I hated home economics in high school. I had no patience, no precision, and no particular desire to be there. In the years since, I’ve learned to cook a little (mostly things like soups, where precision isn’t required) and, during the pandemic, I finally revisited sewing. Yes, I am that person.

The decision was partly driven by decluttering. I was cleaning out some clothing that, sadly, didn’t fit me anymore. There were some lovely pieces by Toronto designer Annie Thompson, plus a number of interesting scarves that I’d acquired over the years. I could, in theory, have listed them on Poshmark or deposited them in one of the used clothing bins in the neighbourhood. But I am definitely not a ‘list it on Poshmark/Facebook’ person (to my regret) and the fabrics were so beautiful that I couldn’t bear to just put them in a bin. So I decided to create something new with them.

Keep in mind that I haven’t done anything but mend the occasional tear or sew on a button in years. I also don’t have a sewing machine and don’t want one. After some searching through YouTube, I discovered a tutorial on Boro, a Japanese method of hand-stitching scraps into a new piece. That seemed like a something I could do.

I started with a scarf (above). This did require buying a plain beige one, but Winners supplied that. I only needed scissors, pins, a needle, and some thread sourced from a local fabric store (which would later loom large in my endeavours). I found doing the work relaxing, as the amount of precision required was minimal. I could even watch video essays while I stitched.

Once that was done, it was on to something more challenging. I decided to adorn the back of an old Tilley vest inherited from my mother. I enlisted my more talented artistic friend Gillian to help me with the design, which improved it considerably. The key components were two Annie Thompson vests and a dress.

Next up, I took apart an Annie skirt. The two zippered pockets plus a strap became a handy little bag I could use on walks to carry my keys and my phone. The rest of the skirt was added to a knit bolero jacket to form a new “Frankendress.”

Now, it was time to up my game. I’d been inspired by all the fabric art I’d seen at the Venice Biennales. I was gifted a set of Japanese fabrics, including some obis from kimonos, and designed two small wall-hangings (ok, I did have Gillian’s help on this front). But I realized that I didn’t really know HOW to do a wall-hanging. Did I need batting? What kind of backing should I use?

Fabric Spark was once again the answer. In addition to selling fabric, they also run classes. An upcoming one was on Kawandi, a style of quilting created by the African-Indian Siddi community. I immediately signed up and it was 100% worth it. Not only did I figure out that yes, I needed batting, and yes, there was an easy backing I could get, I discovered a whole new creative diversion.

I don’t have any particular talent, but I’ve come to value creating visual art with my hands. It’s an important antidote to both writing (my creative life) and numbers (my former work one). It feels good to flex a different muscle for a change.

Here’s what I managed in the three hours last week. I’m looking forward to getting back to work on it.

You may notice a few fabrics from the vest and making a reappearance here. Waste not….