My steps into sewing

My mum always had a sewing machine in the house so sewing was not a new concept to me. It wasnt until Intermediate when we had sewing as part of the technology program, that I really got into it. I remember making a pair of satin boxer shorts and asking the teacher to rate them out of 10 for me. She gave me a 9, only because my internal seams didnt all face in the same direction so they would sit flat. I have always remembered that and always make a point of having my seams sit flat!

I didnt do much more sewing until my oldest child arrived, 8 years ago. I jumped into the world of modern cloth nappies and caught the sewing bug again. The only MCN's on the market in NZ were Fuzzibunz pockets and Snazzipants fitteds, prefolds, and Bummis covers. There were more available overseas but "cloth nappies" were still thought of as flat white squares with fluffy pants overtop.

I made my very first pocket nappy from a free Ottobre pattern. It had polarfleece on the outside with a layer of nylon hidden inside, and microfleece as the stay dry layer. It worked! But I needed to make more and try new things. Next was a fitted made from flannelette, and I cut up old flat whites to make the fold-out absorbant layers.

Greenbeans opened their online store not long after that, bringing in PUL, snap presses, and FOE. I made so many nappies for Miss E, and to give away to other babies. Then I moved on to clothes and widened my skills some more. Dresses, pants, slippers, bibs, overalls... I tried them all. Baby #2 arrived, more nappies were made, and a new selection of boy fabrics for more clothes. When he was about 2 years old I started sewing for a WAHM (work at home mum) who created Little Buttons modern cloth nappies. She would send me a box full of pieces to turn into covers and pop naps. I was disappointed when she sold the business on and I was no longer needed, but it meant I had more time for my own sewing, and a new hobby of knitting.

Now baby #3 is 2 years old and I am sewing Little Buttons again, along with clothes for my kids and my own label of minky bibs and cotton velour wipes, Button Pie.