In recent years, Rae has embraced the practice of slow-paced hand stitching and incorporated it into a number of jackets, tops and more. If you have seen the current issue of Threads Magazine, the coat featured in Boro Composition is completely embellished by hand and even the seams were finished by hand. This year, Rae is thankful for hand sewing zen.
An Abiding Love for Hand Stitching
The boro coat was a labor of love, and this complex project was preceded by several previous projects where Rae tried out different ideas. As we continue to honor things for which we are thankful, Rae shares some of the reasons she loves hand stitching.
My hand sewing practice dates back to my earliest stitching. My mother would sew at her very fancy Nicci sewing machine and I would sit next to her with a project in my lap. It was years before I was finally allowed to stitch on the machine.
There were many different phases in my hand stitching journey, but most of them involved embroidery. In college I had a little side hustle embroidering work shirts for a small fee. As a young adult, there was a little sidebar into counted cross stitch and an even shorter time spent on crewel and needlepoint. I often worked on holiday gifts in the evenings all the year through.
As a custom dressmaker, there were always hems, or hand appliqué and beading work, to fill the evenings. To be honest, I only sew on the machine at night if there is a major looming deadline. So having projects to work on in front of the TV or while listening to music at night helps me rest more peacefully when I go to sleep. It also gently keeps my arthritic hands exercised!
Plan Projects that Incorporate Hand Stitching
The boro coat project is a perfect example of fun and satisfying hand work. It is colorful and interesting. Because each section was hand quilted and appliquéd before the coat was constructed, it was not a big pile in my lap, but a small piece that can be stitched anywhere. In fact, several parts of this coat were hand stitched on an airplane or while riding in the car.
It was also fun to create a series of studies to experiment with the composition and stitching I wanted to do on this coat. All the studies were stitched at La Cascade, the ultimate zen place for hand stitching experimentation. They have since been mounted into a large size snippet roll wound around an old wooden spool. I used them to experiment with thread color, stitch options and other ideas, such as mixing stitches and featuring favorite fabrics. The snippets include some of the same materials that I ended up incorporating into the coat.
Create Projects That Keep Your Hands Busy
When I count my blessings, the act of hand stitching, when not on deadline, is a real pleasure. There is also great pleasure in having friends, like the editors of Threads and Classic Sewing, who trust me to create beautiful pieces for everyone’s enjoyment and inspiration. Sadly, Classic Sewing will no longer be printing a magazine after the current holiday issue. This reduction in print media options is sad, but all the more reason to support those who continue to keep the sewing voice alive on paper, including Threads Magazine and the publisher of our book Fox Chapel Press.
Perhaps you will adopt a new hand sewing project as a gift making challenge this month. Use one of our projects and make a composition book cover, sleep mask or fabric flower. Or plan a personal wardrobe challenge for the new year, adding a simply amazing garment to your me made wardrobe. Just know that these are projects to be savored, not rushed. Start in January for a new coat you will enjoy when the air gets crisp and cold in the fall.
Take Advantage of Fit for Art’s Inspiring Content
Need a prompt to get started on such a project? Join us this summer at La Cascade for inspiration and practice in a restful and historically creative space. Be sure to click through and read some of the linked blog posts in the highlighted text, which will offer additional ideas. Pick up a copy of the Holiday 2024 Threads Magazine and a copy of our book Sewing Quilted Patchwork Jackets. If you need to get started with the basics of sewing jackets, enjoy $25 off the cost of our virtual Tabula Rasa Jacket Class until the end of the year with coupon code KICKOFF25. Finally, as part of our holiday sale, all print patterns are 30% off through Friday, Dec. 6 with coupon code HOLIDAY30.
Enjoy the Process, RAE
