The Costume Shop

I graduated from Brigham Young University-Idaho in December of 2013. I majored in Health Science with an emphasis in Community and Worksite Wellness and I minored in Clothing Construction. 

I took every sewing class the university offered, but it still wasn't enough! I wanted to work as a seamstress. My senior year I worked for the Theater Department Costume Shop making costumes for productions. The BYU-Idaho Theater webpage shows some of the past theater productions, many of which I worked on during my year of working there. 

Here are a few screenshots from that website:

Each semester the theater department put on two production, Giving us about six weeks to construct every costume in time for the show.

There were usually about six of us employed each semester. I usually worked a few hours most days a week. On an ordinary work day, would come in after class, grab something from the rack that needed work, and sit at a sewing machine and sew for a few hours. 

We had visitors, did fittings, ran errands, and often listened to movies as we worked. When available, we would watch the movie rendition of the theater production we were constructing for. I learned a lot about theater and even more about sewing. My boss was a great seamstress and pattern maker and I loved working for her. 

I only wish I had applied as a freshman and not waited until I was a senior. 

Burgundy Baby Quilt

My most recent project has been a baby blanket. 

One Friday night, my husband and I were brainstorming date ideas. The movies just didn't appeal to us, so we had the idea to sew something together! I always have a list of projects in mind, so it was between a blanket and a tie. We chose the easier of the two.

I've been saving this fabric for about a year now. My brother went on a two week service trip to Cape Verde, Africa last year and brought me home this beautiful yard of fabric. He knows me so well!

We keep telling ourselves that we will give it to our first niece (we have two nephews), but I'm certain I will end up keeping it for our first baby girl.

The batting is cotton and the backing is the closest color match we could find to the floral print fabric. 

For the quilting, we traced the flowers so the back would be as beautiful as the front. 

It was extra difficult because I don't yet have a darning foot that allows you to make designs free hand. I used by regular foot and shifted the quilt as I made the design. I've ordered my quilting foot and I can't wait for it to come and make my life a whole lot easier next time around

Jesse, my husband, helped with serging, ironing, and even traced a flower! 

(He is such a good sport)

We have yet to finish it. All we have left is the binding and then we are done! 

We will now be starting a "For Babies" box in our closet. 

My Portfolio

I've always promised myself I would never start a blog.

I'm sensible enough to know that I have a perfectly normal (wonderful) life with nothing too important to say. However, I'm justifying it by considering this a project portfolio. 

I love to sew and I'm not half bad at it! 

Printing pictures and making a physical portfolio just didn't make sense. I have far too many projects and far too many pictures.

I'm a seamstress and this is a place for me to document my work. Better late than lever!