What's old is new. Again.

"What are you doing?"

The question took me by surprise when baby sister Rikki Tikki Tavi called last Saturday afternoon. Sure that she was imagining my slothful self sleeping or napping, "I'm a little ashamed to say" was my response.

"Oh gross! Are you in the bathroom?!"

"No, it's worse. I'm watching a quilting show on television."

"Ugh, you shoulda let me believe the first guess."

Rikki Tikki Tavi doesn't mind having a sister/free tailor but the last thing she wants to hear is sewing talk but I am feeling a bit more special today after reading that Julia Roberts is taking sewing lessons. How about that? I think we've reached the stage of Sewing Is Now Officially Cool.

While perusing sites such as Craftster.com, I am impressed by the young age of fearless sewists with no formal training. Those teenage chicks are seeking old sewing machines, vintage fabric and patterns to make their own mark.

Back in Mom's day, every female took Home Economics courses and knew how to sew. In my high school days, it was an elective but because my elective was already fulfilled by music, I wasn't able to take any Home Ec classes, ever. Even if my casual interest in sewing had been explored, I didn't really want to be a part of what I considered kinda pathetic path. Home Ec in the 80's is what you did when you had no collegiate or career future.


Brought on by television show Project Runway, perpetuated by Anthropologie marketing and augmented by online commerce site etsy.com, personally crafted items are still (or yet again) appreciated even in our current age of cheap factory made everything. Our eye zones in toward the imperfect handmade touch and it's not the first time in our history. The Arts and Crafts movement (1860-1910) was a reaction against industrial consumerism. And what better rebellion from 1970's plastic than macrame and pottery? It ebbs and flows, my friend.

When I sit in my craft room, late at night, mending a favorite clothing items or rummaging through the buttons, I wonder what my great-grandmothers would've thought of my late-bloomed passion for sewing. What would they say about massive craft room? Or online sewing blog?

I hope they're proud.

Project Runway in a fun way

I gotta brag on my friend Elizabeth and her church friends. They organized a Project Runway night overnight "lock-in" for girls in grades 4, 5 & 6. That's ages 9 through 11, right? Get this, 43 signed up and they had to turn away another 10 more because they didn't register on time. Some girls brought friends as guests.
Elizabeth and the organizers followed the Project Runway format with the first show toast of champagne sparkling fruit juice, a dash to form teams and table full of folded fabrics grouped by color a la Mood Fabrics. A sample wall included jewelry, hats, shoes and accessories of every ilk.
Their first project was a super easy tote bag made with a T-shirt the girls brought from home. (An adult machine sewed the bottom seam of the totes.)
Walk it down the runway and show off your tote bag.
Next, embellish a plain white T-shirt with an array of trims, buttons, ribbon, etc.
Show it off, girls. Strut the T and show us what you did.
Last, a tutu.
Let's see a parade of tutus, ladies. (What girl doesn't like a tutu?)
There was even a hair and make-up room so the girls could have fun just playing around for kicks. Their hair and make-up went from barely there to overdone as the evening progressed.
Elizabeth tells me "fancy" food was served on fabric tablecloths with candles which made the girls feel very special. She was impressed with their creativity and enthusiasm. The organizers gave the girls goodie bags to carry their projects home along with some printed instructions for more projects. The girls had a great time and want to do it again.
Hoping the Project Runway party trend catches on!