1. What does your workspace/design space look like?
"My workspace is very bright & colorful! My husband actually thought I was crazy when I told him that I wanted to paint it lime green and aqua, but I love it. I find bold color motivating. The video is mostly shot in my workspace, actually. It’s not a huge space, and I have to make both my sewing stuff and my other work stuff (computer, printer, files, etc) fit, so I try to get as creative with storage as possible, and use just about every inch of wall space. My favorite piece in the room is a big cabinet/bookcase that my father-in-law made for me. I drew up a very rough plan, and he is so talented—he drafted it into a real plan and then built it! I painted it the same aqua as the walls. It’s got all kinds of neat cubbies and drawers for storing my fabric and craft supplies."
2. Do you save your mistakes or designs you don't love right away - or ditch them?
"I save almost everything! I think that’s the result of being raised by parents who were born during the Depression years. I don’t always return to some failed project right away (or ever) but it’s so hard for me to throw anything away, because I always see the possibility of remaking it into something else. I have a basket full of my mistakes—bags I didn’t think through, skirts where I measured wrong, etc. The good thing about mistakes is that they help me learn. Without mistakes, I’d never figure anything out. And they’re always good scraps."
3. What's on your "next to try" list?
"I just learned to embroider (thanks to Jenny Hart’s Sublime Stitching) and I’m really getting into that. It’s opened up so many possibilities. For example, my two-year-old is really into Clifford right now, and he’s about to get his first big boy bed. So I decided to make him a Clifford quilt, and I’ve been able to do it because now I know how to embroider. I traced all of these Cliffords from his books and then embroidered them onto the quilt squares. So I definitely want to explore more embroidery projects, and more handwork projects in general, like crochet (I used to think I didn’t like to do handwork stuff, but now I’m realizing how wonderful and relaxing it is). I’d like to sharpen my clothing pattern drafting skills, too. Right now, I’m about 8 months pregnant, and dreaming of the time when I can start making regular-size clothes again! I’d like to learn more about how to draft dresses, for example, and how to customize patterns more."
5. Do you ever work with recycled materials?
"I LOVE recycled materials! My favorites are handkerchiefs, linens, feedsacks, and old aprons. My sister and I hit the flea market circuit each summer and I buy up the vintage wares that grab my eye to remake into something else. I certainly don’t have the market cornered on this: other designers make amazing things with recycled materials. I’m really still learning how to use them and think outside the box."
6. What music do you listen to when designing?
"I have very eclectic music tastes, so it’s everything from the Once soundtrack to Beth Orton to The Smiths to Aimee Mann to sappy 70s pop. I have tons of playlists saved in iTunes (because I also listen to them while running) and I love the variety. I also like to listen to the CraftSanity podcasts while sewing/designing."
7. How long does a design take you to create?
"It definitely depends on what it is. Some things come to me right away—I just get a quick vision and then do a rough sketch. Other times, I think about stuff for weeks. I love to work out design concepts while running. I did a marathon last year, and I can’t tell you how many project specs I worked out in the middle of those long two- and three-hour training runs. As far as actually making something: sometimes, I’m really slow and other times, I’m super manic. Pregnancy has definitely made me manic! I can’t seem to stop making bed quilts, and I make them in a few weeks. But sometimes it can take me a few weeks just to finish something really simple if I’m only working on it for a few minutes here and there."8. How do you organize your supplies?
"I wish I could say that I organized them better! I do have the fabulous cabinet I just talked about, and that comes in handy. And I have some nice built-in bookshelves for stacking fabric. I also use canvas bins to store fabric. Of course, I still have boxes of fabric in the basement too (from my college days when I worked at a fabric store and was always buying something). As for notions and things like scissors, I try to hang as much as I can to get it out of my way, or put it in shelves in or drawers. I wish I had a beautiful storage system, but I just do what works. Sometimes that means stacking a bunch of fabric on the ironing board for a few days while I work on something."
9. What books/magazines do you read?
"I LOVE sewing books. I’m a really junkie for them. I tend to go in phases with them. I’m always in an Amy Butler phase because I love everything she does. Right now, I’m loving Anna Maria Horner’s Handmade Beginnings, because I’m pregnant and there are some great maternity patterns in there and such cute baby stuff. I also love Amy Karol’s Bend the Rules Sewing, and I’m constantly flipping to that for ideas. Betz White has great ideas for re-use and recycling in Sewing Green, too. I don’t have any of the Wendy Mullin (Built by Wendy) books, but they’re next on my list! As for magazines, I love ReadyMade and Martha Stewart Living. I also like to flip through Country Living for inspiration. I really enjoyed looking at the latest issue of Stitch Magazine (I’m eagerly awaiting the next!), and I love all of the Somerset titles about sewing/crafting lifestyles too. I can’t say that I pull specific projects out and make them on the spot, but I get lots of ideas and inspiration and am always cutting things out and sticking them either on my bulletin boards or in a little binder where I keep project ideas. I also like to grab titles like In-Style and Vogue, or raid my 21-year-old niece’s magazine stash for all the celeb rag mags!"10. How would you describe your personal style?
"Laid back and low key! I love the idea of high fashion, but when it comes to how I actually dress, I’m much more Macy’s and Target! My favorite thing to do is dress up a basic outfit with a great vintage necklace, or a fabric pin that I’ve made. I love skirts (especially in the summer) and have really been into making them (when not pregnant). A nice-fitting tee or tank with a comfortable, flowy skirt (not too long and not too short), and some vintage beads is pretty much the perfect outfit for me."11. How do you determine what a design is going to be made with?
"I always lay everything out first so I can see. Sometimes I’ll have an idea in my head of what fabric I should use or how the colors should be balanced, and then when I see it, I’m way off. I trust my eye, but not always my brain."
12. Do you have a collection of anything?
"I’ve been collecting handkerchiefs and vintage linens, but it’s not a huge collection. I probably have about 50 handkerchiefs and a dozen or so feedsacks or old sheets/curtains. I would love to collect more, but again, it’s the space issue. I try to only buy what I really want, not just things to feed a collection. In terms of decorative stuff, I wouldn’t say that I have a collection exactly, but I love simple bird shapes, like little glass bird votive holders, or cast iron birds, or those great 50s mixing bowls with bird motifs. I have them scattered about the house (out of reach of the two-year-old!)."
13. And the all important question (from Ravelry) what is your favorite swear word?
"Is this PG? That’s a tough one. Maybe m*fo. But all of my really favorite swear words are quite R-rated. I’ve been trying very hard to curb that since I now have a two-year-old who mimics everything."
Thanks Judi for sharing!
If you like sewing and reading about other sewers you will love:
Learn more about Sew Retro and enjoy bonus projects and tutorials at www.sewretrothebook.com!
Learn more about Judi at www.judiketteler.com.
I bought Sew Retro two weeks ago and can't wait to get started on a project. The history is very interesting too, it was like a trip down memory lane! I was talking about it with my older sisters because they had that Simplicity Sewing Book when they were taking Home Ec. in high school.
Thanks again! I truly enjoy this book.
Posted by: PinkGranny | August 18, 2010 at 11:11 PM
What an intriguing idea to look at the development of sewing along with featured period projects.
I think her historic features will be my favorites.
Posted by: Suella | August 20, 2010 at 10:02 AM