can do, slowly. For now I will focus on the jacket I have already cut out and maybe doing some knitting!  Thanks for responding so quickly.

[KayoticSewing]

mudcat: I have a silly question and feel free to say no. I broke my ankle on Jan 30 and it seems that I won't be allowed to weight bear until March 14. I have a project already ongoing and can do some knitting right now, but I suspect will have difficulty doing all of the cutting if I want to cut out other items. Am I permitted to ask for some help with cutting, if I lay out the pieces for my partner to cut? If this is against the rules I will certainly wait and pile all of my cutting and sewing on the last six weeks or do a little bit at a time. This is my first experience of being without the use of both legs and so I am not really equipped with adaptive tech! I have a good, simple plan and have worked out how I can get it done.

Sorry to hear that, Stephaniecan! Hope it heals faster...

This table came to my mind when I read your feet can't bear weight.. Maybe if you had a sliding table like this.... and you could attach a large board on top so you can sit and cut! It's IKEA MALM on wheels..

[stephaniecan]

 Oh thank you, Kayotic. Cool!! I will take a closer look. I figure I am pretty creative at doing hings so I will come up with a solution, but this is creative.

I am able to stand on one leg and fortunately I am athletic so have good balance. I can only do this for a certain length of time, however. Perhaps I will find it easier than I think once I get started. I have a couple of smaller blouse projects that may be easier to undertake on my table top.

Thanks again.

[treefrog]

Stephanie,  so sorry to hear about your foot.  Wishing you a speedy recovery.

I had a bad ankle dislocation a couple of years back that took a long time to get the stability back.  It still sprains easily, but I haven't popped it out in 6 months (yay!).  One thing I found handy was my office chair that was on castors.  By dropping the height a little, I could kneel on it with my bad leg and have my good leg flat on the floor.  This way I had my weight balanced evenly and still be able to shift around enough to work on the cutting table or make dinner.  After I while, I could use it like a scooter. ( Very handy when you need to get up in the middle of the night and not have to bother putting the moon-boot on).

I'm sure you'll come up with something, but make sure you can give your good leg a rest from time to time too.

[stephaniecan]

Treefrog: Thanks. This is great advice. I don't have an office chair on rollers but this sounds like a great investment. I like the reasoning. I take your point, too, about resting the good leg. That makes good sense! Thank you. A couple of people have mentioned somewhat similar things to me but I think it has taken me a while to actually realize that I am going to be in this spot for quite some time.

PS So happy to hear that you have had a good six months!

[bessiecrocker]

re leg issues and sewing...

1. you need a rolling chair.
2. you need a pressing set up that you can roll to and reach from the chair
3. cutting is a problem, but if you have a low table that you can reach from the chair it is do-able. rough cut your pattern pieces and also your fabric so you are working in smaller sections. much easier to handle if you have mobility issues.
4. check if your machine has a hand (or knee) operated on-off switch. you may need it. (I could use my foot pedal even with double knee replacements, from the start. My foot worked, just my knee motion was limited.)
5.don't over estimate your ability to "sit" following surgery. I could "lounge" pretty well (with my legs elevated) but sitting in a chair was not comfortable for long periods of time.
6. depending on your issues...getting up and down and in and out of your chair may be your biggest problem. get organized in advance or employ a helper to fetch the pins you left in the other room. do not expect to reach anything on a high shelf, and high may mean anything you can't reach from a seated position.

[stephaniecan]

Thanks, bessiecrocker. I can tell I am in the hands of a pro.

The biggest issue, if you can believe it, is the rolling chair. I don't have a great space for this and don't have one. I am going to have to work out a solution like that though. I think I know how I can set up my ironing board.

The cutting question came out of the fact that I like to preserve fabric and cut carefully, as well as issues around stripe matching, etc., but as I thought about it I realized that if I rough cut as you say and work in smaller chunks, it should be doable. I will pick smaller blouse projects that I can handle over a small space.

The biggest discovery for me has been, as you say, that I can't sit for long periods. I need to have the leg elevated or it gets very uncomfortable. Hopefully that will improve in the weeks to come. Fortunately, it is my left leg and my right leg is fine; in fact, I went to the hospital alone when I hurt myself at night and drove myself home. I am also relatively young (under 50) and have always been athletic, so those things help me in terms of mobility and getting up and down. I have strong muscles in my other leg, core, and rear, and no other injuries or chronic pain. So for now at least, I can get it together with a bit of ingenuity I think! I usually have my pin cushion on the table with me when I sew, along with marker pencils, stitch rippers, etc., so hopefully I can get a system going that will work.

Thanks for taking the time to help.

[angelsweb]

Thanks, bessiecrocker. I can tell I am in the hands of a pro.

The biggest issue, if you can believe it, is the rolling chair. I don't have a great space for this and don't have one. I am going to have to work out a solution like that though. I think I know how I can set up my ironing board.


Thanks for taking the time to help.

Maybe a friend has a rolling office chair you can borrow?  Or, if you don't have room for a rolling chair, how about a rolling mechanics stool? Several sewing teachers I know recommend something like this:

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Pro-Lift-Pneumatic-Mechanic-Chair-C-3001/203610014?MERCH=REC-_-PIPHorizontal2_rr-_-207165266-_-203610014-_-N

Relatively inexpensive and will roll under your sewing or cutting table when not needed ... I'm not sure where you'd buy one in Canada, but I'm sure you can find one.

I've had both knees replaced and three foot/ankle surgeries ... rolling chairs, stools, etc., saved my sanity and my life.

Hopefully, by the time you go through all of our helpful suggestions, you'll be healed enough not to need them!

[stephaniecan]

Angelia, You have been such a great help, too. You had already mentioned the rolling items over on the main thread. I have been slow to pick up on the fact that I really do need these things, I think. Just getting used to being incapacitated in this way has involved a certain number of stages of denial, etc, I believe.

I think I broke my ankle at the worst possible time, plus I live in an old house with a lot of stairs. This past week we had freezing rain, which turned the heavy snow cover we have had into pure sheet ice. Just to get out of the house to go to the hospital last Thursday was an endeavour; right now it is -16C with a -25C windchill and we are expecting 40 cm of snow tonight! My partner, who is Italian and who is here right now (he normally caregives for his mom in Florence), always tells me about the great Italian expression "Piove sul bagnato," which means "It rains on the wet!" (This always makes me chuckle - so true.) My boss is emailing me as I try to work from home and all I want to do is scream! Or get some fresh air. Or something like that.

The rolling stool is officially on my list of things to buy. Right now I am also trying to order a bath transfer thing so that I can get into and out of the shower safely when my partner leaves. My partner also, bless his heart, made dinner the other night and then as he was taking the olive oil canister from the dining room back to the kitchen he didn't notice that the spout was turned out and down and he showered the floors (and my white cotton sofa) with olive oil. He then proceeded to add flour to absorb the oil, vacuum it up, and then my vacuum stopped working as it seemed to blow out the motor. So today's first task was to buy a new vacuum...

Next up, ordering a rolling stool, which hopefully someone will deliver after the blizzard! Oh how I love winter (I really do, but this is, you know, freezing rain on the shivering and wet).

So sorry that you have had to go through so many different surgeries. It sounds as though you have become an expert in maintaining your sanity. My step-father has had a bone disease for many years and has had all of his joints replaced, some more than once. I always felt for him but now I understand just a small amount of what he has experienced.

Cheers!

[stephaniecan]

Angelia: Just found the same rolling stool online here and they will deliver! Thanks. I think that will work perfectly for my space.

[angelsweb]

Angelia: Just found the same rolling stool online here and they will deliver! Thanks. I think that will work perfectly for my space.

Yay on finding the rolling stool!!! We're having the same kind of icky rainy weather, except probably not quite as cold. I'm really hoping the temps stay above freezing so we don't end up with an ice storm.

One advantage I had over your situation was that my surgeries were planned -- so I had time to prepare. I call those years my 7 years of orthopedic h-e-double toothpicks. Also had rotator cuff surgery on both shoulders during that time frame ...

To bring this back on-topic, Mudcat, if I use different fabrics for one of my neutrals, how closely do the colors have to be to matching? For example, can I include both a light beige/camel wool and a darker beige cotton bottom weight fabric? I'm obsessing because I don't have enough of the wool for a jacket and two pairs of pants ...

Thanks for all you do to herd us through this, Mudcat.

Angelia

[stephaniecan]

Angelia: Those must have been a tough 7 years!

To bring this back on topic...enjoy your sewing! (And thank you, mudcat, for your patience.)

[mudcat]

To bring this back on-topic, Mudcat, if I use different fabrics for one of my neutrals, how closely do the colors have to be to matching? For example, can I include both a light beige/camel wool and a darker beige cotton bottom weight fabric? I'm obsessing because I don't have enough of the wool for a jacket and two pairs of pants ...

Neutrals just need to be in the same ballpark ... tones similar but shades can vary.  Or someone can correct me on my terminology.  So lime green and olive would probably be to far apart for the green family but various shades of olive (from dark to light) would be ok.  Just use your best judgement.

[bessiecrocker]

May I suggest that the current re-naming of this thread is not particularly kind.

Perhaps it would be better to pull out the posts concerning sewing with mobility issues into a new thread (not necessarily swap related). It's a topic that seems to interest and affect various members of this forum.

thank you.

[angelsweb]

May I suggest that the current re-naming of this thread is not particularly kind.

Perhaps it would be better to pull out the posts concerning sewing with mobility issues into a new thread (not necessarily swap related). It's a topic that seems to interest and affect various members of this forum.

thank you.

I apologize if I offended anyone in my attempt to provide suggestions to aid a fellow sewer while at the same time alerting those not interested that I was veering off-topic. I used the word "enabling" in the sense of helping and providing encouragement and meant no disrespect or unkindness. Again, I apologize.

Angelia

[stephaniecan]

May I suggest that the current re-naming of this thread is not particularly kind.

Perhaps it would be better to pull out the posts concerning sewing with mobility issues into a new thread (not necessarily swap related). It's a topic that seems to interest and affect various members of this forum.

thank you.

I apologize if I offended anyone in my attempt to provide suggestions to aid a fellow sewer while at the same time alerting those not interested that I was veering off-topic. I used the word "enabling" in the sense of helping and providing encouragement and meant no disrespect or unkindness. Again, I apologize.

Angelia

I second Angelia. I also didn't mean to offend anyone. I hadn't registered in fact that I would perhaps confuse the official rules thread by leaving detailed responses here. I think a separate thread about mobility limitations is a great idea, in the end.

Sincere apologies for any disrespect interpreted from my comments.