Thursday, July 31, 2014

Slow Sewing


If you have never seen an Alabama Chanin piece of clothing you are really missing out. Natalie Chanin  has started a movement that makes us think about what we make and how me make it. Each stitch is one of love and dedication. She makes pieces that flatter the body but are not confining. I had always been afraid of working with knit fabric until I took a workshop with her and made my first skirt. Since that first piece I have become an Alabama Chanin junkie.
This is the piece I'm currently working on:

I made a blue and red skirt to wear to my sister's wedding. I was smart and made some samples first before I put together the entire skirt.

This is one panel of the shirt:

This is my husband and me in the back room of the wedding reception area. Me wearing the skirt.


I have completed 5 skirts from the DIY kits that Alabama Chanin Sells. I have made 3 other skirts that I stenciled and put together my self. I love the skirts as knit fabric is really one of the most comfortable fabrics I have ever worn, not to mention that it's very forgiving fabric to wear.

I LOVE TO SEW


I love to sew, it makes me very happy. My Great Grandmother taught me to embroidery. On Friday nights my sister and I would spend the night at Little Grandma's house..she would make peanut butter cookies and teach us new stitches for pillow cases or teach us to crochet. She used to make quilts for us as kids. She would cut up old clothes for the quilts. I have several of the quilt tops and I'm working my way through turning them into an actual quilts. This is one of my favorites

There are several pieces of fabric I recognize from aprons and dresses my grandmother wore. It made me very happy to complete this quilt top.