This giveaway is now closed.
♥ This is a fantastic feature + interview for those that love to be inspired by stories, needlework, cooking, sewing or fashion. Back in September 2010, I had the true pleasure of meeting Amy at The Creative Connection. We swapped some vintage sewing patterns I had for her book, Vintage Notions {we both scored on this trade *wink*}. I’m SO EXCITED to be able to share Amy’s book with you through a giveaway at the end of this post. Grab a cup of coffee and read along as I chat with Amy below.
Amy Barickman [top photo], founder and owner of Indygo Junction and The Vintage Workshop is a leader in the sewing, needle arts and retail crafting industry. Her recent endeavors include authoring Hankie Style (published in 2009), as well as Amy Barickman’s Vintage Notions: An Inspirational Guide to Needlework, Cooking, Sewing, Fashion and Fun, published September 2010 [bottom photo].
The inspiration behind Amy’s book >>
Before Martha Stewart and Etsy. Before D.I.Y and Project Runway. Before the modern craft movement turned into the mecca of online creativity it is today, there was one woman who worked to give credibility, resources, and entrepreneurial spirit to the Home Arts—Mary Brooks Picken. She founded The Woman’s Institute of Domestic Arts & Sciences in 1916, and was appointed the first woman trustee of the Fashion Institute of Technology. But her work as been largely forgotten. Until now.
In VINTAGE NOTIONS, Amy Barickman (recently named one of the country’s most creative entrepreneurs by Country Living magazine), has collected the patterns, projects and inspiration of this unsung pioneer to the crafting community at large, reinventing her work for a new generation of women. It’s filled with 34 recipes, 12 patterns, 162 vintage fabric swatches, 370 original illustrations from the Women’s Institute Publications, and complete glossary of stitches, and more — and is organized by season to create a kind of blueprint for living a simple, fulfilling life. You can read more about Amy and the book here.
Amy writes ~ “For Gussy, Enjoy! Great connecting with you at TCC! All my best, Amy B.”
Gussy Sews interviews Amy Barickman >>
What was one of your first sewing projects? One of the first projects I remember working on was a wrap skirt. My mom thought it would be a good first project so she gave it to me, and my friend Rhonda, to make. Even though I remember it turning out great, I was only eight at the time. I’m sure it wasn’t ready for the runways of Paris.
What do you remembering being a challenging part of the process, and what kind of advice can offer someone struggling with that same technique or process? My mom was both a wonderful teacher and a frustrating one at the same time… as is always the case when mothers teach daughters. Honestly though, the only real struggle I remember my mom and I consistently having was over technique. She was a stickler for making sure that I learned things the right way from the start. I, on the other hand, being a kid, was willing to settle for much less.
Now that I have a few years between then and now, and I have a wonderful eight-year-old daughter of my own, Emma, I understand how challenging it is to try and teach your own child. As they say, everything that goes around, comes around. Luckily, I have a wonderful shop close by that teaches kids sewing classes.
I love the details the drawings add to the book.
The handmade movement seems to be growing rapidly. How do you find inspiration in such a saturated period? Oh…I wouldn’t call it saturated at all. When people are looking inside themselves and discovering their own creativity and, more importantly, finding beautiful ways to bring that creativity to life…it’s a great thing. This is a fantastic period and I find it incredibly inspirational.
The primary difference between now and a generation ago, from a handmade point-of-view, is mostly technological. Every generation has had its masses of people yearning to create. Nowadays, however, the Web has made that discovery and execution process happen at lightning speed. First, the number of Web sites and blogs out there with projects and ideas is astounding. Truthfully, there are more ideas floating around than can every actually be made. Next, the growth of the blogosphere has created an unbelievably encouraging and supportive network for crafters of all sorts. You need someone to help you with a project or merely supply an “atta girl,” there’s a blog community for you. As well, beyond the idea-related content online, there are instructional Web sites, downloadable PDFs and videos on, what seems like, every conceivable concept. Want to learn something new? It’s only a video away. Lastly, shopping online is now ubiquitous behavior. We don’t even think twice about it anymore. As such, companies like my own Indygo Junction can put more patterns, instructions, tools and supplies in the hands of people anywhere in world.
One of the most inspiring parts of this current surge in handmade is seeing the number of younger crafters coming into the field. I know it’s because of their innate facility with technology… but wow! The energy and creativity being brought to projects today is really fantastic. I’m also thrilled to see recycling (or up-cycling) taking such a prominent role. Did you know that Colin Firth’s wife, Livia, wore a beautiful Gary Harvey dress to the Oscars that was made from 11 vintage dresses, each hailing from the era of “The King’s Speech?” Truly inspirational.
By the way, all of us at Indygo Junction have been focused on recycling and up-cycling for quite sometime. Two of our biggest selling books are uniquely focused on recycling and repurposing. Our Denim Redesign book takes your favorite jeans and turns them into jackets, purses and more. Our recent Hankie Style book is a beautiful, fashion-forward book that up-cycles handkerchiefs into tops, skirts, aprons and purses. We Love this trend!
Lastly, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Mary Brooks Picken in this discussion. Creating your own individual style through the making of your own clothing and accessories was one of the things that drew me to Mary’s work. Mary lived every day with the belief that you were most happy and comfortable with yourself when you felt good in your clothes. She spent her entire life encouraging women to find both style and personal fulfillment with a needle and thread. In my book, Vintage Notions, I tried to make sure that this way of living that Mary so graciously espoused was represented in the articles, patterns, recipes and vintage content.
Share with us some of your favorite designers or materials. I love any designer with a vintage flair. Many of the prominent designers, like Ralph Lauren, always have a nod to the fashions of yesteryear in their designs. Of course, if you look hard enough at individual finishing touches, you can see a vintage influence in Lucky Brand items as well.
You mention Mary Brooks Picken (who founded The Woman’s Institute of Domestic Arts and Sciences) as a source of inspiration for your book, Vintage Notions. What first comes to mind when you think of Ms. Picken? Just how much she impacted the lives of women of her day and that her legacy has transcended generations…whenever I am out lecturing or on the road at shows, I find almost everyone has something to share about a family member that has inspired them with creative talents and passed those skills or treasured heirlooms from one generation to the next…
She also played a lead role in so many amazing american fashion institutions during her life – The Costume Institute at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Fashion Institute and The Fashion Group. In fact, I recently visited The Fashion Group in NYC to do some further research on Mary’s post institute life – here’s a post about my trip. While there, I found minutes from when Mary was president from 1933 to 1935 along with a letter to Mary from a member saying how incredibly gracious she had been with all of the groups’ members, always willing to be helpful and supportive to the individual member no matter their walk of life.
What are your favorite stories of “timeless wisdom” Mary Brooks Picken brought to your life? Truly, there are so many stories that it’s very difficult for me to pick one from amongst them all. However, there is a story from Mary that I put in Vintage Notions July chapter. In it, Mary tells of a woman she once met that lived in a railroad box car. This woman managed to make the best of a dismal situation by using scarves, fabric and paint to make the box car as presentable as
possible and through keeping a positive attitude. Her attitude touched and influenced Mary to write: “Give smiles if you have nothing else. Give encouragement, good cheer. Make beauty come to you through your desire to express it… if beauty is in the heart, all can give happiness.”
So much of the time we let our external lives govern whether we’re happy or content. Mary’s writings reminded me of what is truly important and, for that, I will be eternally grateful to her.
How can women in their 20’s and 30’s relate to your book? What stories or projects first come to mind? When I wrote Vintage Notions, I tried, as often as was possible, to try and create universal content – topics and stories that would appeal to older readers, younger women… everyone. However, speaking directly to your question, there are many chapters that contain vintage topics with a modern spin to which young women can relate directly. In the very first chapter, there’s a reprint of an Inspiration article from 1923 entitled “Re-model, Re-cycle, Re-use: How to remodel past-season frocks,” a lovely link that relates directly with today’s trends of repurposing and up-cycling. There are also some fantastic Magic Patterns to create a fabric flower pin and a wonderful apron from a man’s shirt. There’s pretty much something for everybody in Vintage Notions.
♥ Want to win a *SIGNED* copy of Vintage Notions, a 240-page fabulous craft book? Leave a comment below sharing how handmade inspires you. I’ll pick a winner in a couple of days. xoxo
connect with Amy: twitter, facebook, blog
Ohhh how I would so so love love love !!! to win this book~!
I just scored two of Mary Brooks Picken’s SEWING books just over the weekend see my blog post here!
http://alifeunrehearsed2.blogspot.com/2011/04/weekend-book-finds.html can you say score.. these book are TRULY AMAZING.. thanks for the opportunity to win VINTAGE NOTIONS! Hugs bonitarose
Creating things by hand puts a smile on my face, it’s what keeps me going. I love giving things that I made and I love receiving things other people made, because it really tells a person how much you care, if you put great time and care into your projects. I am also very inspired by vintage notions and like to include them whenever possible.
Handmade and DIY movements have inspired me to take charge of my wardrobe. Instead of buying new clothes when I gain or lose weight, I’m able to alter the favorites I already own!
I think handmade is a connection for me. It’s a lot more personal. :)
I get so much pleasure from creating and giving handmade things!
I would love to win a copy of this book!
What a beautiful book!
Handmade inspires me…not to “what” but to “be”. There’s a happy feeling you get when you receive, see, or make something by hand that touches you or brings you to a place back in time that evokes a particular memory/feeling.
I have always loved to craft for as long as I can remember, the creation process itself can be very therapeutic, or crafting with girlfriends leading to hours of laughing and getting nothing accomplished. When I started to sell my handmade wares something shifted and I didn’t find happiness there. People loved what I made (varying from my jewelry phase to my sewing phase to my candlemaking phase) but I could never put a price on it, I just wanted to give those wares away. It wasn’t until I took a spiritual assessment a few months ago that I discovered why – my spiritual gift is writing :)
Anyway, may be TMI for this post, but I have discovered that while my gift may not have been as a creator of handmade goods, I am an excellent appreciator of all things handmade and am so excited to see complete strangers doing things they love, because it shows in the products they sell. I also believe that their “feelings” are also attached to the objects they make, which is why some handmade items may speak to me more than others – you can tell when a product is made by a happy-in-life person compared to someone who just wants to make money working from home!
Love your blog Maggie and that you are staying true to yourself!
hailing from a crafty, country, not wealthy family! all my relatives are super talented in the DIY. plus the beautiful space i created for myself in the downstairs spare room – i’ve been a crafting fool. my goal for this year is to create something handmade and fab for every occasion to gift on my calendar. for mother’s day i’, making my mom a vintage inspired clothes pin bag out of one of her baby dresses that my grandma gave me. i think i’m going to purchase this book (since luck is usually not on my side, haha). thanks for piquing my interest! p.s. i’m also saving up for my own gussy creation – i love it all!
I love the feeling of accomplishment I get when I finish a project.
I love to make things for my brothers,sister,aunts,grandparents,or anyone :)
I love homemade items – sewing, stitched, crocheted, knitted, scrapbooked – whatever. I believe that homemade items (even cards with scribbles on them) show that you put effort into what you made. Anyone can go to the store and buy a gift but it takes time, effort, and love to go into something homemade.
Handmade is an extension of the person that crafted it. With handmade you can always feel the love and time put in it. It is like living a small piece of someone’s life with them. Handmade items have always brought people and communities together. These are the inspirations I get from making and receiving handmade crafts or foods or trinkets or even home grown veggies from someone’s garden. Thank you for such a fabulous giveaway!
I love making homemade Christmas gifts for family members. I’m inspired by the thought of making something useful that they’ll love. There’s nothing better!
Such a wonderfully inspiring interview! I just love the handmade community! I’m inspired by the encouragement & support of the other shop owners I have connected with.
Much like your story Gussy, I desire to learn! Handmade, creative, and beautiful pieces of any form of art or craft have always inspired me. My grandmother first began to teach me how to sew about 3 years ago before she was diagnosed with cancer. She went to be with Jesus this past July (2010) just 3 weeks before our wedding. She actually was supposed to make my dress until the chemotherapy would no longer take, and she couldn’t do many things after that. She was always my inspiration. We would talk for ours about crafts, make quilts, scrapbook, etc. She owned a catering business, so we saw quite a bit of “fancy” and “stylish” people on a regular basis. Most of all- We cooked!
The biggest thing I regret is always wanting the finished product, and not wanting to learn along the way (especially around 10 to 16 years of age). Now, I am 21 years old and wanting my “Grams” to be able to teach me again, inspire me with her outfits, pour some of her classiness into my life, teach me to sew, cook, craft, etc. Winning this book would be incredible! I feel like it would give me another start into making my own things again, and re-learning everything. Just as I look at the cover of this book and read your blog, I feel warmth about the book and an eagerness to read it and try everything in it! Handmade gives you a chance to be your own, save money, be creative, become inspired and inspire others, and give back to others a personal touch of you. The one thing I love most about cooking, sewing, scrap booking, and painting is that it gives me a peace, and is often a time when I am in deep thought and prayer. most of all- it is BEYOND FUN! I think we would all agree to that! Ha :) Thank you for even offering this giveaway to someone. I think it’s wonderful! :)
I think “handmade” connects me to my past- my mom quilts, my grandma quilted, she had family members that quilted… I love the uniqueness of it- and all of the time and effort that lets you know somebody cares!
I love the story about her Mom teaching her to sew! This book looks wonderful. I am teaching myself to sew and this looks like it has lots of great projects to work on. Thanks for the giveaway!
DIY and handmade had inspired me since I was a kid. I have crafted my whole life and fell in love with knitting in my early teens. After that I was hooked and have moved to baking,sewing, crochet, making jewellry, restyling, I can’t get enough. And vintage has a cozy little spot in my heart. It’s my passion, my stress relief and a beautiful way for me to express myself.
Handmade inspires & blesses the giver & the receiver. It is a gift that goes both ways!
Wow, such a tremendous giveaway! Really enjoyed your interview, thanks.
Handmade seems to be making a turn back to what was appreciated by many so long ago, a quality item with attention to detail created by an artisan, it’s what makes me smile!
To me, nothing is more exciting than seeing something that you created with your owns hands. Sometimes also with your blood, sweat and tears.
this looks like an amazing book! & i’ve always loved handmade things – back when I was growing up it was a “necessity” rather than a hobby. now I realize how much more meaningful something made by hand, with love, is :)
Handmade inspires me- because it is time for me. It allows me to look within myself and learn what is really important to me, because it comes out in my work! It helps me to settle, to relax, to get excited, to get serious, and to be whimsical. And other people’s handmade things, like maybe my grandmother’s beautiful quilts, inspire me to do better- to think out side the box- & to dream big. Thank you so much for this opportunity :-) Hope your day is going well!
being the momma of boys & the wife of a husband with a dangerous job can be stressful. sitting at my craft table helps me to decompress which in turn helps me to be a better wife & momma. i feel so accomplished when i complete a project. seeing what other make by hand is so lovely, God gave us all a talent… we should use them.
Hand made has always been a part of my life! I learned how to sew during my Barbie stage, and have always made things for myself and for others. I am new to the blogging world, but not the crafting one. This book looks fantastic, and how lucky are you to have met its talented author?!
xoxo, a.
I have a friend who is currently a nurse and is wanting to be able to stay home with her baby girl, Finley. This would be the perfect gift for her while she is trying to expand her sewing abilities to sell more items and replace her income so she can work from home.
I love hand-made, and in fact when I see something my first thought is, “How can I make that, and tweek it for my style”?! Doing crafts gives me a release of stress, great fulfillment and pure joy (when something works like I wanted it to!). Thanks for the post.
Sarah M
What’s really hit me lately is that God is a very creative God… really the essence or definition of creativity! We’re created in His image and so we are made creative as well. I see exercising that gift of creativity as a form of worship and that excites me! That sounds really super-spiritual so to put it simply, I just like to make stuff! lol.
i love making things and seeing what others make. I always get inspired and bursts of creativity when I see what others are making. I love supporting the handmade work of others. Handmade is so much more personal and intimate.
An awesome book. I love to make quilts.
The book sounds wonderful! Handmade items inspire me because I know they were made with love!
Handmade~ love it all! Colors, techniques, individuality, quality… It gives me an opportunity to refresh and relax. Blessings
there’s just something beautiful about knowing that someone put a part of themselves into a product – handmade is beautiful!
I am so inspired by Amy. I love homemade decor and clothing because it’s so personalized and can be passed down through generations. Some of my favorite things were made by my great-grandmother and I want to carry on the traditions.
Thanks for the giveaway! I make quilts and give them away to those I love. That way there is always a little bit of me with those I love.
This book sounds really fun :) I LOVE to make handmade stuff to give as a presents, It makes it more special for the receiver. Thanks for the opportunity to win :)
Well I wanted to say how timely this post is … I just got an Indygo Junction pattern in the mail today which I’ll be making for Robert Kaufman’s Quilt Market Booth. And lucky me, another one will be coming tomorrow :).
So fun reading a bit of the background on the designer behind the pattern! :D
I love handmade items. I love making them and I love giving them as gifts, they are just a little more personal. Creating something with my own hands gives me joy and is a great way to unwind at the end of the day. Plus it helps the budget when trying to decorate our house that my husband and I bought at the beginning of the year.
I would love a copy of this book!! I love ideas, patterns, and so much more that allows us to show our personalities and creativity uniquely ours. What a great interview and giveaway!! thanks!
Handmade inspires me because there are so many lovely people behind the handmade movement. Everything about it inspires me!
I would love to win this book. I am just starting to learn to sew and I think this would be a great help!
Handmade has inspired me to bring more of my own personality to my outfits and living. It also inspires me to support other handmade artists and their beautiful things. What a fantastic giveaway!
Handmade inspires me to have hope for a better future for my daughters! Making or buuying handmade, buying local, overall reducing our footprint – these are all things I can do that will in some small way make the world a better place!
Sharing/giving handmade is something that I am passionate about. It’s more than just giving something to someone (there is plenty to be said about in it’s self)! Giving handmade is about sharing part of you, a piece of your heart, your passion. Especially if you were the one who made it.
Thank you for this wonderful opportunity to win!
I love making things with my hands. I have been sewing & embroidering since I was a young girl. Spending time on handmade things makes me feel special. I am so excited that there is a new love for it. I would love to win this book. Thank you for all you do and for sharing your heart with us.
Blessings, Lori
It gives me a place that i can make clothing that fits me and its a place that my mom an i connect
I have this goal to be crafty – though I sometimes fail, I still keep trying!
I love the idea of creating something for the people I love… and if I can’t, buying something that someone else made with just as much love! :)
Until I picked up my moms sewing machine last spring, I hadnt touched one since sixth grade. Back then I had little interest and no idea what I was doing. But now I am totally hooked! I am completely in love with the handmade community and find myself “rescuing” handmade items from thrift shops and Goodwill constantly :-) I especially love vintage fabrics and crocheted afghans.
Creating something helps me get through the hard times.
Handmade inspires me to be unique and be myself!
I love it when people admire items on my walls and I get to tell them I made everything myself. I am always looking for new inspiration.
Handmade items give me something to look forward to and get excited about. Whenever I come across something new I want to make, I just can’t stand it until I get to actually make it! I also feel so much more attached to the item once it’s done because of going through the process to handmake it myself.
I think that watching an object (fabric, paper, etc) develop from nothing into something is what inspires me the most. It also makes me think and realize the great power of a human mind. How blessed we have been to posses such capabilities. Another thing that inspires me is this quote by the brilliant Maria Montessori. “The human hand allows the mind to reveal itself” Thank you for the great posts Gussy!!!
Hi Gussy! I just wanted to let you know that I’ve shared your giveaway info on my blog ( http://oohlalaposh.blogspot.com/ )
I’m really excited about this giveaway! :-) Also, as of this week, I’ve finally started embracing my curls thanks to your video on how [you] do your hair :-) Thanks for sharing that video! Love it! Keep up the {amazing} work!
Handmade inspires me to think outside the box with my kids! I don’t need to buy those shoes! I can make them
I am relatively new to the handmade community and social networking so, thank you for introducing Amy Barickman to me! I feel like the “real me” when I am making something with my hands. Being creative in this way provides me with a sense of accomplishment that I could never seem to achieve in the corporate workplace.
My grandma taught me how to quilt. I love that I have one that the two of us both used our hands to make. I love that she wants her handmade quilts to be used. It makes me want to make more quilts by my hands for my sweet babies.
-Jen
Homemade items inspire more creativity in me. I just adore handmade!
Handmade anything makes people feel warm and cozy. The fact someone spent their precious time on whatever project bring a more special touch than one that was mass produced. I want to be able to spread the joy that is handmade as often as I possibly can!
I love to create a little piece of me to send off into the world. I especially love to pray for each sweet treasure that lives my home. I love supporting handmade while purchasing little treasures for myself and loved ones…win win, right!?
Handmade IS inspiration. It is made with pure love, sincerity and the reality of NOW. I think just knowing that whatever tinkles your fancy, and pushed you to create something will also tinkle someone else in that same way. The ultimate in karmic shopping, I love it, I make it, you love it, you buy it, she sees it, asks who made it, or makes one herself! And on it goes…….:-)
I love being able to see someone else’s work and think about how I could use their techniques to make something of my own. I think gifts are more personal, you save money by creating things yourself, and everything you make is uniquely you!
Handmade inspires me by being a vehicle in which to draw my children closer to me.
I am inspired when I take a simple piece of fabric and transform it into something useful, beautiful, or both. Just having time in a fabric shop makes my head whirl with ideas and plans.
Oh this is so fun! I love handmade because it’s truly unique. Nothing is more fun than giving somebody something that has been well-thought-out and planned down to the tiniest of details!
Handmade inspires me to be creative and follow my heart. I love giving handmade gifts because I feel that they are thoughtful and truly from the heart.
handmade inspires me to try little projects of my own!
i LOVE this giveaway! this sounds like the coolest little book. handmade is something i’ve always loved. i’m in the process right now of starting my own handmade business and it’s so inspiring to see all these blogs where sweet women have created their own little lovelies to sell to the world. i LOVE it! i love unique and personalized things and when it’s handmade, i am certain that there is love used to make it. handmade makes me happy…and it makes me smile :) when it’s handmade, it’s like you get a little piece of the person’s heart who made it. there’s nothing better!
Handmade inspires me to give creative gifts that mean more than a pricetag, but a whole thought process in picking out something from start-to-finish with a person in mind.
I love anything handmade. It automatically induces the feeling of love, because anything handmade takes time and care.
To me, receiving something handmade means that the gift giver cares THAT much more!
I love it when someone admires what I’m wearing and I can say that I made it myself. It’s such a feeling of accomplishment!
I am new to your blog and I am loving it. I like to try the things you post.
Handmade inspires me to live simply. To remember how to craft and care for my family with my own talents. To focus on self sustaining rather than buy it up and dispose of it. To use, reuse, be frugal, to embrace a lifestyle that isn’t all about “keeping up with the jones'”
My Grandmother was a sewer and quilter, she made many of the baby clothes I wore and made many items that she sold at craft fairs. This was all before handmade was so popular. I learned to sew from my Mom and Home Ec. classes in Jr & Sr. High. Two of my three daughters sew, and I am in business with my oldest daughter at Bumblebee and Sophie. Handmade is a legacy in my family.
Cindy
This book sounds SO cool!! Handmade inspires me because giving/wearing/using something that was not massed produced, that was made from raw materials or repurposed-there is so much love involved in it, plus when I crochet,knit, or sew I am so much more relaxed-I found myself being unusually out of sorts the other day and realized it was because I hadn’t sat down to crochet in a week. I also learned to crochet from my Aunt & sew from my mom, and I love continuing family traditions, it gives me such a sense of where I have come from!
I love the satisfaction of a finished product and the care that goes into making each item. There is so much creativity that never ends, and you can create something truly unique!
Oh my gosh, I have been drooling over this book at Barnes and Noble for a while now! I’m so impressed that you met her in person!
Let’s see… EVERYTHING about handmade inspires me because I love the idea that we can be self sufficient, so I love making my own beautiful things and showing others how to make them too!
Well, I love vintage and I love sewing. And I’m pretty new at exploring both. I’m having great fun, though
This book looks like a total delight! I love handmade everything. I have been beading, embroidering, crocheting, knitting, jewelry making, designing costumes and dresses, sewing, writing, singing, composing and playing music, and making homemade pies with fluffy crusts (from my mom’s recipe) and homemade puddings for 35+ years. I am still at it and would love to have a copy of this book. Thank you for the chance to win it! I love your blog! Blessings!
I am inspired by handmade because I love the process of making an item. It took forever to learn crochet but I am always so thrilled when I can make something myself.
Handmade speaks my love language. I love doing things for people and I feel loved when someone does or makes something for me. It fills me with joy to create objects for friends and family. It is my way of sharing part of me with those I love.
I’m so inspired by creating something for someone with my own hands! I love it and it means so much more then a quick trip to the store to grab something!
I love it when someone in the street comments on something me or my kids are wearing, be it a necklace, hairclip, clothing, whatever and I can say…. “I made it myself!” It gives you such a tingly, wonderful sense of pride. A close second is when you can say, “Such&such made this.” and you get to spread the love to someone else. Handmade is always so much more personal, unique and special.
I love the simple feel of handmade. I love the quality of handmade, and I love the {love} that goes into each piece :) It really does inspire me to want to create, even though I am totally not a crafty person. I like to stick to my kitchen, and creating handmade treats there!
I love that handmades can be made by my own hands and head, for people I love. I also love that handmades can use recycled or repurposed fabric. And I’ve been drooling over this book at every opportunity! Thanks for the giveaway!
handmade inspires me today because it connects us to our roots and offers so many people a chance to make a living recreating those things. i love that!
Dying over this book. Would LOVE to have a copy for my library!
Handmade has inspired me to think outside the box, stop playing it safe, and dream big…in ALL aspects of life.
Great interview and giveaway lady :)
I just looked at this book at a quilt show two weeks ago. It is full of inspiring information and the book itself felt good in my hands, like a treasure. Do you ever go into your studio and just enjoy touching and seeing your fabric and supplies? I would love to have this book in my studio.
I love how handmade inspires me to think outside of the box, and try something new. Anyone’s personality really shines through handmade items and I love that too!
I grew up w/my mom sewing my clothes. She even made clothes for Cabbage Patch dolls & sold them too! I’ve seen photos of elaborate dresses she’s made for my big sisters that matched. Amazing. I love handmade & I want to pass that on to my girls. Handing someone a gift from the heart that you created w/your own hands means so much more than someone handing you a gift card in a bag. Truth be told. However…gift cards are great in a pinch! ;)
my grandmother is a beautiful seamstress. she made me so many beautiful things when i was little…the quality and care taken in her craft can now be seen as my daughters wear the very same garments she created for me. i love knowing that love and care went into the crafting of something special…be it clothing, jewelry, quilts, cards, etc. i love handmade.
I am a teacher by day and voracious sewer by night! I love and admire anything handmade because when you look at the product, you can actually feel the voice of the creator and feel the inspiration behind it. Handmade gives us a voice–one that is unique and free to explore. I am just getting my own handmade inspiration going by teaching a sewing class this summer to a group of my 5th grade girls who have also come to love and appreciate “handmade” items. Each Monday I bring in all my new creations and projects to school to share with my girls! They share their own inspirations and hopes and dreams for their future handmade projects. It is going to be a great summer :) 29 days…
Growing up my mom and grandmother were always crafting. My mom use to make me dresses. My grandmother taught me how to paint and cross stitch. I have several afgans and quilts that my grandmother made. I love hand crafted items and seeing how others are inspired. Creativity is a wonderful gift.
Oh, I would love to win this book. I love to craft and have been teaching myself how to sew. :)
I just love the book and would so like to be the winner. Pick me! Pick me!
What a great interview! I would love to win this book!
Handmade makes me feel like there are still people out there that care about how nice it can make someone feel to just create.
I make it a point to purchase handmade items. I love knowing the person who makes it. I love creative people and they inspire me every day.