I grew up with a master seamstress of a mother (ooooo, that sounds so straight from the hood!) who in my youth has sweetly and in the most motherly lovingly way imaginable attempted to teach me many times over this amazingly cool life skill of making your own clothes. But funny enough, I never really go into it until I had kids of my own. I often wonder if that was just due to maturity (stifle of snicker here) or, not be rude, because my mom's not around.
To put it gently my mom and I have different sewing/living styles. Maybe it's a personality thing or because of the way she was taught (by a hoity-toity haute couture type) but she is impecable with her mad skillz! I remember working alongside her feeling my energy drain quickly after the giddy initial planning of the project stage as I had to rip out seams and start things over and over again because it wasn't. just. so. I eventually felt I didn't have, or ever will have, the eye for detail or the patience required to be a proper, card carrying seamstress.
This week in my creative coaching training we were asked to think back to a moment when we were able to overcome this very common roadblock to creativity; perfectionism. For me it was the discovery of the Japanese philosophy of wabi sabi; the beauty in imperfection.
Craig and I were introduced to this worldview together. I can't remember how exactly but he wrote me a poem around that time, when we were still fresh, called Wabi Kathy (gush) and this was how I started falling in love with sewing and seeing more beauty in the world in general.
My Backwoods Mama Spring Sew Camp is a testament of the not taking it too serious bit. The important part is having fun with the process, taking shortcuts when the opportunity presents itself and then daring to wear your beautifully imperfect creation out. Or at least in the garden. Or on the couch. Either way what happens in the Backwoods, stays in the Backwoods.
For today's vlog entry, I cracked this video out of my Top Secret Backwoods Mama Access Only Vlog Vault to show you a sample of what one of the classes is like to see if you'd like to take my hand and go into the deep not-so-scary Backwoods with me. Just don't forget your bread crumbs!
And you might be interested to know that Campers are eligible to take part in an affiliate program. If a camp purchase is traced back to you you get 50% of the sale! Get two of your buddies to join and voila; free spring wardrobe! Kinda.
