Amy Reber shares her sewing story for National Sewing Month!
I'm going back in time about seven
years....as the wife of a United States Marine and mother to three young
children, I found myself craving a creative - almost therapeutic - outlet to
help get me through deployments, moves and just the day-to-day roller coaster
of being a stay-at-home mom. Despite what might be going on during a particular
day, I challenged myself to pick up a sketch pad daily and so my rhythm as an
artist was born; I still strive to sketch at least ten minutes each day.....I
tell people it's free therapy!
As my collection of sketches grew,
I started to wonder what my work would look like on “product” and realized that
I needed to teach myself some graphic design skills on the computer. I opened
up Adobe Illustrator one day during summer vacation. I made my first
"repeat” that day using one of my sketches and immediately I knew I had
found what my gift of art was meant to be used for. Though fabric was not on my
radar at that moment, my art organically involved into designs that work
beautifully on fabric and that sewers and quilters are drawn to.
Every time I see a creation made
with my FreeSpirit fabrics, I get a similar adrenaline rush from when I made my
first repeat! To look at a particular fabric and reflect upon when I drew the
flower or shape is truly satisfying, and then to share this with others is the
cherry on top! When I saw the quilt that I commissioned to be made using my first
FreeSpirit Fabrics line POSY for my daughter, it was such a beautiful moment
because not only did I get to give the quilt to her, but I got to show her what
her mom could do outside of “mom/wife duties.” It was a powerful moment I will
never forget! And now, I get to see how sewers and quilters use my designs
to create their own beautiful works of art using thread and needle. I am
honored and humbled to play a role in their passion and and I love seeing how
others interpret my designs, and that with their creations they breathe new
life into the art I originally brought to life with my sketchpad!
Make sure to sign up for a chance to win fabric from Amy Reber along with our Coats Quilt+ thread! You will also be entered for a chance to win our Grand Prize giveaway featuring SEW many goodies including a Janome AMH-100 Machine!
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