I remember planning out the clothes I wanted my mom to sew for my dolls, but she wouldn't make them nearly fast enough for me. The solution, of course, was for me to learn how to sew. The first few items couldn't withstand the rigors of play (or really being breathed upon too hard) and fell apart pretty soon after completion. It took time for me to understand properly knotting the beginning and ending of my stitching lines. But I had needle, thread, and fabric and was ready to sew all the things.
The year I turned 11 my Great Grandmother died. She owned a very basic sewing machine that rested in it's own table and had a knee lever to operate. All the other women in the family knew how to sew and had their own sewing machines; I'm sure all of them were much nicer than this one. That straight stitch machine came to me and the world of sewing opened up. My mother taught me how to read a paper pattern, what kind of fabrics to shop for or hunt through in our bins, how to measure and cut out the patterns, and sew them together. What she knew and what passed on to me was not extensive. She knew the basics and how make the patterns basically fit. But this was enough knowledge for me to make any and all clothing I wanted to.
After a few years in college I changed my major to Interior Decoration. Two of the required classes were Intro to Sewing and Sewing for the Home. Intro to Sewing focused on clothing and learning how to take measurements, ease, etc. Sewing for the Home dealt with sewing pillows, window coverings, etc. I do wish I had taken more advanced sewing classes while in college, but I thought my focus would be more on the decorating aspect of my degree. When I married and then began my own business I soon realized I actually didn't like decorating.
What I did love, however, was working with color and fabric, designing and creating custom window treatments. My very first customer has hired me to make curtains for 3 of her homes, a quilt, and her wedding dress. I've been able to design a couple more wedding dresses, sew drapes, blinds, and valences, create quilts, pillows, and throws.
One of the fun things when someone contacts me for possible sewing work is finding a solution for their sewing need. Sometimes it's a simple project or repair, but then other times I am an engineer detective looking for the best way to solve a problem. In a day where it is unique to be a seamstress I do enjoy the creativity and fulfillment from my sewing craft. I've been able to take something that I have been doing since I was 9 and use that talent and learning in my own small business. My business may never grow enough to hire another person to share the load, but it fills a need for the customers in my small town and a need in me to create.
