About ten years ago, the sound of a sewing machine was heard in the private haven of my bedroom as often as the sound of my computer keyboard or music on my stereo. One thing led to another and life didn’t allow me the time to sew my own clothing, to make blankets and curtains. To be honest, I also lost interest in it due to my weight gain and realizing I could no longer wear the things I made myself. Seriously though, as I look back on it, those items weren’t exactly a loss to my ever-growing fashion sense. Still, I did mourn them when I finally gave in and either threw them away or donated them. I even packed away my sewing machine for a while, then later gave it my mother and also hundreds of supplies, including bolts worth of material, notions and tools… (she has an entire room devoted to sewing), because I didn’t have the room in my bedroom or my life, for any of it. Two years ago, I sewed two Halloween costumes for my oldest two nephews, Quinlan was a wizard and Aiden was a King. I also began to put together some aprons I planned to do as Christmas gifts for my aunt and three of my cousins but time got away from me, and they sat in my mom’s craft room unfinished.
I’ve always been a very creative person, though writing is the only form of creativity in which I am confident about now. I love art and though I can see an image and all the details that may go into creating a painting I’ve imagined, my brain to hand connection is sorely lacking with execution. My mom, older sister and younger brother are wonderful artists, but whatever it is that someone is born with to be an artist (as far as drawing, painting or even sketching a decent stick-figure goes) I don’t have it.
The way I express my creativity the most is with writing. I love writing, I write all types of things, mostly novels, but also songs and poetry. I consider myself a decent singer and actress and I know I feel almost as good on a stage performing anything at all, as I do sitting in a comfy chair and writing out an imaginary world. When I moved into my apartment in June, I began imagining all the things I’d like to buy to make my apartment more of a home. I haven’t exactly had the money to do any of these things and I spent the freedom and creativity I’ve felt, solely on writing.
But then, my sister posted a link to a picture of a Halloween costume she thought I’d love. For myself and my youngest nephew, Riley. Rainbow Brite and Twink. From there, I found the tutorial for it and my creative juices started to flow. I remembered that I did at one time love to sew and I was sure that I could make these costumes. But wait, I had a wedding shower to go to first and I needed a personal gift than the one already bought from the registry, and my cousin’s birthday was coming up too. So, that’s when I decided to finish making her apron and I also decided I could make something for my soon-to-be new cousin too. I procured my sewing machine, some fabrics and the items I’d already put together for aprons, bought some new accessories and tried to remember how to sew.
It’s truly so much harder than I remembered it being! I almost gave up after my machine broke a couple of needles, refused to thread the bobbin correctly and ate some of my fabric. The stitches on everything didn’t come out neatly, or straight, but I continued on. These are gifts from the heart, I reminded myself and I wasn’t going to get any better without practice. I knew my cousins would love them no matter what they looked like. So I finished the ones for my other two cousins too, though now I think I may re-do one of them. It was a learning process and I’m so interested to continue learning how to make new things. I would really like to make drapes for my bedroom windows, pillows for my sofa (after I buy couch covers because I think making those will always be out of my reach) and hopefully through following craft blogs I might get inspiration and learn to make other things too.
So this is the beginning of my journey into balancing the love I have for creating art in all the avenues I love. I’m excited and ready to take it on. It has already been a wonderful way for me to get over my writer’s block too!
~Rory
Sew & So Forth 