Congratulations Patricia!! What an Amazing job you did. You knock it out the park with the Mother-of-the-Bride dress.
2020 NOVEMBER SPOTLIGHT MEMBER
As an intermediate level sewist, I love learning from others with different skill sets. I enjoy the creativity of some beginners who find ways to simplify techniques and bring their own flair to projects. Then there are times when I can sit for hours digesting new-to-me techniques from advanced level sewists. It doesn’t matter what a person’s skill level is, we can all learn from one another. Our 2020 November Spotlight Member is an advanced sewist and I’m excited for you to meet her.
MEET PATRICIA PEAK
Patricia has been sewing for about 30 years and comes from a family of seamstresses. Her mother was a seamstress who made most of their clothing, including all of Patricia’s formals. Her older sister was a Home Economics Teacher, and her younger sister makes wedding gowns and formal wear.
Growing up with all this sewing talent in her family, Patricia had absolutely no interest in sewing until she was in her mid 30’s, after her daughter was born. She learned by watching sewing shows on television and from lots of trial and error. She currently sews on the Janome 10000 and 9500.
(In the photo below, Patricia is wearing the Yari Jumpsuit by True Bias.)
HOW SHE GOT STARTED
Patricia’s first sewing project was a vest. When her mom turned 50, she began quilting, and in 1989 Patricia attended the International Quilt Festival with her. At the show, she found a pattern for a stenciled vest and purchased it. After stenciling the fabric, she had to learn how to sew it together, which she did, and the rest is history.
Take a look at this vest she made with scraps and selvages from her husband’s tailor. He told her she could go through his scrap bin and take what she wanted. She created a masterpiece from scraps. Mind blowing!
After making that first vest, people started asking Patricia to sew vests for them, so she made more and started selling them. As a stay-at-home mom with two children, this allowed her to make some extra money. She went on to do piece-work for two other friends for several years.
After a while, she graduated from vests to sewing dresses for her daughter. These are the little children stencils that came with that first vest pattern she purchased. Isn’t this the cutest thing ever? Oh my goodness! If God blesses me with a granddaughter one day, I have a feeling all my sewing projects will shift to little dresses.
SEWING CHALLENGES
Patricia shares that her biggest sewing challenge has been overcoming her fear of failure. Her mother had been an absolute perfectionist when it came to sewing, which is one reason why it took Patricia so long to start. She’s learned that it’s okay to make mistakes. Her philosophy is that if things aren’t perfect but no one knows that but her, then she doesn’t make it an issue. This has given her the freedom to try new challenges and push herself to learn more.
(In the photo below, Patricia is wearing Vogue 8829 (Out-of-Print).)
Her greatest hurdle was when she decided to make her mother-of-the-bride dress for her daughter’s wedding. She had purchased Butterick 4514 (Out-of-Print) several years earlier but had never sewn it. She knew it would be the perfect dress. After making a muslin to perfect the fit and ensure she liked it, she ordered special fabric. But once the fabric arrived, she was afraid to cut it. “What if it doesn’t turn out right? What if I don’t like it? What if I mess it up?” She had already told everyone that she was making her dress, but these thoughts paralyzed her.
She prayed for courage and finally started laying out and cutting fabric. She prayed over every detail of the dress. Patricia even prayed over her machine. And she says the result was everything she could have wanted and more. Am I the only one who can relate to this story? Sewing and praying are common in my studio, especially if I’m using a fancy fabric for a special occasion. The dress is amazing and Patricia looks absolutely stunning wearing it. This is her daughter. What a beautiful bride.
FUN FACTS ABOUT PATRICIA
When asked to describe her style, Patricia said she’s pretty casual. She resides in Florida where it’s pretty hot and muggy most of the year. She lives in shorts and t-shirts but at heart she’s a blue jeans girl. When she goes out, she’s more classic casual. Here she is below with her family.
When she’s not sewing, Patricia loves spending time with her new grandson. She and her husband just became grandparents for the first time. Her favorite thing to do is play with him, which she gets to do twice a week now that her daughter has returned to work. He’s almost 8 months old and she loves to witness how he changes each week.
When asked to share one thing she can’t live without, she said, “That’s easy. It would be my Bible and music.” Okay, we’ll let her get away with two this time. Here’s a picture of Patricia with her son.
She also enjoys going to the gym, and works with a great trainer twice a week for strength training. Patricia says, “At 68 years of age, it’s the one gift I give myself and I make it a priority.” I love that Patricia makes time for herself. Thank you for sharing your wisdom with us, sister.
WHY SHE SUPPORTS ANITA BY DESIGN
Patricia found Anita by Design on Instagram and was attracted to her style. She then found the Blog and became a supporter. When asked why she supports Anita by Design, here’s what she had to say:
(In the photo below, Patricia is wearing the Ogden Cami by True Bias and the Veronica Skirt by Megan Nielsen Patterns.)
“One of the reasons I was drawn to Anita was her strong faith. Four years ago, my husband was diagnosed with malignant melanoma. We spent months with treatments, followed by his recovery from those treatments. It was my faith that carried me through that time. Sewing was my therapy and escape on the days when it was really bad. I love that Anita is so open and transparent about her faith, and watching her journey with the loss of her husband was something I truly related to.”
SEWING WITH A PURPOSE (SWAP)
Patricia recently participated in the SWAP (Sewing With A Purpose) Series here on the blog. I asked her to share the takeaways and benefits she received from the series. Here’s what she experienced.
“I’ve gone through my closet many times and purged items, BUT, the difference this time was I did more than just purge clothes. I also purged purses, shoes and patterns. I had so many patterns that I’d purchased over the years which I had either never used, or were no longer appropriate.”
“Anita’s suggestion to create boards on Pinterest of the different pattern types was a game changer.”
(Here’s a peek at Patricia’s Dress Pattern Board on Pinterest.)
“Doing the wardrobe inventory exposed some big holes in my wardrobe. I had always just made things I thought I would like, with not much thought as to whether or not they worked with my lifestyle. After doing the inventory, I found that I had no print tops and only a few t-shirts that I wore every week. I also didn’t have a single skirt in my wardrobe.”
“Because of SWAP, I now have a plan in place to start filling some of these holes. Each month I pick one or two categories to work on and try to complete at least two items a month.”
SEWING WORDS OF WISDOM
Patricia would like to close out the post with some advice for beginners. She advises that you get to know your machine, experimenting with it to see how it works. When she taught beginning sewing for over two years, getting people comfortable with the machine was always a priority. She says the next step is to start with something simple to gain confidence. Patricia says the more you sew, the more comfortable you will feel sewing.
(In the photo below, Patricia is wearing Simplicity 4363 (Out-of-Print).)
She wants to assure you that you will make mistakes. Patricia still makes mistakes, but instead of throwing the project aside, she works with it until she gets it right. Sometimes that means starting over, but she says it’s always worth it.
“Ask for help”, Patricia encourages. She says there is a huge community of sewers on social media and she has found that they aren’t just willing, they’re EAGER to help others.
(In the photo below, Patricia is wearing Vogue 7693 (Out-of-Print)).
CONNECT WITH PATRICIA
Patricia loves the sewing community that she’s found on social media. They’ve inspired and encouraged her to continue to grow and learn her craft. She loves being able to showcase her projects with others who share her passion for sewing. If you would like to connect with Patricia, you will find her on Facebook and Instagram.
LET'S CELEBRATE OUR SEW SISTER
(Here she is with her husband, wearing the first coat she ever made using Vogue 1478 (Out-of-Print)).
You will probably notice that the majority of the garments showcased in this post were created with patterns that are Out-of-Print. Sometimes you can find OOP patterns online by doing a Google search.
Patricia, it has been my pleasure getting to know you. Thank you for accepting the invitation to be our 2020 November Spotlight Member. I am thrilled to have you in my Private Email Community and really look forward to your next fabulous creation. Thank you for sharing your sewing story with us. Many blessings to you and your family.
Let’s celebrate our sew sister! Please give Patricia a SHOUT OUT in the comments section below.
Thanks for stopping by,
Remember: When you live in your DESIGN, it is from there that God SHINES!
Interested in the SWAP Series?
Did You Hear That I Wrote A Book?
To follow me on this journey and receive behind-the-scenes, exclusive updates, including pre-launch date in advance, make sure you join my Book WAITLIST. I’m so excited to share the process and let you in on this experience. The waitlist members will be first to hear about release date and other important facts.
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This Post Has 34 Comments
Ms. Patricia congratulations on being Noticeable in November. I love all your creations, especially the blue flower print quarter length sleeve jacket. Marvelous! U go Sew Sister❣️
Thank you for celebrating Patricia with us, Ms. Hunt!
Hello Anita! How’s it going? Patricia is such a talented sewer. I enjoyed reading her story too. Congrats to you Patricia!
Hey Gwendolyn! All is well. Thank you for celebrating our sew sister today.
Anita, What a Beautiful article! Patricia your sewing is Lovely . I really enjoyed reading this and seeing your Beautiful garments. May God continue to Bless Both of you and your Wonderful Families!
Thank you so much, Dara, for celebrating Patricia. God bless you and your family too.
It’s always AWESOME to hear what other’s are doing. It’s good to be encouraged to continue a lifestyle hobby that was once dying. Patricia and Anita are great women to have on any Sewing Team. Thanks for sharing … FIESTA 🙂
Monica, thank you so much for your beautiful words. Fiesta!
Thank you for sharing your story. Wow… what an inspiration! Your garments are so beautiful.
I agree, Aretha! Her work is amazing. Thank you for celebrating our sew sister with me.
Great story. I like how Patricia learned (and still learning) how to move past her sewing mistakes & move forward; so often I find my sewing friends beat themselves up over mistakes in their sewing & toss it aside or take it way out of context. It is refreshing to hear her say “I can cut that fabric” , “I can make that skirt, etc.”. I say be blessed & move forward, life is too short to worry. Good share
Yes, Troy Jennene! We can all learn al lot from Patricia’s perseverance. Thank you for supporting her.
Wow, ladies. This feature is so special. Patricia, you are a beacon light for all of us. Anita has opened such wonderful doors for all of us. This feature is especially nice for me because I only do YOUTUBE and this special thing of Anita’s. I am not comfortable on social media. Probably the only person left in America without an account. Ha Ha. The sewing community is so special. Everyone shares so freely and with such respect. Patricia, your skills grew to astonishing heights. That Mother of the Bride dress is the prettiest I have ever seen (blue is my favorite color, of course). Thanks, too, for reminding us about the SWAP program of Anita’s. I remember when I encountered that video. How it really changed her outlook. Thanks to all our sewing sisters. Thanks, to Anita and her vision.
Hi Marie. Thank you so much for celebrating Patricia with us. Our sewing community is full of amazing people.
Thank you Anita and Patricia, I so enjoyed this post. I sewed a great deal when my children were young; mostly clothes for them. Once I was introduced to quilting my clothes making skills were lost. Though quilting is my real passion, I am trying to make some of my own clothes again. Anitas YouTube channel has helped inspire me. And if anyone is listening, they frequently hear me say “ Dear Lord bless the work of my hands”, especially when trying a new skill.
Hi Christine. It sounds like there are a bunch of praying sew sisters here. Hahaha!
Ooooh Patricia, what a beautiful story! I look forward to learning a few things from you! Your work is incredible and you have such a beautiful family. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Shannon! Thank you for celebrating Patricia with us today.
Dear Anita, I cannot thank you enough for reaching out to me to do this feature. Answering the questions brought back such sweet memories of my mom and just this 30+ year journey of sewing. You are an inspiration to me. I love your humility and your grace. I hope one day we’ll be able to meet in person. What a gift that would be.
Oh, Patricia, it would definitely be a joy to meet you in person one day. I’m so glad you accepted the invitation. Your talent is to be admired.
Hi Patricia
I am just starting to get my feet wet in sewing. I attempted to teach myself years ago and did ok but lack of time caused me to put it on the shelf. Now I’m ready. I did learn that some of my mistakes turned out to make the outfit (LOL) and I would press on from there. I’m so excited about starting my journey and love seeing garments people have made. I love the colorful piping on the jacket, it’s beautiful. Thank you for sharing.Vanessa, that’s so funny. I’ve had some mistakes turn into masterpieces too. Hahaha!
I really truly enjoyed reading Patricia’s journey and Sewing. I have lots of patterns that I have never even cut out fabric to go with those patterns. I pray that my journey one day will be to sit down and cut out one of those patterns that I have purchased many months and sometimes years ago and share them with you Anita
I’m right there with you, Lana! I want to sew through my patterns too. I have so many great ones. I look forward to seeing your creations in the future.
Hi Patricia, it’s so nice to meet you. I love all your garments. I do feel you on making mistakes and I have walked away took some me time then went back. I love sewing.
I love sewing too, Gustavfia! Thank you for celebrating Patricia with us today.
Thank you for sharing woman of God??
You’re very welcome, Aileen!
Thank you for sharing with us. It’s always a pleasure to learn about another sewing sister and a woman of faith.
You’re welcome, Gayle. I’m glad you enjoyed the feature.
I loved reading about Patricia! Thank you for sharing these stories about other sewing sisters, I know that many of us reading about others’ journey to the sewing machine!!
Should read *love* to read about… ?
Hi Deana! You’re very welcome. I’m glad you enjoyed Patricia’s story.
Comments are closed.
This Post Has 34 Comments
Congratulations Patricia!! What an Amazing job you did. You knock it out the park with the Mother-of-the-Bride dress.
Ms. Patricia congratulations on being Noticeable in November. I love all your creations, especially the blue flower print quarter length sleeve jacket. Marvelous! U go Sew Sister❣️
Thank you for celebrating Patricia with us, Ms. Hunt!
Hello Anita! How’s it going? Patricia is such a talented sewer. I enjoyed reading her story too. Congrats to you Patricia!
Hey Gwendolyn! All is well. Thank you for celebrating our sew sister today.
Anita, What a Beautiful article! Patricia your sewing is Lovely . I really enjoyed reading this and seeing your Beautiful garments. May God continue to Bless Both of you and your Wonderful Families!
Thank you so much, Dara, for celebrating Patricia. God bless you and your family too.
It’s always AWESOME to hear what other’s are doing. It’s good to be encouraged to continue a lifestyle hobby that was once dying. Patricia and Anita are great women to have on any Sewing Team. Thanks for sharing … FIESTA 🙂
Monica, thank you so much for your beautiful words. Fiesta!
Thank you for sharing your story. Wow… what an inspiration! Your garments are so beautiful.
I agree, Aretha! Her work is amazing. Thank you for celebrating our sew sister with me.
Great story. I like how Patricia learned (and still learning) how to move past her sewing mistakes & move forward; so often I find my sewing friends beat themselves up over mistakes in their sewing & toss it aside or take it way out of context. It is refreshing to hear her say “I can cut that fabric” , “I can make that skirt, etc.”. I say be blessed & move forward, life is too short to worry. Good share
Yes, Troy Jennene! We can all learn al lot from Patricia’s perseverance. Thank you for supporting her.
Wow, ladies. This feature is so special. Patricia, you are a beacon light for all of us. Anita has opened such wonderful doors for all of us. This feature is especially nice for me because I only do YOUTUBE and this special thing of Anita’s. I am not comfortable on social media. Probably the only person left in America without an account. Ha Ha. The sewing community is so special. Everyone shares so freely and with such respect. Patricia, your skills grew to astonishing heights. That Mother of the Bride dress is the prettiest I have ever seen (blue is my favorite color, of course). Thanks, too, for reminding us about the SWAP program of Anita’s. I remember when I encountered that video. How it really changed her outlook. Thanks to all our sewing sisters. Thanks, to Anita and her vision.
Hi Marie. Thank you so much for celebrating Patricia with us. Our sewing community is full of amazing people.
Thank you Anita and Patricia, I so enjoyed this post. I sewed a great deal when my children were young; mostly clothes for them. Once I was introduced to quilting my clothes making skills were lost. Though quilting is my real passion, I am trying to make some of my own clothes again. Anitas YouTube channel has helped inspire me. And if anyone is listening, they frequently hear me say “ Dear Lord bless the work of my hands”, especially when trying a new skill.
Hi Christine. It sounds like there are a bunch of praying sew sisters here. Hahaha!
Ooooh Patricia, what a beautiful story! I look forward to learning a few things from you! Your work is incredible and you have such a beautiful family. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Shannon! Thank you for celebrating Patricia with us today.
Dear Anita, I cannot thank you enough for reaching out to me to do this feature. Answering the questions brought back such sweet memories of my mom and just this 30+ year journey of sewing. You are an inspiration to me. I love your humility and your grace. I hope one day we’ll be able to meet in person. What a gift that would be.
Oh, Patricia, it would definitely be a joy to meet you in person one day. I’m so glad you accepted the invitation. Your talent is to be admired.
Hi Patricia
I am just starting to get my feet wet in sewing. I attempted to teach myself years ago and did ok but lack of time caused me to put it on the shelf. Now I’m ready. I did learn that some of my mistakes turned out to make the outfit (LOL) and I would press on from there. I’m so excited about starting my journey and love seeing garments people have made. I love the colorful piping on the jacket, it’s beautiful. Thank you for sharing.
Vanessa, that’s so funny. I’ve had some mistakes turn into masterpieces too. Hahaha!
I really truly enjoyed reading Patricia’s journey and Sewing. I have lots of patterns that I have never even cut out fabric to go with those patterns. I pray that my journey one day will be to sit down and cut out one of those patterns that I have purchased many months and sometimes years ago and share them with you Anita
I’m right there with you, Lana! I want to sew through my patterns too. I have so many great ones. I look forward to seeing your creations in the future.
Hi Patricia, it’s so nice to meet you. I love all your garments. I do feel you on making mistakes and I have walked away took some me time then went back. I love sewing.
I love sewing too, Gustavfia! Thank you for celebrating Patricia with us today.
Thank you for sharing woman of God??
You’re very welcome, Aileen!
Thank you for sharing with us. It’s always a pleasure to learn about another sewing sister and a woman of faith.
You’re welcome, Gayle. I’m glad you enjoyed the feature.
I loved reading about Patricia! Thank you for sharing these stories about other sewing sisters, I know that many of us reading about others’ journey to the sewing machine!!
Should read *love* to read about… ?
Hi Deana! You’re very welcome. I’m glad you enjoyed Patricia’s story.
Comments are closed.