The first thing I remember sewing was an outfit for my doll. I would have been about 8 or 9 years old. The first item of clothing for myself was a mauve gingham skirt made at around 9 years of age at sshool in England. I loved that skirt and remember wearing it all the time. If memory serves me correctly it was completely hand sewn.
Then I made a half circle skirt in a green material also a school project at the age of 11, by this time I was in South Africa. I enjoyed that so much that my mum took me out and I chose my first pattern. A sundress. As I couldn't do button holes, I put press studs all down the back.
All sewn on my mum's Singer sewing machine ( an early sixties model)
Then we moved to what is now Namibia and a panel skirt was the school project. I hated the material I chose ( and there was not a huge selection in the small town we were living in) and I only wore the skirt once or twice. But I do remember getting hold of some green gingham and making another sundress and mum took it to a local dress maker to do the button holes for me!
I also made my mum and I outfits for a holiday in Mauritius, bikinis and short romper suits! My last high school sewing project was s shirt dress. I remember buying the material and
pattern in Windhoek where we used to go on shopping trips. I wore that dress through
university and for the first year or two at work. The scrap material from most of these
projects now residep in a quilt made many years later, and is still used to snuggle under when
watching TV!
During university I had neither the time or the inclination to sew until in my final year on a study break I borrowed a machine and made my room mate and I blouses ( scrap material in the quilt!). I was wearing that blouse the night I met my husband, the following yeear!
When I started work, I saved and bought myself my first sewing machine. This is before I saved and bought a car I might add! This would have been 1986 and it was a little Elna. I then signed up and did a "Stitch Witch" course, all sewing with knits. I made more track tops, pants and t- shirts than I care to remember!
For our wedding, all I sewed was the men's bow ties and cummerbunds (purple taffeta) and my garter, with blue ribbon for the something blue.
When my husband and I decided to have a European vacation, a big part of the planning for me was the sewing of a capsule wardrobe for my back pack!
Then the babies arrived and I sewed like crazy. By this time I had upgraded to a bigger Elna machine and I had a sarger as well. How easy to sew all there little things on the serger.
