August 26, 2008

Top 5 reasons to Craft with Kids: #4




Today Stephanie of bungaloe reminisces about the importance of crafting to her when she was a kid, her early crafting influences, and the way helps her keep connected to her family even though they don't live nearby:

My mom went to fashion school in Manhattan at age 30, when I was about 2
and my brother was about 8. She had one of the rooms in our apartment solely
dedicated to sewing and I can remember almost everything in there: the worktable my dad built her, the sewing cabinet, the spools of thread and the pattern paper hanging from the wall ( I loved the sound it made when I crinkled it! )

I remember hand sewing little pieces of fabric together at my nanny's
house with my aunt and being mesmerized at how the pieces looked when
you turned them right side out to form a pillow or mini quilt.

My dad painted, my bro liked to draw and I picked up a love of drawing
as well. Eventually I ended up going to Pratt for college. Although
I dropped out and started working in offices, I kept drawing and
painting and designing screen prints for clothes. Now it's come full
circle: At the age of 30 I started calling my mom and telling her I
want to make my own clothes. I thought it was too late for me until
she told me that she was 30 with 2 kids when she went to fashion
school. I'd had no idea - I thought she'd gone to school at 24.

Recently my parents, and my brother -along with his wife and kids - moved to Myrtle Beach. I miss them sooooo much and really wish they were still here in New York.But at least I have really great memories of us all being creative in our own ways. I love having sewing and fashion in common with my mom. I feel that we have a very special bond, no matter where she lives.