Happy Birthday to In Stitches!
Every working Morning, from June 1 through April 30, I walk into the shop and first say, “Hello Shop. I’m glad you’re still here waiting for me. Thank you for helping me to provide for my life. You’re good to me. I wish you’d cleaned up a bit while I was gone through.” I then thank God for life, health and strength, self-employment, my family &, my love of music. Yes, that’s a random combo but God gets me so it’s cool. I thank My dad for giving me his entrepreneurial spirit. I thank my mom for teaching me this sewing skill and requiring excellence. Then I thank the sandman for whatever measure of sleep I had the night before.
There is a reason I excluded the month of May. No, I’m not less grateful smack in the heart of springtime. In fact, I’m most grateful then. So much so that in May, the morning mantra starts off with my church girl rendition of Waka Flaka’s It’s a Party, It’s a Party, It’s a Partaaay!!! Before that song came out I would sing happy birthday Stevie Wonder style. Sometimes it’s followed by a church girl shout and dance two-step. Sometimes it’s a pitiful, not-for-public-viewing version of Snoop Dog C-Walk dancing. I even once tried a celebratory river dance. Fortunately, my neighbors know what the deal is and no longer show up see if I need a custom fitted, cashmere, straight jacket.
BEGINNINGS
I began sewing and made my first wearable garment at 6 years old. I grew up watching my mother sew mostly for herself but also for others as she was the alterations lady at my dad’s dry cleaners. I come from a family of 8 kids so needless to say she sewed some of our things for cost-effectiveness. Our Neighbors owned a fine tailoring business in Berkeley for over 50 years. Their granddaughter and I would steal discarded fabric scraps to make clothes for our cabbage patch dolls while sitting on the porch cheering for the boys playing kickball and karate fighting in the driveway.
Although my 2 sisters have ZERO interest in sewing, I always viewed the ability to take a flat piece of yardage and turn it into a garment as magic! I incessantly bugged my mother for any magic fashion spells in her sewing wizard notebook. There’s a ton of history between then and now. I’m sure that history will spill out in posts galore. After all I must keep you wanting more right? No really, I gotta save content for future posts or this blog will fizzle fast. Besides, It’s a partaaay!! Great parties seldom go down in epic history for the conversations held. You remember the dancing, the antics and the gifts. Well picture me dancing and you’ll know that covers the antics portion of the celebration. As for the gifts, In Stitches’ first birthday gift was when my granny gave me my mother’s first sewing machine. Another memorable gift was when my best friend used her birthday lunch date and wish to convince me to go to the county recorder and turn my gift into a licensed business. (Thanks a million Mara!) We’ve received so many gifts from our clients from new sewing machines to vacations and delectable confections that I am humbled, grateful, and unable to say which has made me ugly cry the most. This year we received a FABULOUS birthday cake from our collaborating partner, Kat, from WoolMeetWine. My inner foodie is typing a warp speed, so I can hurry and dig into that tasty goodness. Let us know if you try your hand at making an Apple Butter Upside-Down Cake—be sure to tag us on Facebook and Instagram so we can see your creation!
Help us keep the party going by sharing photos of things you’ve made, things we’ve made for you or perhaps tell of a gift you received for any occasion that touched your heart. I’m a sap for nostalgia and fond memories.
Thank you for your support over the years. I truly appreciate it and look forward to the adventures in creativity we will have in the coming year.
Fashionably yours,
- Ms. In Stitches