Here are some highlights from my conversation with Rachel:
Rachel has been sewing for around 10 years. She had owned a sewing machine for a while before that, but hadn’t really got into sewing. Mosting using it to quickly run up last minute fancy dress costumes for her young kids. The push that really sparked Rachel’s sewing journey was when her daughter requested a handmade prom dress. Luckily she asked well in advance, so Rachel had time to hone her sewing skills before tackling the prom dress.
Commercial sewing patterns used in school sewing lessons had left Rachel feeling confused and uninspired, so she started her sewing journey with Tilly and the Buttons and created a Coco dress using the easy-to-follow instructions. Being 5″10′, Rachel quickly realised she would have to adjust pattern to add length to the sleeves and hems. Now she revels in the fact that she can create well fitting garments she wouldn’t be able to find in the shops.
Rachel tends to buy fabric online, and has curated an impressive collection over the past decade. Her first sewing room was in a bedroom upstairs after her daughter moved out. Rachel later moved to the old dining room, but the upstairs bedroom stayed as a big fabric storage closet! Since the birth of her first grandchild, Rachel wants to reclaim that bedroom upstairs, so has embarked on a destashing journey. Rachel acknowledges that her tastes have changed since she first started sewing, which has helped make decisions about what stays and what goes. As a beginner, Rachel bought lots of cotton, but now prefers to sew with drapier fabrics such as viscose twill. Rachel also had a personal colour analysis which has really helped highlight the colours that suit her the best. Although the destashing process has been difficult at times, Rachel said she felt a great sense of relief after destashing around 400 fabrics! Rachel is using Magic Input to add her latest fabric purchases to Stash Hub and plans to slowly work through the rest of her collection over time.
