Burda Style For people who sew

1. Where are you from and/or where do you live?
I now live with my husband in NYC, as well as attend school here. I was born in Harlem, but I grew up between London, NYC, and North Carolina. As early as elementary school I knew I wanted to return to New York, and that really motivated me to do well in school.

2. What was the 1st thing you made? How did you start sewing?
The first thing I made was a lime green and white gingham, stuffed duck with a neck so narrow he seemed like he had narcolepsy! I bought my first sewing machine after a marathon of Project Runway 3 years ago, but went on a sewing hiatus shortly after, and really just started to sew garments within this past year.

3. What role does sewing play in your life?
Sewing is my creative outlet from school and work. I used to bounce around from this new craft to that new hobby, but I have found a very happy place here in the world of needle and thread and my focus has been here for nearly a year now. I think the burdastyle community has a lot to do with that.

4. What is your favorite and what is your least favorite thing about sewing?
I love creating useful garments, the pride associated is like having a baby (I would assume!) You put your love and patience into it and it shows.
I am a results oriented person (and at times impatient!) so I don’t like cutting out pattern pieces… This has actually begun to push me into drafting my own patterns!

5. If you could make something for anyone who would it be and what would you make?
I would make my mother in law a silk robe and pajamas. She is a hobby seamstress herself, and if I could make something that she would approve of and wear I would feel like I’d have earned the “intermediate” title at last!

6. What are you looking for on our site? What do you think should be improved and what do you really like?
I enjoy gaining inspiration from my peers and fellow sewers, and I love the input and the free education I get from the wonderful people here.
I do miss the ‘view all’ function when viewing projects and the accessibility of members creations. The scrolling bar of projects was very useful for this in the past. The more and faster I browse, the more inspired I become.

7. What is your motto?
I catch myself saying all the time “If it is meant to be it will be,” but I really believe that it is up to you to make what you really want “meant to be.” And this relates pretty well to my sewing, when I encounter a hiccup I know that with a little ingenuity I can surpass it.

GinaSophia has some awesome projects, you may remember her Pleated Paper Bag skirt, which got TONS of comments. For more information, check out her great project blog or her photo blog. Also make sure to take a peek at her top ten favorites on BurdaStyle.