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| My magnolia tree last week |
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| My magnola tree today |
25 April 2009
23 April 2009
Coming out of the (fabric) closet
It's time to face the facts and stop denying the inevitable: I'm a sewist.
Why inevitable? Because just as I grew up watching and helping my parents cook delicious meals and baked goods, I also grew up watching (and sometimes helping... mostly by providing project inspiration) my mom sew. And while she tried to encourage me to get crafty, it never stuck. Either the project didn't turn out well enough to satisfy my perfectionistic streak, or all the patterns I saw in stores were too old and homey looking for my taste, or my interest in the project waned once the excitement of starting something new wore off. (Example: the blue scarf I started knitting in 2001 that's still sitting in my closet, about 1/4 of the way done.)
But I always loved going to fabric stores with my mom. I liked walking down the isles of of the store, running my hand across the bolts of fabric to feel the weight and texture of the different fabrics there. I liked the colors, the patterns, the possibilities.
And then, somehow, somewhere, sewing got kind of hip. Or maybe the internet just finally brought hip sewing to me. I discovered the clean, modern quilts of Denyse Schmidt and The Modern Quilt Workshop. I got lost in the shops of Etsy, admiring handmade pillows and clutches and stuffed animals. I started checking out designer fabrics and fun books and way too many craft and sewing blogs.
And, with a bit of encouragement from my mom (and her hand-me-down sewing machine) and my mother-in-law (who generously bought me some fabric, a rotary cutter and an apron pattern), I started to sew.
And sew.
And sew.
And now, several months later, I have a new sewing machine (thanks, Santa Mom), a pair of very nice Gingher scissors, a nice iron, a stack of patterns and tutorials I want to try, and an even larger stack of fabric. (And a growing collection of finished projects, too.)
My projects are still pretty basic, but I'm trying to pick patterns that slowly build up my skills. First a straightforward apron, then one that uses gathers; An easy bag, then one that requires pleats, and another that includes instructions for embellishments like buttons and magnetic closures; a simple blanket, then one that involves some straight-lined quilting...
I've even modified some patterns. And -- here's where I'm starting to feel like I actually maybe know something about what I'm doing -- wrote up a tutorial on one for a local publication.
So, this blog may start to have a little less food, and little more fabric. Cheers.
Why inevitable? Because just as I grew up watching and helping my parents cook delicious meals and baked goods, I also grew up watching (and sometimes helping... mostly by providing project inspiration) my mom sew. And while she tried to encourage me to get crafty, it never stuck. Either the project didn't turn out well enough to satisfy my perfectionistic streak, or all the patterns I saw in stores were too old and homey looking for my taste, or my interest in the project waned once the excitement of starting something new wore off. (Example: the blue scarf I started knitting in 2001 that's still sitting in my closet, about 1/4 of the way done.)
But I always loved going to fabric stores with my mom. I liked walking down the isles of of the store, running my hand across the bolts of fabric to feel the weight and texture of the different fabrics there. I liked the colors, the patterns, the possibilities.
And then, somehow, somewhere, sewing got kind of hip. Or maybe the internet just finally brought hip sewing to me. I discovered the clean, modern quilts of Denyse Schmidt and The Modern Quilt Workshop. I got lost in the shops of Etsy, admiring handmade pillows and clutches and stuffed animals. I started checking out designer fabrics and fun books and way too many craft and sewing blogs.
And, with a bit of encouragement from my mom (and her hand-me-down sewing machine) and my mother-in-law (who generously bought me some fabric, a rotary cutter and an apron pattern), I started to sew.
 |
| Emmeline apron (pattern from Sew Liberated) |
And sew.
 |
| My buddy Colden with his 1st birthday present |
And sew.
 |
| Birdie Sling (Amy Butler pattern) |
And now, several months later, I have a new sewing machine (thanks, Santa Mom), a pair of very nice Gingher scissors, a nice iron, a stack of patterns and tutorials I want to try, and an even larger stack of fabric. (And a growing collection of finished projects, too.)
My projects are still pretty basic, but I'm trying to pick patterns that slowly build up my skills. First a straightforward apron, then one that uses gathers; An easy bag, then one that requires pleats, and another that includes instructions for embellishments like buttons and magnetic closures; a simple blanket, then one that involves some straight-lined quilting...
I've even modified some patterns. And -- here's where I'm starting to feel like I actually maybe know something about what I'm doing -- wrote up a tutorial on one for a local publication.
So, this blog may start to have a little less food, and little more fabric. Cheers.
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