SUSTAINABLE SEWING: A camp shirt from a vintage tablecloth

In my SUSTAINABLE SEWING online course, I talk about sustainable options for fabrics. Here’s an example of how I upcycled a vintage tablecloth.

I had a vision: to sew a camp shirt out of a vintage tablecloth. And here it is! 

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I thought it would look cute, but I also did it because I love the earth so much and it brings me joy to reuse materials as much as possible. (I’ve reused this vintage pattern thrice.)

The square tablecloth wasn’t very big, so I had to use a few tricks to get all the pattern pieces cut out of it. 

I’ve learned a lot about reusing secondhand & non-traditional materials over the last decade, ever since I merged my passions for sewing & sustainability. I decided to share what I’ve learned: My new online course about Sustainable Sewing is launching very soon! Head to the home page to make sure you’re notified when it launches. 

Thanks for stopping by, and please check out my SUSTAINABLE SEWING online course!

I'm teaching my first class!

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ON INTUITION + GROWTH: For the better part of a year, my intuition has been telling me I need to expand into teaching. Easy, right? People teach all the time. Unfortunately, speaking up & sharing what I know in a group setting is particularly terrifying to me. I'm very comfortable speaking one-on-one, but the few times I've stood in front of a large group I've actually left my body. I’ve known I need to try teaching but I wasn’t sure where to begin, so I felt stuck.

About a month ago I got an email invitation to join one of five Field Trips presented by our local chapter of Creative Mornings. These are small gatherings where you meet up to hear a creative leader speak about their expertise. When I read through the topics, I heard "Go to the architecture talk," which is the last one I would normally choose. But I followed my intuition & signed up for it.

On the morning of the Field Trip I arrived early & started saying hello to strangers. I met Nadine & we quickly realized we both sew. She mentioned the fabric store where she'd recently taken a class with just three other students. I told her I had offered alterations there for a short time a few months ago, & she said to me, "You should teach an alterations class at The Cloth Pocket." That sentence hung in the air for me as though it were written in bold type. Nadine had given me a key. Here was a chance to dip my toes in the waters of teaching, in a place I felt comfortable in, on a topic I love, for a handful of students.

Fast forward: my first alterations class is ‪March 25th‬! I'm ready with my agenda, my method, my message, & hell yes I am nervous. Should I have written a different more confident caption? Probably! But this is the truth. I’m not a seasoned teacher but I’m pretty damn good at alterations so here I go. 

I share this story for many reasons, but here are two truths that always serve me: (1) When your soul calls you to grow, accept the call in spite of the fear you feel. (2) Tune to the quiet voice of your intuition. "Go to the architecture talk," was something I could have easily blown off or rationalized away, but look at what it led to so quickly! 

Registration is open now TheClothPocket.com.

Interview by The Creative Admirer

A huge thanks to The Creative Admirer for featuring me in their Maker Monday Series!

"Keeping Featherweight going for this many years has involved getting over a lot of my fears & terrors, learning to accept failures and continually growing my belief in myself. Being an artist and being self-employed is not easy. It’s like an iceberg; you can only see 10% of it on the surface, and the 90% that’s hidden underwater has been a rollercoaster. Working for yourself can require you to do a lot of work ON your SELF. It takes so much courage."

Head over to TheCreativeAdmirer.com to read the full interview.