Ok, I’m going to write a lot about sewing here for a while. Deal with it.

I started sewing as a kid. I don’t even remember learning, to be honest. I do know that I took a sewing class in 4H, my aunt sews, and my childhood best friend’s mom sews and we sewed over there as kids a lot. Of these places where did I actually learn? I’m not sure. I had a vintage white brand cast iron machine (I still have it, actually) that I used at my own house. My mom knew how to sew but doesn’t like it and never did it. She never liked anything crafty when we were kids. She said it was too messy (as a mom now, I 100% get the sentiment).

I remember making lots of clothes for dolls at my friend’s house. We had no idea what we were doing. I could make a tube dress ok, but I would basically make shorts by cutting a little notch in a square a fabric. You know, making the 2D fabric look like front of the actual garment. The only time I ever used a pattern was that 4H class. I still remember an imperfection in that dress I made LOL.

I didn’t really sew in high school, but one of my high school best friend’s moms ALSO was big on sewing and I remember she helped me with a t-shirt quilt I wanted to make and got me a sewing machine as a graduation present :). That machine stuck with me until I decluttered basically everything I owned in 2015. I wanted to upgrade when I got a machine again (it was a cheap singer). I got a machine again in 2017 and, at the time, I though I upgraded but I really didn’t. I got a Brother CS6000i. That was when my obsession reignited. I had a new baby and I wanted to sew stuff for him. I had hoards of fabric to upcycle from saving stuff a not having a machine to sew with for a couple years. I had a body that kept changing (pregnancy, breatsfeeding, etc.) and my minimal wardrobe was non-functional, worn out, or didn’t fit anymore.

Slowly but surely I started doing things completely differently. Using patterns, considering sewing things I never would have thought in a million years I could (JEANS?! You can’t sew your own JEANS! FFS). I made baby carriers and woolies. I learned how to alter patterns for fit (I mean, just a little, I still consistently screw up). I learned proper finishing techniques.

Even though I’ve been sewing the majority of my life, I feel a bit like I’ve just learned. And I am still learning so much. People will see the things I do/try/make and say “wow, that’s so crazy how you can do that! I could never.” And many people know that I’ve known how to sew for a long time, so they figure that’s why I can do what I do. NO! I basically had nothing more than beginner skills a few years ago. I still, for the life of me, can’t sew a straight line (I’m getting better, though).

And now I’m here. To talk about sewing. Because I’m obsessed. I’ve always been kind of obsessed, but I’m letting it run wild right now. I don’t even want to know how much I’d be sewing if I didn’t have 3 kids 4 and under. Although they also enable me to sew more quick kid makes, so it’s a give and take ;).