Meet the Sewist is our monthly series to introduce some of the many
creative sewists and makers we have in our community! Whether you are a
new sewist or have decades of experience, sell your work or sew just for
yourself, we want to meet you! If you're interested in being featured please send an email to hartfordstitch {at} gmail {dot} com.
Introduction...
When Sara and I started dreaming about Hartford Stitch our goals were two part: the first was to make sewing accessible to everyone and the second was to bring together a community of sewists and makers in Hartford. When Rebecca commented on a post I left in the West Hartford facebook group and said she'd love to talk about our business and sewing in general, I was super excited. There were people like us! After Sara and I met her for coffee, discussed her upcoming QUILT NOW COVER!! and swapped sewing stories, well... we knew we had started to find "our people" and we were thrilled. You can imagine my excitement when she agreed to do our Meet the Sewist series.
When did you start sewing?
The earliest memory I have of sewing was going to the store with my grandmother when I was 8 or 9 and picking out patterns for things for her to make for me. It was so exciting to me to come home with fabric and some buttons or a zipper and start to cut out the pieces of the pattern she would use. That was my job, flattening out the pattern and cutting all of the pieces out. Eventually she let me cut fabric too, and then use her sewing machine to do some of the simpler parts. To this day, I still have a love for paper patterns. I don’t do as much garment sewing as I used to, but it’s my first love when it comes to “making”.
The name Restitcherator came from one of my original sewing passions, which is making things from recycled fabrics, or upcycled materials of some kind. I make baby blankets and Christmas stockings from felted cashmere sweaters, and cloth napkins out of old thick cotton tablecloths. These days, that translates mostly into T-shirt quilts and quilts made from baby or toddler clothing. Both of which are incredibly personal to people and make the best gifts.
What do you like about sewing? Literally, the BEST feeling in the world is wearing something, or carrying a bag, or having a quilt on your bed, and have someone say to you “Wow, that’s beautiful, where did you buy it?” and then see the astonishment on their face when you say “I made it”. There is no greater satisfaction on Earth. I also love that when I’m sewing, I am able to really block out all of my other thoughts. I get totally engrossed in what I’m doing, and really focused. It’s actually a wonderfully freeing feeling, to not have your head racing with all of the minutia of daily life.
I also love giving hand made gifts. I think people pretty much universally still understand what it means when they are given a gift that you have made with your own hands for them. Kids especially seem to appreciate the one-of-a-kind specialness of a gift made especially for them.
My logo is the “superhero” version of me.
What's your favorite and least favorite thing to sew?
My least favorite thing to sew is hems on pants or skirts. It feels like work and I’m always afraid it will come out crooked or too short. But once people know that you sew, that’s the first thing they ask you to do “can you hem these jeans for me?”
One of my absolute favorite things I ever made was a werewolf costume for my daughter (see blog post here). I had to edit a vintage pattern we found that she loved, because it wasn’t her size. Then I made the pattern using faux fur that she picked out. She wore it for Halloween, but she also wore it a lot around the house just because she loved it. I felt a real sense of accomplishment when I finished that project.
Tell us about your sewing space...
I’m really fortunate to have a whole room in my house dedicated to sewing. I have huge open shelving so that I can see all of my fabric (yes, there is a lot of it) and two big adjustable height tables (all of it from IKEA). It’s my happy place.
What fabric do you like to work with?
I tend to be a bit of a fabric snob. The difference when you sew with quality fabrics is amazing. They are easier to sew with, wear better, last longer and stand hundreds of trips through the washer and dryer. The challenge is that now, making your own goods with quality fabric can be expensive, because they retail for around $10-11 per yard. But I truly believe in the long run, it’s well worth the extra dollars you spend to have something that you know will stand the test of time. Who wants to put all that effort into making something and have it fall apart with minimal wear?
Some of my favorite designers are Melody Miller, Bari J, Violet Craft, Joel Dewberry and Amy Butler. My taste is all over the map, style-wise. I just love happy, colorful fabrics.
Do you sell your work anywhere?
I have an Etsy shop (“Restitcherator”), but I spend the majority of my time doing custom work and either writing patterns to be published in magazines, or doing pattern tests/editing for other designers. The custom work is my favorite. Baby quilts, and custom bags of all types are what I do the most of. I’m all over social media, so if you’re interested in a custom project, you can find me there.
I’ve done pattern tests and editing for a number of designers that I met online, including Bari J, Patty Young (ModKid children’s clothing patterns), Ellen Luckett Baker (1-2-3 Sew), and John Adams (Quilt Dad). It feels like such a privilege to help someone launch a pattern, or book. It’s absolutely a labor of love.
My first pattern that was published in a magazine is in Quilt Now, the June issue. I was so thrilled when I found out my “nap set” was on the cover. It’s a lap quilt and matching pillow. I made them from my friend Bari J’s Petal & Plume fabric line. I’ve placed a second pattern, and I’ll be blogging and posting about where you can find that one shortly.
What other kind of making do you do?
When I was younger, I did all kinds of needlework. Needlepoint, cross-stitch and knitting. I went through a phase where I was only knitting for a few years. When I had my daughter, that’s when I got back into sewing. I wanted to make her some summer dresses and got caught by the sewing bug again.
Where do you find your inspiration?
I find a ton of inspiration on-line. I can get lost for hours looking at Pinterest and reading blogs if I’m not careful.
What's your favorite technique?
I am totally hooked on Drunkard’s Path blocks now, they are my current obsession. Now that I’ve learned to be comfortable sewing curves for quilts (curves in garments are MUCH easier) I want to do them all of the time.
What resources/community do you use?
One of my favorite parts of sewing, is the sewing community of people that I’ve found online. It’s how I met Bari J., and eventually made my way to Quilt Market, which is the quilting and sewing industry’s way of launching all of the new fabrics they sell each spring and fall.
I am huge lover of classes and group sewing opportunities. I am attending Glamp Stitchalot in November. It’s a weekend “camp” with six teachers held by Pink Castle Fabrics. I also attended a Heather Ross sewing weekend a few years ago with Jay Mccarroll, winner of Season 1 of Project Runway, and Liesl Gibson of Oliver & S patterns fame. When I go to these classes, I feel like I’ve found my “tribe”. It’s a place where you can gush about sewing and fabric for literally three days in a row and no one tries to change the subject. It’s heaven on Earth to me.
Just this winter, I finally bit the bullet and also became a member of the Southern CT Modern Quilt Guild. It’s kind of a haul, an hour to the monthly meetings, which are held in Weston, CT. But I get such inspiration from the women in that group, and it’s the same feeling of camaraderie I just mentioned. The members are all so supportive of each other, and are willing to help you learn a technique or find a resource. I love it.
Where else can we find you?
Rebecca Makas
Instagram: @Restitcherator
Member of the Southern CT Modern Quilt Guild (SCMQG)
