I have two sewing goals this year.
1.) To go back and revisit some of my unfinished projects (like so many other sewists!)
2.) To create a handful of posts to “Sew the World”
A few years ago I watched a Ted Talk by Ann Morgan who talked about her mission to read a book from every country. I think that would be a very cool project one day – though it feels like a bit of a daunting task. But it did make me ponder about my sewing. All my projects use quilting weight fabric or batiks. But there are so many beautiful textiles and fabrics out there! Many of these textiles showcase local cultural, dying, weaving or manufacturing techniques. I want to explore these!
Nor has quilting always been what it is today. For me, sewing revolves around acrylic templates and fancy cutting mats and rotary cutters. But it didn’t always. At least a couple of posts I want to time travel and explore fabric, patterns and techniques When did the sewing machine enter our tool box? What’s up with those 1930s reproduction prints that are so popular? Or that Jane Austen reproduction quilt? Why did batiks end up as mainstream fabric, but not other techniques? How has the colour of fabric we used changed over time? I’ve been having fun exploring museums (so many beautiful textiles!) and reading old text books.
Speaking of old texts, I love old books – cookbooks, medical books, maps and geography books. I think in many ways it is a little like time traveling. You get to sit down and have a conversation with one particular person from the past and see the world as they see it. That may not be the only viewpoint – after all history tends to reflect the person who writes it down – but it’s a glimpse and a glimmer into the past.
So come join me for adventures around the globe and back in time!
Oh, and you have an idea I should explore – please send me an email. Any and all help would be very much appreciated.