Meet Master Craftster Rlynn
This year WeAllSew.com had the exciting opportunity to partner with Craftster.org, an online community for crafting and DIY enthusiasts to share their projects, ideas, and inspiration. Our partnership included the loan of a BERNINA 330 to five talented Craftster members.
Meet rlynn, one of the five talented ladies in the Master Craftster program and see some of the creative projects she created with the BERNINA 330!
What inspired you to start sewing, and what was your first sewing machine?
I was partially raised by my Grandma Betty, who was an original Jill of all trades. By the time I was old enough to remember, she wasn’t really sewing much but there was an old drop-in sewing machine and a chest full of buttons in my bedroom at her house. I LOVED sorting through those buttons. My first sewing project was a fleece hoodie for a 4-year-old on a borrowed sewing machine when I was 18, and I didn’t sew another project until I was 27 and pregnant with my daughter. I bought a cheapie machine from a chain big box mall store and sewed until the thing gave out on me a few years later. I promptly bought my second machine, a Janome Magnolia from Montavilla Sewing, a local sewing store here in Portland, Oregon, and I haven’t looked back since. I am hoping to make the BERNINA 350 PE my third sewing machine, since its all I’ve been using since I received it.
Where do you get your inspiration for sewing projects?
Where don’t I get inspiration? There is a plethora of sewing tutorials to try out on the Internet. I love browsing blogs. MADE, Made by Rae, Ruffles and Stuff, Lil’ Blue Boo, Noodlehead, No Big Dill, and Project Run and Play are all favorites of mine that I check regularly. I’m also big on stalking Craftster.org for awesome tutorials. My daughter is another huge source of inspiration, particularly around Halloween. Last year, she wanted to be Ponyo, which of course involved a handmade dress, bloomers, and felt ham. Lately, I have been drafting and sewing a lot of doll clothes for a new collaborative business venture, Tansy Dolls, that my friends (Les and Cady) and I have recently started. Drafting and sewing doll clothes for our Waldorf-inspired dolls is a blast. And I am LOVING the BERNINA 350 PE for adding little special touches to the hem of the itty bitty clothes.
What is the one thing that you love most about sewing?
I am a busy mom of an active 4-year-old. I’m also a full-time student in PSU’s Public Administration and Policy doctoral program and currently have four part-time jobs. Sewing is my way of relaxing. It is the only time that I let my mind and body wind down. In a way, it’s a form of meditation for me. If I didn’t have sewing, I’d wind up spending all my spare time studying or researching something and while I love what I do…all research and no play doesn’t sound too terribly fun.
Of all the things you’ve made, which is your favorite?
If we are speaking about the BERNINA campaign, I’d have to say that my favorite is probably the paperbag skirt with interchangeable buttons or the leather cuffs. Can you tell I’m a bit indecisive? I love the fanciness of the paperbag skirt, but I’m really fond of the simplicity and the beauty of the ornate stitches on leather cuffs. Plus, the cuffs were so simple to make; the machine does all the work. If we are talking of all time…I’d have to say the Ponyo costume I made for my daughter is one that I am particularly proud of.
Read more about rlynn’s projects at Craftster!
