I don’t like the word diet because it implies a temporary change or a quick fix. A lifestyle, on the other hand, is a word that I accept into my vocabulary because it implies a way of living that is to stay and a way of carrying out day-in and day-out activities with brevity and ease. No thought, just do. I’ve had many friends who went on a sewing diet, telling me they bought a sewing machine and want to start making their own clothes, but once I start talking lightweight interfacing, poly-wrapped thread, and muslins, sewing wasn’t so attractive. Also, when they finally completed a simple A line skirt, they realized that making garments isn’t easy. Just like there are certain people who take their food without meat, there are certain people who take their lives without sewing. That’s not me! I’m not on sewing diet, I’m living a sewing lifestyle!
Are you wondering where I got all the sewing ephemera for my scrapbook? Lisa Cook! With a penchant for collecting anything vintage, she was a home economics teacher for 35 years before retiring and opening her shop, Souvenirs from Lisa Cook, in 2007. Her and her husband attend as many flea markets and antique shops to find the best old world treasures and can you believe this – her husband carries all the goodies in a backpack while Lisa shops. What a gentleman! According to her, she uses her twin guest beds for arranging her packs. She gathers ephemera, papers and goodies on one bed and do the final arranging on the other. It’s a little trick she learned from Lesley Riley, a quilt and mixed media artist. If you’re in the market for good quality sewing bits for your own scrapbooks, you have to check her out. She’s good!
