Homemade

My first introduction to the creative impulse was through my Mother and Mama. We never went to art museums and we didn't have a single art book in the house. My education came through watching them sew, and knit, and crochet, and embroider, nearly ceaselessly. They engaged in the magic of making something from nothing.

My Mama only went to the 5th grade and she was self-conscious about her talents. I saw her as smart, spunky, and amazing. She was always wearing a stylish outfit she had crafted from scraps of found fabric, and she held fast to her doctrine to not buy something she could make herself, including her underpants! Her sewing room was populated by a menagerie of stuffed animals, toilet paper cozies, and elaborate quilts.

My Mother continued the legacy of making and she and Mama clothed my sisters and I for most of our childhood. As a kid, I was embarrassed by our homemade clothes, I wanted store bought outfits and real jeans! It wasn't until high school that I began to see that our homemade clothes were unique. My Mother could make anything I wanted, we could design it together and she could stitch it up with expert precision (it was her dream to be a fashion designer.)

When I was around fourteen, I made a dress for a girl scout competition. It was a clumsy attempt in calico and ribbon trim. I don't really have the patience to sew things properly, but decided to try my hand at sewing for this instruction. While I didn't inherit my Mother's knack for sewing, I did get her DIY spirit and solid work ethic.

I dedicate this instruction to my dearly departed Mama and to my Mother who is most likely sewing right this moment.