Sewing – A life-long passion

Please join me in welcoming today’s guest Melanie McFarland as she shares with us her love of sewing and teaching others to sew. She’s also giving away a copy of her latest book “Out of the Box With Easy Blocks” along with a matching coffee mug. See below for how to enter.

Sewing has always been fascinating for me, and some of my earliest memories are of my mother, pins in her mouth, stitching up something great, with my brother and I in tow. Our other siblings (five of them) were in school and we were home with mom & Jack LaLane, on the TV. Pfaff was her machine of choice: a huge, black powerful engine, set in an enormous cabinet, with a knee lift! How I loved to hear it roar, as I awaited the newest addition to our clothing or linen closet.

When I was about 10, mom received her teaching credential, and off she went to the public schools early education program. We were in school by then ourselves, so it was an easy transition. However, I missed the additions to my wardrobe. Mom made the creating appear easy. She was an art major, graduating in 1944, from Rosemont College, PA.

Paper, markers, crayons, & glue were within easy reach. Creating was always encouraged. Somehow, I must have figured I could do this, too. So I rummaged through her sewing cabinet and found a pattern I liked and suitable fabric. Mimicking her, I laid out the pattern pieces, pinned to the lilac-printed eyelet cotton. I cut along the outer lines, and around the notch bumps. I cut armhole and neckline facings. It was a darted, shift top. Remember those? In fashion school, we’d call it the “basic fitting block”, or “sloper”. The style was in the fabric, not the design. It had a zipper down the center back, as did most garments then. I still don’t like to put in zippers, but I do love the newer “invisible” ones – whew, sewing just got easier!

Naturally, I took sewing instruction in high school. My sister, Paula, paved the way for me and convinced our teacher, Mrs. Olivia Fraioli, to let me skip the basics and move up to advanced sewing. That was the highlight of my day. Sewing and creating was a wonderful outlet, for teenage angst.

I was introduced to the world of fashion when a rep from the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising, FIDM, paid a classroom visit and my closest friends encouraged me to enrol. I spent two years in school and then did my time, 25 years, in the garment industry, working my way up from pattern maker to designer and beyond. Travel to far-flung places became the norm, with well-known companies, like Gap and Disney. Telling people that knowing “how to sew” got me to such exotic locales as Istanbul, Cairo, and Singapore, was entirely truthful!

For the past four years, I’ve spent an hour a week in the company of young men and women inspired by sewing. Volunteering at a public high school each week keeps me grounded. These students create the most original and conceptual garments, irrespective of their ages. Each time I visit, I’m reminded of their curiosity, intelligence, stamina, perseverance and utter disregard for negativity. If they think it can be done, there’s a way to do it. After every visit, I’m energized to return to my studio and create, too. Last week was their crowning glory: they completely designed and choreographed a fashion show. I only served as a facilitator.

My destiny seems to be centered on sewing. I LOVE to be surrounded by fabric, able to create on a whim. Because I find it so empowering, making something from nothing, I love to “pay it forward” and teach others to sew. My first student was a neighbor, Julia. We started when she was just seven, but already she was a veteran from a local sewing program. Last summer, we made a quilt together, using pre-cut squares and strips of Kaffe Fassett prints in reds, blues, and greens. Julia entered it into the (Road To California) quilters showcase in January, in their “Next Generation” category.

Recently, another young friend, Flo, who’s 10, came over to learn sewing techniques. Flo has a passion for fashion and is quite intrigued with reality television shows such as “Project Runway” and “Fashion Star”. (These are too “real” for me, dredging up fashion career horrors that I’d rather delete from memory.) Thinking pajama pants would be the perfect first project; she quickly assessed the “stash” and settled on red dots and stripes. Pants are ideal as there are minimal seams and few fitting issues. It’s safe to say she’s hooked on sewing and one of the benefits for me of sewing with my young friends is that when we talk I learn about popular teenage culture. This information is priceless; as they sew, the words just tumble out.

I’m not sure what my life would be like today, if I hadn’t discovered sewing as a hobby way back when. Perhaps I’d be a cake decorator or an architect, but my life could not be more exciting than it is now!

Give-Away

I’m doing a drawing for a free copy of my book, “Out of the Box With Easy Blocks” along with a matching coffee mug. If you would like to enter, please reply to the following question: “What quilting fears have you recently conquered or are you still working on?” Mine is machine quilting. It’s taken me FIVE years to summon the courage to quilt my own tops!

Winner will be selected randomly next Wednesday, May 16, 2012.

For more on Melanie’s sewing and quilting observations and experiences, visit her blog: www.MelanieMcFarlandQuilts.com.

Winner

Congratulations to Pat who won Melanie’s book give-away. Check your email for a message from me.