Life is Cool: Is B Crafty?

I thought I would venture into the thriving 'Craft Blog' market and blog about some things that I have made. I sew (a bit), I scrap (a little bit less), I crochet (a bit less again), and I dream of quilting and other lovely homely style things. But... let's be real.


I know how to shop.


One of my sisters is very crafty, she sews beautifully, she crochets like a rocket, she knits like lightning, she beads like a speedster... She really is quite the craft-a-holic. She shall be referred to as TSS (The Sewing Sister) from henceforth....


My mum is the daughter of a tailor. He began his career in Holland and came to Australia in 1950 with his wife and nine children. My mum used to spend hours and hours learning my Opa's craft by sitting at his feet talking and learning the fine art of finely made clothes.


I wish I had known it as a child, but I used to wear home-made designer clothes all the time... I just thought everyone's mum whipped up dresses, pants, shirts, jumpers, toy's clothes, toys, bags, curtains, upholstery and all those kinds of things all the time. I was raised to think that buying things from the shops was kind of cheating. Fabric shopping was a day out and picking out patterns and designs from my mum's Dutch sewing magazines was part of the fun of getting new clothes.


TSS was bitten by the sewing bug when she was about 12. Mum and TSS used to spend hours and hours on Saturdays and in the holidays happily sewing, sewing, sewing. But I just didn't get bitten by the same bug. I used to get really jealous that TSS often had new and groovy things to wear to church and I did not....


I have always had a problem with spatial perception. As an adult I see it so clearly. I have trouble giving directions requiring left and right and cannot read maps to find myself. As a child I just thought I was so dumb. I could not for the life of me understand sewing patterns and how they were meant to fit  together. I also require lots of talking and discussion about how things fit together and why.


Now, my mum is lovely and has taught me some amazing things, but she is not a teacher. I am a teacher. I know how to explain things and I appreciate that sometimes children have to read something for themselves and figure it out in their heads before they can really 'get it'. So to save everyone's frustrations, I decided to give sewing a miss, but still wanted to be doing something...


So I taught myself how to cook.


I can't imagine how many hours were spent with Mum and TSS busy piecing together patterns and snipping and attaching buttons and being stabbed by pins while I stirred and simmered, blended and mixed in the kitchen, just to be near them.  I am now quite a competent cook. I even considered becoming a chef at one point - the working hours were horrendous so I decided on a different path.


A few years ago I bought a sewing machine. I did it in secret. I only vaguely asked TSS for advice and my mum was a bit shocked that I would even consider sewing. But, I thought I could make cute clothes for my girls and I also thought it would be handy to be able to fix things and stuff... So, I bought my machine, threads, scissors, fabric, pins and patterns. The first things I made were dresses for the girls for a good friend's wedding. I shocked everyone by actually DOING it - even myself! TSS did have to do some unpicking, and my mum had to step in to put in the zips on the day of the wedding, but all in all, for a first effort, I was pretty pleased. The photo at the top of this post shows off my beautiful girls, and the dress I made.


Since then I have made a few skirts for myself, lots of shorts and dresses for the girls, some maternity dresses for myself and have lots of dreams for future sewing projects.


A few months ago, I had one of those full circle moments.... TSS asked if she could borrow one of my sewing patterns and I asked her for a recipe for pumpkin pie.


So... there are some things that I have made and I thought I would add them to my blog. But, in true B style, I will add the stories behind the clothes. Stay tuned....