WHO:
Besides being a wife, mom and grandma, designing and sewing makes my heart skip a beat.
Can’t sleep at 4am? Let’s see what’s beckoning to me from my sewing space.
Watching TV? Multi-task with some hand stitching…Meh, stitch ripping for the win…am I right?
On a road trip? If I’m not designing on my laptop you might find me sketching. Or the ever present eagle eye is always on the lookout for the next design inspiration.
Moving toward retirement, I have more time on my hands to devote to what I love.
Sometimes the inspiration to sew skips a generation, so you can imagine my delight as I watch all three of my daughters enjoying their own sewing machines and a love for the craft. When asked for a stitch of advice…see what I did there?…I always encourage people not to get held back by little perceived imperfections in their work. Honestly, more often than not, once that project is complete, no one…not even the maker…will notice “mistakes”.
WHAT:
In college, as a graphic artist, I always aspired to specialize with letters in some way. I love how a font can evoke a feeling or bring a word to life. Little did I know, that path would lead me to fabric instead of the written word. I love being “fontily” creative and have discovered there are many ways…traditional piecing, paper piecing, and bias binding, as a means to bring words to life with fabric.
WHEN:
At the age of ten I saved allllll my allowance and bought my very first sewing machine. I’ve been hooked ever since. With every move my family made, I carted that thing wherever we went. Now, half a century later, the little girl in me wishes I’d kept it. I’m sure my yellow Brother sewing machine would still be going strong.
WHERE:
My husband, Michael, and I raised our family in Nova Scotia. Although our childrens’ jobs have taken them all across this awesome country of ours, Michael and I remain in this beautiful province on the east coast of Canada.
WHY:
I just can’t seem to help myself. 😊 There are so many ways to walk through this life, and everyone is so unique. Joy comes in many forms for each individual. I’m so grateful for my path and my love of design with fabric. Over the years I’ve discovered there’s nothing more rewarding than sharing this gift with others. A quilt can bring such comfort to someone, whether they’ve lost a loved one, they’re going through a difficult time, or celebrating a special occasion. Along the way I’ve met some wonderful friends who share that passion, which makes it even more rewarding.
My most recent WHY, and favourite to date…my daughter, a nurse in Labrador, called last summer to tell me that Avery, my almost six year old granddaughter, wanted to learn how to use a sewing machine to make an eye mask for sleeping. Enter Grandma! While the Atlantic provinces were bubbling in 2020, they came to visit in August. For her birthday, Grandma and Grandpa presented her with her very own sewing machine, a little Singer Prelude. Did it matter that her birthday wasn’t for another four months? Not even a little bit! I couldn’t resist being involved in fostering her love of sewing. She’s a natural and even enjoyed “cleaning” her machine with the included brush…I hope that obsession sticks! A good lesson for Grandma. Here are a few of my photo memories. She was so incredibly proud of her mask!! After a day or so I was sure it would be a forgotten “thing” but nope, she actually slept with it every night. I can’t wait to see where her love of the craft takes her, or where her passions might lie.
That’s a little about me and my sidekick…how did your passion for sewing get started? I’d love to hear in the comments below…and thanks for reading. ❤️