Maker Monday - Claire!

Happy Monday, pals! Today we're introducing you to Claire, @storyofstitches, a cool cat from Western Canada that sews and knits all sorts of amazing garments. Check this fab maker out!

Tell us about a Me Made garment that brings you joy, and why? What makes you proud of this garment?

Axis Dress from Papercut Pattern, using Twill Print Rayon (from Rick Rack!)

The Axis Dress - It was the first intermediate garment I sewed and involved a few new techniques I hadn't come across before, including the invisible zip! I remember feeling so much joy with every piece that came together, and just completely in awe when I wore it for the first time. Especially when we'd been in the pandemic for a few months by that time, and the working from home fatigue was already starting to set in, it felt like a breath of fresh air to be able to use my creativity and feel a sense of achievement. What I was particularly proud of for this sew was that I took it slow, made sure I understood each step and redid anything that didn't quite work out, instead of my usual manner of impatiently rushing to the end so I could wear the garment. It really made me appreciate the skill of sewing and work on improving techniques for the future.

Tell us about a Me Made garment that challenged you, and what did you learn?

Harlene Dungarees from Merchant & Mills, using thrifted non-stretch denim

The Harlene Dungarees - I was unsure about this sew from the beginning and had one of those "this could be a disaster" feelings. I was first intimidated by how many steps there were in the instructions and that there were a lot of pattern pieces. I also knew that others had sized down and the dungarees have a lot of ease so even though I'd made a toile, I wasn't 100% sure how it was going to turn out. So I had a lot of doubts going into this project and my machine also struggled to sew through the layers of denim, let alone get the perfect topstitching line required. It really challenged my resolve and multiple times I felt like setting it aside and starting something else simpler. What I learnt through the whole process is that I could do this! None of the instructions required techniques I hadn't done before, or which I wasn't able to figure out. I understood that I shouldn't have so much apprehension going into a project, already expecting me to fail in some way.

Thanks for sharing, Claire! We think you're swell.