and so i sew

During a recent phone conversation my mom and I discussed our shared need to sew and pondered the creative process; nature versus nurture?

I grew up in a creative home. My parents and each of my siblings are talented in scattered mediums. My creative interests have been all over the place the last 10 years with many projects still unfinished today. I struggled to keep an interest in one type of creative outlet beyond my next trip to Michael's until 2 years ago.

An "aha" moment happened at my parents while flipping through a quilting magazine. I wanted FABRIC and there was birthday money to be spent. A trip to the fabric store fed the fires and since that moment fabric and sewing have consumed my creative energy.

With my reintroduction into sewing I've quilted mostly and have had success but through it all I couldn't ignore my one desire. Make clothes. Rationalizing with myself hasn't worked either. A challenge exists for me in creating clothing that looks store bought and I will be dedicating my time to achieve that goal.

When I was younger I wore clothes that my mother made for me. In my teens she continued to sew for me but this involved debates and fights over patterns and fabric. I was a vision girl and my mother and I didn't share the same vision. In full disclosure there were too many times when I didn't want to wear the clothes. I wasn't pleased with the finished product because it didn't match my vision. At the time I didn't realize the ramifications of my reactions but now believe that I may be one of the reasons my mother doesn't sew clothes anymore.

I learned to sew in my teens, took home ec in high school and made a few pieces of clothing here and there, but stopped sewing after high school.

With a return to sewing I've come to understand these creative pursuits are my personal therapy and aid in providing balance for my life. This therapy has helped during the past few weeks while I struggled with the demands of work.