I love sewing now, but it wasn’t always that way. When I look at where I am now, sewing is such an integral part of my life. From creating new designs to relieving some stress, sewing is something that really completes me (lol). The other day, I was sewing and it got me thinking, where did my love of sewing actually begin? Who fostered that love? Fellow indie pattern designer Sew this Pattern recently started the social media hashtag #Isewbecause so I figured I would continue the trend with the hashtag #mysewinghero. I hope this will inspire all of you to share who fostered your love of sewing as well!
I have several sewing heroes, but first and foremost it has to be my parents. My parents are not traditional: when I say parents, I mean my mom and my gramma. They both made such an impact raising me, since my father was not in the picture. These two strong ladies were constantly creating when I was growing up. Between watching “Bold and the Beautiful” and watching them create, I knew by age 8 that I wanted to be a designer. I never really thought that sewing was part of that, I just knew I wanted to create. My mom and gramma would sew up the most elaborate costumes for Halloween, create completely unique bedroom bedding sets, and pair up the most unique fabrics you had ever seen. Unfortunately, they never taught me to sew, but seeing them doing and creating definitely planted the seed for me. Here is a picture of us, just after I graduated college with a Bachelor’s of Fine Art in Fashion Design circa 2004!
Since I was so interested in design, when I became a freshman in high school I learned about a fashion design program that was at my school. I couldn’t believe I could start learning skills for my future at the ripe age of 14. I immediately enrolled in Fashion Design 1. This is where I met sewing hero #2- Mrs. Ren Jetton. Almost instantly, I was hooked. Mrs. Jetton was so patient and relaxed. She taught us all the ins and outs of sewing, and most importantly she provided me with the tools I needed to be successful.
I was a generally good student in advanced level classes, but I really didn’t like school much. As soon as I was old enough to drive, I would conveniently sleep in so I didn’t have to go to first period, but I always made it to Mrs. Jetton’s class. I always wanted to be in her classroom. She is also part of the reason I chose to be a Family and Consumer Sciences teacher. I hoped then and still do now that I could be as impactful to someone as she was for me. In addition to teaching me a life long skill of sewing, she always listened to my random stories and rants and provided advice when needed. In the picture below, you will see us together when I traveled back to Charlotte to do a fashion show. I believe it was around 2008 ish. (sorry for the crappy quality)
Last but not least, I give you super hero #3! Super hero #3 is not a specific person but the league of sewcialists I follow on Instagram! There are so many talented individuals out there sharing their love for sewing and creating everyday online. Social media can often times be overwhelming with all the political posts and negativity, but I find that there is a great community of makers out there that inspire me everyday! I know a lot about sewing and design but I don’t know everything. I love seeing different sewing techniques and people’s creativity. What is knowledge if you never share it?
Sew… there you have it! My sewing heroes! Who are yours? Please share online with the hashtag #mysewinghero or comment below! Keep on sewing!
Hi thanks for sharing tthis