A story about trying new things, going all in and a major breakthrough.

I never considered myself a creative type. I’m an athlete, a tom boy, I have the worst hand-writing, I still draw stick figures and weird happy faces… art class was never interesting to me. Because I was so bad at it, I put up a wall. I didn’t allow myself to really try anything that I thought was creative or craftsy. 

But one day, years later into adulthood. I was perusing through youtube and found a video on how to make your own swim top… I’d been unhappy with the active swimwear that I’ve been using to play beach volleyball and seriously could not find anything I loved. I looked for two whole years. Nothing. Nada. Just lululemon sport bras that weren’t really designed for the outdoors. Once I saw that video though… I was inspired. 

I thought about it for a couple days, thinking this was crazy. You don’t know how to sew. You don’t like that kind of stuff. For some reason though, I really wanted to do it. Now, I’m not someone who like just kinda does something. If I put my mind to something, I go all in. Like a crazy person. 

I am an extensive researcher by nature and I always have to have the right/best equipment. I need to know all the steps and have the exact tools to complete them. I spent hours and hours reading through sewing content. Do I need a rotary cutter? Which thread is good for a serger? Where do I buy fabric? There were soooo many things I needed to know. I once spent a whole night trying to figure out if I needed a ball point needle or stretch needle for my fabric (spoiler alert: both are fine, but I needed to know the BEST option). Like I said, I'm crazy. For a couple days, there were packages coming almost every day because I would find something else I needed. 

I bought a serger off facebook marketplace, got my other supplies and pulled up the youtube video. Edgewater Avenue videos really make sewing these swim tops and bottoms look super easy. I purchased the Georgia pattern and got to work. 

Now, I only touched a sewing machine once or twice before when I was little. I had no experience, no expertise, no idea what I was doing. I was strictly following a youtube video. What I didn't know was even experienced sewists were afraid to use stretch fabric. Looking back on it now, I laugh because I didn’t know a thing. After I got the hang of it, I was actually more scared of a regular sewing machine (which is so much easier lol). I jumped straight in and yolo’d it. 

I followed the instructions, made a ton of errors, seam ripped a whole lot, but after 10+ hours… I had a swim top. There is NO better feeling than pushing fabric through to the right side to see your finished product. My excitement built with every push. And finally when you get that last piece out and everything is shown… it’s marvelous. All the hard work into one single garment. I quickly threw off my shirt and tried it on. And it fit! It actually fit! A wave of pride came over me. I made this. And I can actually wear it. It’s a feeling so different from anything else I’ve felt before. And I wanted more of it.

Now that it’s been about two years since I first made that first top, I can say with certainty that that top is actually so awful lol. It’s got an asymmetrical neckline, it’s tight, too high in the armpit, BUT it was a start. I was so proud of that top, I ran over to Tanner to show him. I was over the moon. It may not have come out perfectly, but it ignited a passion I didn’t know I had. 

Sewing takes patience, attention to detail, and carefulness. And I have none of those things (lol). I am not a natural by any definition of the word. But I just try. And I learn so much along the way. 

In a weird way, I think sewing unlocked a new part of me. It allowed myself to let me believe that I am creative.

Since then, I’ve moved onto love other things as well like photography, writing, videography, editing and other things that I wouldn’t have even given a thought to before. 

The joy of creating is a feeling I want to live in. It’s free, it’s bold, it’s risky, it’s fun and it’s a little nervous. But it’s 100%, undoubtedly totally worth it.