Growing up my mom was a competent and creative seamstress who made many clothes and soft furnishings for our home. (I remember fondly the dress she made me for my first day of 3rd grade.) My paternal grandmother and her sister were very accomplished needlewomen and taught me how to knit and needlepoint. I never quite learned to crochet though I remember working on it at my grandmother's house. I took home ec in 6th and 7th grade, and I sewed ... Read Full Bio »

Growing up my mom was a competent and creative seamstress who made many clothes and soft furnishings for our home. (I remember fondly the dress she made me for my first day of 3rd grade.) My paternal grandmother and her sister were very accomplished needlewomen and taught me how to knit and needlepoint. I never quite learned to crochet though I remember working on it at my grandmother's house. I took home ec in 6th and 7th grade, and I sewed a few things in high school and college, but was never very serious until about 11 years ago. I was working in a middle school and my office was close to the home ec room (now called "Teen Skills" when a school is lucky enough to have a home ec class.) One day the kids were laying out patterns to make stuffed animals in the hallway and I thought it looked fun. I kept thinking about it and one day when I was walking my dog I thought to myself, "I wonder if I should get a sewing machine." Just as I thought that, my neighbor came out of her garage and said, "Hey, do you want a sewing machine?" She gave me a well-kept 1959 brown Singer machine, very simiilar to my mother's that had belonged to her aunt who passed away. I retaught and taught myself through many projects; the process was a little bit like getting sick because I was absolutely obsessed with sewing. I've made some things that I'm proud of. Whenever a garment doesn't work out I add it to my pajama collection. :>) As I said, I"m self-taught through books and Threads magazine. The Couture Dress class by Susan Khalje has inspired me and I think will totally change my approach to sewing. I wish I could afford one of her classes in Baltimore. Maybe someday . . .