I have been sewing for over 40 years. I learned how to sew from my mother who was a high school teacher and college professor of Home Economics. She learned to sew from her mother who learned from her father who was a tailor by profession at the turn-of-the-20th century. My mother limited the amount of ready made clothing she would buy for me, but the fabric and patterns for sewing projects was unlimited. As a result, I sewed myself many, many things throughout my tween and teens years.
I have always been artistic, and majored in Design at University of California at Davis. I found my sewing skills handy and felt I had an advantage over my classmates in textiles arts classes even if they didn’t directly require sewing. As time allowed, I continued to sew clothing for myself throughout college and beyond. For short time after graduation, when I was trying “to figure out what to do with my life,” I worked for a dressmaker and even had a dressmaking business of my own for a short while. Soon I earned a teaching credential and, along with Math, taught Home Economics for four years in high school. I still sewed for myself, but soon my two children were born and all focus was on them including my sewing projects and, of course, I enjoyed every moment. As they got older, I stopped regularly sewing for them and, aside from my daughter’s prom dress which I sewed last year, it’s been about a decade since I’ve done much garment making.
I don’t really know why I stopped sewing for myself. One of the probable reasons is that now days it’s really not cheaper to sew than buy ready made. Another reason is that I am about 15 pounds heavier and also thicker around the middle than I was 20 years ago and I feel that the styles I look good in now are limited.
So why do I want to revive garment sewing for myself now? I have always wondered “what do I want to do when I grow up?” Now that I have reached 50, am an empty nester and have not built one continuous career for 30 years, I have begun to ask myself, what have I accomplished and what do I want to focus on? I decided I want to share my expertise in something few people are really good at, and that is sewing. By committing to making a new garment twice a month, I will actively think about fashion for myself and I will show myself and my followers that regardless of your body type, with knowledge and careful technique, you can sew something that will look great on you.
I hope you enjoy following me on my journey!
Sewing Myself Stylish 
Great to see you sewing again, Lori
Thanks, mom. I owe it all to you!
I too stopped sewing clothes for many years after making virtually everything as a teenager and student. I discovered your festival skirt when investigating Amy Butler makes on Instagram and really like it. Good luck with your stitching journey!
I love connecting with others who have re-discovered sewing for themselves! Nice projects on your blog! Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you continue enjoy your sewing journey too.
Hi Lori, I’m so happy to have found your blog! I’ve had my sewing machine cleaned and I’m ready to start sewing clothing again, now what? I am a bit older than you, 60 now, and to find clothing that is stylish in its simplicity is a challenge for me. But you appear to get that! I especially like “let’s be honest”. Choice of fabrics, why one over another, is confusing for me. Would you want to talk about some of that? To find a voice that is of my generation is like fresh air. Thank you and please, keep blogging!
I agree! I always found that no matter the body shape (mine has changed over the years) I have always been able to find something I like and adjust it so that it fits me better than store bought. So I don’t bother with store bought anymore.
I really enjoy your blog! I’m in a very similar situation–56, larger around the middle than I used to be, and I learned to sew as a child. I had 3 sisters and 1 brother, and my mother made almost everything we wore. We were all tall, so nothing fit very well in the stores. Plus it saved so much money! I really like a lot of your pattern choices–I may be a bit of a copy cat. Thanks for putting it all out there! You’re making some great things. Just so our names don’t get so mixed up, I’m going to go by Lori Sue 🙂
Thank you for the inspiration and beautiful skills you chose to share.