My grandmother, Judy, taught me how to sew. After picking out a pattern for a simple, button down shirt she took me to the fabric store. Patiently steering me away from the enticing bolts of silk chiffon, she guided me over to a teal cotton appropriate for a beginner. When we got home, she lay out a cardboard cutting pad on her dining room table and showed me how to transfer the pattern and cut the fabric. Finally, she taught me to use her Singer sewing machine to stitch up the shirt.
Though I loved creating this garment, I didn't have the tools or space to continue sewing until my husband and I moved into our first house in late 2011. After living in dorms, group houses and one-bedrooms, we were excited to decorate our new home. So what's a design hungry girl with not a lot of cash to do? Dust off that old, cheap sewing machine that had sat unused in storage and start making curtains! With that teal button down shirt in my repertoire, I had enough confidence to give it a shot. After making several curtains, then roman shades, and covering cushions I tried a dress...and another...and slid into obsession.
