Two days before my third baby's Baptism, my mom asked me if I had bought a gown for her to wear. I watched the horror unfold on her face as I flippantly suggested just putting my baby in a white onesie and not worrying about it. My saint of a mother told me firmly that she will buy a gown herself rather than let that happen!
So I took my wedding dress, which while it wasn't particularly pretty, was made of gorgeous white dupioni silk, and cut it up and made a christening gown for my baby. Using a wedding dress in this way was something I had heard about somewhere a while back, but probably wouldn't have thought of it except that my mom had brought my dress over that week when she was cleaning out the upstairs closet in my old bedroom at her house. It wasn't a hard choice either.
As I tackled this project, I was surprised at every single step--by how easy it was. For the first time since I started costuming 15 years ago, I know how to do everything. Drafting patterns, gathering, piping, lining, puff sleeves, elastic, snaps, etc. I didn't need a pattern, or any instructions, or to look anything up. I just did it. And it turned out beautiful. It didn't even take as long as I feared. I finished it and a matching little bonnet in only two evening.
I guess I didn't realize how 15 years of piecemeal sewing skills for my hobbies could translate into basic mastery and result in something like this amazing gown.
And this applies to all kinds of hobbies. If you do something you love for long enough, you'll eventually get good at it. Even if it takes decades, even if you leave off it for years at a time, those skills are building up inside you, ready to be called on when you need them.
So I took my wedding dress, which while it wasn't particularly pretty, was made of gorgeous white dupioni silk, and cut it up and made a christening gown for my baby. Using a wedding dress in this way was something I had heard about somewhere a while back, but probably wouldn't have thought of it except that my mom had brought my dress over that week when she was cleaning out the upstairs closet in my old bedroom at her house. It wasn't a hard choice either.
As I tackled this project, I was surprised at every single step--by how easy it was. For the first time since I started costuming 15 years ago, I know how to do everything. Drafting patterns, gathering, piping, lining, puff sleeves, elastic, snaps, etc. I didn't need a pattern, or any instructions, or to look anything up. I just did it. And it turned out beautiful. It didn't even take as long as I feared. I finished it and a matching little bonnet in only two evening.
I guess I didn't realize how 15 years of piecemeal sewing skills for my hobbies could translate into basic mastery and result in something like this amazing gown.
And this applies to all kinds of hobbies. If you do something you love for long enough, you'll eventually get good at it. Even if it takes decades, even if you leave off it for years at a time, those skills are building up inside you, ready to be called on when you need them.
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