Working in a Shop

I have been sewing since I was in elementary school.  I can remember sewing four straight lines and thinking it was the coolest thing ever.  One of my earliest sewing memories was when I was in early elementary school and I wanted to sew an apron for my mom.  I had no clue about patterns, finishing edges, measuring, etc.  I don’t remember ever actually making one for my mom, but she might have a better memory than I do. 

Throughout school I would dabble in sewing, but didn’t really make too much that I would actually wear out of the house… or at all.  By the time I got to college though, I was confident enough in my ability to sew that I did start making things I could actually use.  Then all of my sewing wasn’t just a waste of fabric and money.  When I was finishing up my freshman year of college, my fiancé told me I should apply to work in the theatre costume shop.  I thought it could be a fun job and an easy way to make some money.  In the meantime, he got a job delivering hot cookies… a whole business that just delivers hot cookies.  Why aren’t those everywhere?

And thus began the best job I have ever had.  I worked in that theatre costume shop for only 2 years, but have created some of the most fun things.  My eventual favorite in the shop was making corsets.  Most people hated them because there was such an exactness to all of the stitching and you had to cut steel to use as the bones.  My favorite corset out of the half dozen I made while I was there was this rainbow one.  The friend that I got to make this for loves rainbows more than anything in the world… except maybe Shakespeare and ponies… but I think it still wins out.  Unfortunately the shop keeps the corsets after shows are done, so she didn’t get to take it with her.  I should make her a comfy version of it sometime.

Here are some of the other photos of just a few of the projects I worked on while in the costume shop.  Unfortunately it seems that I only have this one photo of my other costume shop projects... I should have taken more.  And to this day, I still hate hemming things.  Even with my sewing ability, I have probably half a dozen pieces of clothing in my closet that just need a new hem put in and I can wear them again… yet they just sit there.

What has been your favorite job?