INSPIRATION: PLAID JUMPER

Now that it's nearing the end of 2017, many people are getting ready to head into the New Year determined to make a great life change, or to get rid of a bad habit. We call these 'New Years Resolutions' and every year come January 1st, it seems that everyone decides they want a fresh beginning too and that a new calendar year is as good a time as any to re-evaluate where you're at in life, set those goals and make those changes. I don't think I've ever been successful in my New Years Resolutions, but I admire the spirit of wanting to be the best version of yourself and working hard to get there.

If you're looking for something new to try in 2018 - whether as part of a New Years Resolution or not - I'd like to inspire you to learn to sew!

Sewing is truly one of my favourite past times. I grew up learning to sew at the Bolton School of Sewing, and later (when I was older) worked there as a teacher. Sewing is a basic life skill that everyone should know how to do, and is something that you can start or continue at any age. Beyond the fundamentals, Sewing is the perfect blend of creativity and technicality - it requires measurement, precision and the ability to think strategically, but it also is an outlet for self expression and innovative thinking. The average age of our beginner sewing students was eleven, so it's not a difficult skill to learn but it is something that many people are not familiar with and therefore are hesitant to try.

I hope to fill this blog in 2018 with all the knowledge you'll need to follow along as a beginner and sew for yourself - including tutorials, helpful hints and project ideas. All you'll need is a sewing machine and a positive attitude!

For reference, I made this dress today (below). It was an advanced project, that included making my own pattern, using a directional fabric, creating front and back box pleats, and facings for all of the top edges as well as pockets. (If you don't know what any of that means, hopefully you will soon!) The first image was taken from UrbanOutfitters.com and was my source of inspiration for the piece, the images below that are of me and my creation.

I'd like to take this opportunity to introduce my cat Max, who loves lying on fabric and will probably be in more and more photos as Sip & Sew gets rolling.

Hopefully your reaction to these photos was one part impressed and two parts inspired! Make sure to check Sip & Sew in the New Year for my 'Intro to Sewing' blog posts and tutorials so we can start this creative journey together!

--Susan