My mom used to make my Halloween costumes as a kid (photo A). I remember looking through the costume pattern books for something I liked, not entirely grasping the concept that she would be making it from scratch. I was floored at how she was able to animate a costume off of the paper, fit just for me. I soon found myself looking at clothes in-store, studying the architecture of how the panels of fabric came together, & marveling at how much money they wanted for something I knew I could make myself, if I just had a sewing machine... Fast forward to today, my first paid client was my grandmother! She wanted a dupe of a shirt I made for a concert, but she wanted her version to the floor, off the shoulder, & with an opening for the leg (photo B)

I don’t typically search for patterns or follow sew-alongs. With the aid of ‘Patternmaking for Fashion Design’ by Helen Joseph Armstrong, I custom build patterns based off of body measurements. I skipped the pillow cases & tote bag classes, jumping right into the deep end creating a smokey blue version of Paul Tazewell’s Academy Award winning Glinda Bubble Dress (photo C) . I then finessed that pattern to create a corset top for a New Year’s Eve party (photo D).

I aim to contribute to how we show up in the world via the stories we tell with our aesthetic.