Make My Mistakes Make My Makes More Masterful - mmm!
Hi, I'm 67 this month and my trade is plastering and general building and was my living for fifty self employed years, man and boy (15). And as with many, lockdown enabled me to learn new skills, and as a constructionist by nature allowed me to cross over some related skills and fundamental construction norms and practises into sewing. Also, in building, I had always dealt with squares, right angles and mostly straight lines and parallel uprights, so making clothes and bags with shaping and curves opened up new challenges both technically, mathematically and mentally, as plastering is more physically challenging, repetitive and the least technically demanding skilled trade in construction: people laugh when I say that but it's true, but, doesn't by any suggestion mean plasterers are stupid or thick. Sewing has also taught me patience, a great deal of unpicking patience. I have high finishing standards that I also strive to maintain in my sewing makes, and a keen eye for symmetry and detail. Not easy though is it to come up with new styles and creations, but try we must. I also like, elegance, class, and vibrant colour, but not so much in being overly flamboyant with it. I like draping and what can be created from it. I rarely use bought patterns, either adapt or create my own. I make stuff for my wife, obviously, mostly my own designs, and repair or upcycle, re fashion, any of the clothes she has or gets from charity shops where she once worked which was handy as many an old sheet or duvet cover has been put to good use as a toile.
we've been married (37 years) have a son, and a daughter who has, I am glad to say, left home as her room is now my sewing room and I think it's become even more in a mess than she ever made it. I'm self taught in everything I do, although my mother made clothes (her father a master builder) and my mother in law was a seamstress, but have had no training from either. I learned my trade from the bottom up as a plasterer's mate, no apprenticeship, no college, no UNI, in fact I have no qualifications whatsoever other than a first level evening class creative writing course certificate, as I used to write adult fiction, children's fiction and self illustrated picture books, although I don't consider myself in any way truly artistic, nor sadly was I ever published. I also have an evening class certificate in first level conversation Spanish, because I'd love to live there one day, although I still can't understand a word of it when hablandado to me. All I have in my CV is an open and broad mind and a fully eager to learn hands on attitude.
No, I have no cats, or dogs or, pets of any kind and hope that won't be held against me, LOL. That is not to say I don't love animals, I do, just other peoples', it's cheaper and less worrying, plus my wife has a phobia of animals especially dogs (bad experience as a child). However, I do donate monthly to Guide Dogs for the Blind and my current sponsored trainee is a black Labrador called Margo from which I get pup dates on her progress.
I also custom made my own sewing table as I like to stand as much as I can when sewing. I also dabble in self designed machine embroidery using convert to stitch pattern embroidery software. I have a go at making anything as I like a challenge and if anyone had asked me at 15 if I'd be riding a sewing machine at 63, to now, making men and women's bags and clothes, hats and coats I'd have laughed in their face; but hey, ain't life just full of surprises, that sometimes leap from nowhere and just blow you away, and go break all those darned annoying age old stereotypes. Just wish I'd discovered sewing sooner, that's all, as I will have enjoyed it for far longer. Thankyou for reading this far, Gary
