Sewing ...

has brought me closer to my granddaughter

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I've been sewing since I was eight years old. My granddaughter first made me aware of her interest in this art/craft when she was a preteen and wanting to design her own clothes. In fact, she made a ball gown from a shower curtain and duct tape for a middle school dance. (Can’t find the picture. If/when I do I’ll post it in another newsletter)

Now that she is in college (almost finished!) getting her art degree, she has discovered a deep love for sewing. Her project for her art exhibit (Senior thesis) was a re-creation of her entire sewing room, complete with her own machine, tools, fabric, dress form, and garments she made. It was beautiful and so intricate.

Maddy’s first art exhibit PSU June 2024

I have helped her get her equipment. We've gone fabric shopping together. This week we attended a fabric and yarn swap at Portland's Sincere Studio. They are Portland's first and only non-profit sewing studio. Their mission is to provide sewing and textile art education to our community with a focus on sewing as a tool of social change and empowerment. They've been open only about eighteen months and have already taught 300 people to sew.

Sincere Studio offers A0 printing, which means I can get my pdf sewing patterns printed on big sheets instead of 8x11 paper and cutting and pasting them together before I can even begin my project. They charge only $3 per page for this printing, and you have the choice of having them rolled or folded, and you can pick them up for have them mailed.

I was thrilled when I first heard about Sincere Studios, when it was still a concept, not a physical studio. If you're in the Portland area and like to sew or want to learn, I encourage to check them out for classes and more. (I'm not sponsored or affiliated in any way.)

At the fabric swap and shop, I took fabric I know I won't use, even though it's expensive and beautiful. I brought home fabric to make a butterfly chair cover, fabric to use to line my forthcoming jackets, ribbon to use in making braid trim for one of the jackets, vintage silk to use in embellishing jean jackets, wide elastic, knit fabric for tee shirts, and one piece I don't yet know what I'll do with.

My granddaughter brought fabric to swap, and took home a few pieces in colors and fabrics she loves.

I look forward to the next swap (in six months) now that I know they also accept scraps, notions, and patterns as well as fabric of all sorts.

If I could have anything I want, I'd like to work with my granddaughter in a studio where we would both design and sew. My body is old and I couldn't work full time, but I could be very useful the time I was there. I love when we spend time together, no matter what we are doing, but I especially enjoy talking fabric art, design, and learning from each other.

Photo by Randy Tarampi on Unsplash

My granddaughter has already been to one Halloween party this year. She went as -- me! The me she remembers from her childhood. So she dressed in a pajama set, and carried one of the books I wrote. She plans to repeat this at another party, but with a different wig because I recently cut my waist-length locks to just below my chin. (And, btw I guess she forgot my hair was red before I went gray. It's white now.)

Maddy as me

Have you ever dressed as a living relative for Halloween? What was your favorite costume? Mine was a hound dog costume Mom made for me when I was three. Floppy ears, tail, feet, the works. The next time I dressed as a dog I made a mask of my dog Max’s face and wore it to hand out candy at my front door. That was about twenty years ago.

What is your dream job? Have you worked with a relative? Would you want to?

I look forward to your comments.