Bossy Pants

(Dear Readers! Friends! Tired of my wordy prologues? Tl/dr: there’s a poll at the bottom. Enjoy!)

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A boyfriend once told me–repeatedly–that I am terrible at taking direction.

Let’s just sit with that one for a moment, shall we? A boyfriend repeatedly told me that I am terrible at taking direction. Why on earth, you might wonder–I certainly did–would I want to, need to, or try to, take direction from a boyfriend? Excellent questions all.

Putting aside the inappropriateness of his remark (on so many levels!), it does happen to be true.

It’s not true at work. But outside of work?

I like good rules–the kind that help societies and communities function well and for the benefit of everyone. I’m quite happy to pay taxes, for instance, and stop for stop signs, and I actually loathe shoveling the sidewalk with an unholy passion but I do it as soon as I can for the benefit of people who are using mobility aids or strollers or what have you and need that concrete bare. No problem, or at least not much bitching.

But a lot of rules are really dumb. They exist either for no benefit to anyone whatsoever, or to preserve unearned benefits for one group at the expense of another. I joyfully break those rules.

I actually dye my hair red for the sole and express purpose of clashing with my clothes. All that stuff about “redheads can’t wear pink”–or orange or yellow or whatever dumb thing–inspired me to spend money and time making my hair red every six weeks so I can wear pink–and orange and yellow, sometimes all at once–just to poke those rules in the eye.

And the idea that I should go about my life happily Taking Direction from anyone, including random strangers, is just weird. Like the man outside the grocery store who said, “Miss! Your purse is open. … Excuse me! Miss! Your purse is open! … MISS! Your purse! Is open!” At which point I looked at him, said “I heard you the first time,” and he stalked off in a huff that I hadn’t immediately corrected my pursing misdemeanor.

Or the time when, out with a large group after a dance evening, two men–neither of whom I am interested in in the slightest–had a conversation about women while staring right at me.

Man 1: Sometimes women are just too independent.

Man 2: Yes. Women can’t be too independent.

Man 1: Women who are successful and strong might have a hard time getting a man.

Man 2: Yes, a woman who wants to be with a man shouldn’t be too successful.

I do believe I stared at them in open-mouthed shock at the idea that I should be making myself lesser and my life smaller so that they could be attracted to me.

Generally, the fastest way to get me to not to something is to tell me I must do it, for no good reason whatsoever. I believe this has served me well in life. I truly believe I’m alive today and relatively functional because of this bone-deep, Canadian Shield-like stubbornness.

And yet today, Dear Readers, you have an opportunity to tell me what to do.

(Do you see how long it took me to get around to the point?)

The Point

Mind you, it’s limited. You can vote for what piece of fabric I should sew up next as the Monthly Stitch’s Miss Bossy challenge for April.

Though true to form, the instructions said participants should choose three pieces of fabric for readers to choose between, and I could only narrow it down to four. Three of them are pieces I’ve had in the stash for a few years and have struggled to find the right pattern for, so now you get to force the issue.

Anyway, here they are:

This lovely Liberty of London silk-cotton voile. It’s very light and fairly sheer, though with the mint-green background not unwearably so. I have about 2m.

This linen/rayon/spandex blend. It’s as stretchy and drapey as a jersey, but it has a linen-knit-like texture and the rayon makes it very cool to the touch. I love this print, but it’s been a challenge to use as a) the stretch is entirely horizontal, so I can’t cut it on the cross-grain, and b) it’s very very narrow at 42″ wide. I have about 2m.

This yellow Anna Maria Horner cotton–with I think a bit of spandex, as it has some stretch on the cross-grain. About 1.5m. I love this print! So much clashing.

This Nani Iro double gauze, from off-white to orange on the cross-grain. Also 2m.

They’re all beautiful, they all deserve to be worn rather than stuffed away in a closet for posterity, and none of them are too fussy for sewing so I should realistically be able to fit them into my April sewing plans. None of them were so expensive that I’ll be gutted if they don’t work out. And every one is going to be a challenge to find a good pattern for.

But which one?

What do you think?