Member Spotlight

"Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel (which means "God with us".

Isaiah 7:14

"You (Mary) will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus."

Luke 1:31

Hello my beautiful friends, I hope you're doing well today!:) I was recently asked to answer some questions for a "Member Spotlight" in a Facebook group I'm in. It was fun to participate & I thought I'd do up a blog post and include some photos with my Q&A.

My sewing group has monthly challenges. This one was made for a recent M6886 Pattern Hack challenge.

1. What is/are your DIY craft(s) of choice?

Sewing. Mainly garment sewing but I do enjoy making plushies & Barbie doll clothes occasionally. I love Pinterest and do other DIY stuff from time to time. Sewing is my first love though

2. How did you learn, and how long have you been practicing your craft?

My mom taught me the basics of using a needle and thread & how to use a sewing machine. My Grannie (dad's side) sewed with her treadle Singer for as long as she was able to. Her love of sewing left a lasting impression on me. I didn't seriously pursue garment sewing til I was in my 20's but I always knew I wanted to make my own clothes. As a kid I was a big fan of Archie Comics & one character, Betty, made her own stylish clothes. I was amazed by her. I've been making (wearable) garments since 2011

Singer sewing machine like Grannie had:)

Plushies I made for my sister:)

Barbie clothes I made a few years ago for my niece:)

***I tried to find an image of Betty & a sewing machine but nothing came up. There was one story I recall where Betty re-created a bunch of Veronica's Paris Originals, lol. Not sure if this image is from a similar story, but I decided to include it here anyway:) Betty was definitely a talented sewist. It was so cool to think I could make my own unique creations or copy designer looks;).**

Fun maternity dress, modified V1314

Canada Day dress 2013

3. What is the most important thing you have learned about your craft?

Have fun with sewing and enjoy the process.  Learning to sew and improving your skills takes time, practice & patience. That being said, anyone can learn to sew if they have the desire and will put the effort in to learn. My non-sewing friends often comment, "Oh I couldn't sew to save my life". I always say, "If I can learn to sew, anyone can." I didn't do very well in high school sewing (I was an insecure, self-conscious teenager). My mother put me in a sewing class when I was young, but I hated it, lol. Learning as an adult on my own & at my own pace was far more enjoyable.

A few years ago with my little Boris:( 

  4. In what ways have grown since you first started? 

   When I first attempted garment sewing I shed many tears of frustration and was tempted many times to throw my sewing machine out the window (my mother bought me that particular machine though, so I stopped myself;). Once I stumbled across patternreview.com it was a major turing point & my first encounter with the online sewing community. My skills have definitely improved since then and I'm far more likely to stick to a project until its finished (unless I'm certain its going to be a wadder, lol).

My first review on P.R. was my Nintendo Dress, 2012:)

I try not to compare myself to other sewers (especially if they're far more skilled than I) and keep in mind that we all have different sewing goals. You may want to sew certain types of, or more simple garments, someone else may make more advanced bridal wear (or whatever). Be inspired by and appreciate other sewers. Take the time to compliment & encourage. We all have something to offer the sewing community. I am continually challenged to improve by seeing what other sewers make but I won't force myself to make a garment I have zero interest in. Its only recently that I've developed an interest to make a button-up collared shirt. I haven't really made pants either (just leggings). We all only have so much time to sew, so choose wisely. Also, don't feel pressure to sew for others if you don't want to, but be gracious about it. Take it as a compliment when someone asks you to sew something for them. They probably have no idea how long it takes. 

Sewing really helped with the baby-blues. I made this Minoru a few weeks after the birth of my first son in 2014.

I've certainly learned to be more choosy & thoughtful when purchasing fabric. I got quite carried away early on, (and I still have my moments ;) especially when fabric was on sale. My taste has definitely improved too, lol. When I gather items to donate, I usually donate fabric too (but only stuff I'm certain I won't use or fabric that makes me stop and wonder "What was I thinking when I bought this?").

Funny story, before I learned to sew I didn't care much about fashion. My brother half-jokingly said once, "We're going to nominate you for "What Not To Wear" Lol! 

One of my favourite dresses. A modified version of V1314.

5. Do you have one tip/techniques you can share with us?

I use up the partial bobbins of odd colours for things like basting (mostly by machine). I often baste main seams to check fit so this is a nice way to save on matching thread if I'm concerned I might run out. 

Thank you for the feature Sew Much Talent! My blog is http://caper81.blogspot.ca/.