Sewing Back Story??

Lindsay T (http://www.lindsaytsews.com) offers up the question: What is your sewing back story? Part of that is evident by the name of my blog: Aunt Emily's Legacy.

As a baby and young child, I was blessed with hand sewn and smocked dresses made by Aunt Emily and my grandmother. I made elaborate wardrobes for my dolls. About age 12, I spent a few weeks in the summer at Aunt Em and Uncle Al's. This started me on the road to actually sewing for myself.

By high school I was sewing many of my own clothes. The pattern above, for example, I used for my homecoming dress - the pink version, but in hot red panne velvet. I made my prom dress - sea green satin with a sweetheart neckline and a hoop skirt. The dress itself was a copy of one my mother had worn in 1948 before she married. I also made my graduation dress, a white cotton with circles of white and pink flowers in a tiered style. I think this was my first use of a Vogue pattern AND I still have it. The prom dress was cut up long ago.

I continued to sew my first year at university. I did not go back to school and entered the workforce, so I sewed again. Marlo Thomas patterns (mid-70's), dresses, not really suits as they hadn't reached the fashionable stage for young women at that point. When I went back to school three years later, I sewed again, this time more casual things.

While in graduate school, I continued to sew. My niece, Jennifer was born in 1979, and I made her smocked nightgowns, and a few things as she got a bit older. Somewhere in here, I tried my first quilt - a large weathervane pattern in burgundy and pink.

Back in the workforce, I continued to sew, but we are now approaching the "Dress for Success" period - suits, blouses with tied bows, etc.

In the early 80's, I lived briefly in Mississippi, in one of the towns that hold Pilgrimage in the spring. My favorite trip was up the river to Greenwood, where the a Steinmart loaded with fabric was located. I made a few "southern belle" (or northern ding-a-ling) costumes.

When I got married, I just didn't have the gumption to sew my own dress. I did make the dresses for my two flower girls, but that was the only sewing I did - my own flowers too. Really, I kept sewing until the early years of my marriage. By 1990, my sewing was very periodic. I still sewed, but usually when a friend came down for a weekend, or I wanted something I couldn't find.

Most of the 90's was a pause in sewing. I still looked occasionally at pattern books (and began to think that I'd already sewn many of these items before - the 70's were making a comeback). I started a few quilts, fiddled here and there. Discovered CRAZY QUILTING, which I entered into enthusiastically. I met a wonderful group of women (The Cincinnati Five) who were also big Crazy Quilters. Made lots of projects in Crazy Quilting.

Then, a few years ago, I got interested again. When we moved to our new house six years ago, I made curtains for two of the bedrooms. I started a quilt using the 3 Sisters Paris Flea Market fabric ( still a UFO). I has been only the past two years that I've really started sewing clothing again.

Now, of course, I always collected fabric, even when I wasn't sewing!!!! Which is why I have such a huge stash! And now, I love cruising the vintage pattern sites to find things I've made before - 1968 through last year!

So that is my story. I only wish I had been as influential with my nieces as my aunt was with me. Jen and I had a conversation a few months ago about how she would like to sew, and I wish I could show her. Oh well, that is one regret that can be repaired.