I’ve always been a little bit crafty. When I was young, I was in the habit of asking for at least one craft item for Christmas. One year I got a soap-making kit. Another year I devoted hours to hand-painting small, plastic animals. I wove pot-holders. I took up cross-stitch briefly in the third grade. I loved paint-by-numbers.
It wasn’t until I was married, however, and making a home for the first time that I discovered my passion (some might call it an obsession) with home design. I used to lie awake at night for hours, thinking of wall colors and furniture arrangements and linens. Fueling this passion was a stack of magazines, pages ripped out with designs I loved, and my novice sewing skills. And before I knew it, I had managed to decorate and redecorate every room of the two homes I’ve lived in since.
Eventually this passion for home design started to carry over into fashion. Soon I was interested in sewing skirts and dresses in addition to slipcovers and coverlets. And in the process of learning how to follow a pattern and wield an iron, I also started challenging myself to convert my old sweaters, shirts, and skirts into new and modern pieces for my wardrobe and my home. Thus my Hillberry PDF pattern line was born.
But sewing needles weren’t the only needles making an appearance. I’ve also reconnected to a hobby I picked up as a child: knitting. Balls and balls of soft and colorful yarns later, I’ve created a small stash of hand-knit cardigans, socks, mittens, hats and the like. And though not as practical or affordable as sewing, knitting continues to be my most favorite craft of all.
All in all, what started as a way to occupy my free time during holiday break as a child has turned into a means for income, a way to express my creativity, and an affordable avenue for home design and fashion. Furthermore, making things by hand has taught me a lot about the value of craftmanship, quality and skill.
