I started this year off as a novice, and I’m ending it as a confident amateur. My previous sewing experience was small, but my mother and nana always involved me in their projects, allowing me to steer the fabric in a straight line. They were always enthusiastic for my projects, but always available for the frequent rescues that I needed.
This year has been both exhilarating and exhausting. When I look at the dresses I attempted before finding the Oliver and S patterns, I want to burn them in a pit so no one can see how inept I was at the beginning of this summer. (The direction of the grain really matters.) I have spent long nights both enthralled and exhausted watching a creation come together. The sewing community on this forum and the wider internet has furthered my knowledge, as I searched for terms unknown- French seams, Hong Kong Seams, Felled Seam, Serged Seams, blind hemming and slip stitch, and various uses of interfacing. I’ve returned time and again to my directions in my patterns to eek out more and better understanding of the techniques and fundamentals. I’ve read blog after blog about sewing techniques, soaking in each knowledge nugget like a dry creek bed after the rain.
There have been some life lessons in these sewing patterns. I can start something unsure of myself, and finish it. I am more certain of my style, my tastes, my abilities. I am no longer afraid of colors or patterns. It’s okay to put a project down, and sleep on it, or ask advice. It’s okay to try again, or rip the seam out. My kids and husband are proud of me. My child does not have to look like the 3 other girls dressed in the same exact outfit from the store to be cute or precious. She does not have to match every day. It’s okay to use an iron (I was previously “allergic”), and it’s probably going to look better if you do use one.
This is an amazing group of women, and I’m thankful for all the support, praise, and laughter.
