Aesthetic

I have been sewing since I was 7. No naked dollies for me! I even had my own sewing machine. I still have that machine but it needs a tune up. When I was in high school I sewed because I really liked to and also because it was cheaper. I could get some fabric off the $1 table or raid my mother's stash and whip stuff up. I once made a Laura Ashley dress out of blue calico with little flowers. I never would have been able to afford a Laura Ashley dress but I could make one and I wore that dress to bits. I also unfortunately would wear braids and the football players would tease me about being on Little House of the Prairie. When I left for college I stole my mother's 1970 (avocado green case) sewing machine. I started sewing again when I could no longer fit into 'normal' girls clothes. Even after my car accident I would sit on the floor and use my knee to press on the pedal of the machine because I could keep my broken leg straight on the floor. I don't recommend this! It has been something in my life that ebbs and flows, but it has been a constant. I've been sewing again over the last year or so and the proliferation of new books and styles has helped. My one complaint is that a lot of the cool patterns (Built by Wendy, Amy Butler, etc.) aren't sized for plus sized girls. I bought Sew What recently and I love the concept of not having to use a pattern and then I realized this is what I have been doing all my life with skirts. This book just helps me change the form a little. I've recently started crocheting and I love it, except when I get frustrated with trying to learn how to read patterns. It is like a whole different language.

My point is there is this resurgence of 'crafting' and a lot of people say this is not your grandma's craft. I'm grateful for my grandmother's craft. I used to sit and sew with her as well when I was a kid. My grandmother was always crocheting and yes, there is a brown, and golden afghan reminiscent of the 70's, but there are some other blankets that look like they were knitted and the detailing is beautiful. My grandmother taught me how to crochet. I think it is great that we are reinterpreting old designs but it was our grandmother's who were still crafting when no one thought it was cool.

I went to the Renegade Craft fair with my friend this weekend and there were a couple of things that inspired me and some that were eh. I think the crafting community is amazing. I see things and I get inspired, not to copy the persons idea, but to take it and reinterpret it. Or even just to pull out the sewing machine and mend a pair of pants. I think though that a lot of stuff at the craft fair was almost the same. I think the location unfortunately did not help because it was hard to look and step in to people's booths. Don't get me wrong I'm happy there is a craft fair and that Renegade has opened a shop on Division. I support local craft people and try to either make my own gifts or buy handmade. I just wanted something to grab me and I guess I wanted something that was uniquely mine but I didn't find it. Quiltology was there and I did manage to buy some unneeded fabric. Some of it is for a gift that I had started and got stuck because I didn't have the fabric that suited this person. The other will show up somewhere along the way. I was kind of inspired by the applique's on some of the purses and skirts at the fair.