From Rags to Stitches. . .
My Love Affair with Garment Design.
It all began when I was four years old. My mother had a bag of old tablecloths and old clothes, her ragbag, from which I was free to pick and choose fabrics to cut up and sew as I saw fit. With these I conceived and laid out countless patchwork tablecloths that never got sewn, and sloppily practiced my hand sewing.
Most importantly I used her rags to design and sew my first dress. I did this, as the four-year old I was would say, all by myself. My parents were both shocked and amused that I did this.
They were even more shocked and amused by the two patches, stuffed with cotton balls, that I included on the outside. Makeshift breasts. It was dubbed “The Booby Dress.” Sadly, these “boobies” were quite square and unnatural looking. I quickly deduced that to avoid laughter I should have made small round pillows and placed them on the inside of the dress, thus creating a more natural profile. Such was my first experience with design.
A few years ago, I “discovered” knitting. My Texan grandmother and my Spaniard abuela halfway around the world both knit. How the joy of knitting escaped me for so long I don’t know!
I love the opportunity to create fabric and garment simultaneously, with it's many possibilites. I love the simplicity of knitting, and it's potential for complexity. I love the connection I feel to the past when create as so many before me have. I love the connection I feel to the recipient of a knitted gift- the protection I give them with love in every stitch.
And so from creating dresses from my mother’s scraps, to picking up my first knitting needles -- from rags to stitches-- I now find myself delving into the world of knitwear design.
This blog is devoted to all of it- the techniques, the designs, the materials, and even the connection and philosophy of knitting. I will be writing regular articles on topics of interest, including techniques used in my patterns. I also welcome suggestions from readers. Have a knitting question you've always wondered about? Email me at WildFireKnits@live.com. I'll answer as many questions as I can in a special column.
Until then,
Until then,
CG
