Follow along with me as we look into time-honored sewing techniques from the past, learn a bit of history along the way, and see how vintage can be "made modern" with Amy Barickman from amybarickman.com. Watch the video and read the entire post and you'll get a chance to win your choice of one of Amy's popular DIY courses! More info at the end of this post.
Note that we had few technical difficulties in the first few minutes. Interview begins at time stamp 3:41.
On the 4th Monday of each month I go live on my Let's Go Sew with Joanne Banko YouTube channel at 7PM EST, where I'm joined by a special guest along with chatting friends in the live chat window. My most recent show was filled with delightful conversation, unique samples, and a glimpse into sewing history with my guest Amy Barickman. You can watch the entire show by clicking on the YouTube video you see at the top of this post. You'll also find contact information so you can connect with Amy in the show notes for the YouTube broadcast.
Here, I wanted to share some highlights from our conversation, give you more sewing resources to explore on your own, and provide links to FREE downloads from Amy.
First, a little about Amy . . .
Here, I wanted to share some highlights from our conversation, give you more sewing resources to explore on your own, and provide links to FREE downloads from Amy.
First, a little about Amy . . .
Amy Barickman is the founder of the Indygo Junction pattern company and author of the best-selling book titled Vintage Notions, an Inspirational Guide to Needlework, Cooking, Sewing, Fashion & FUN!
Amy’s has designed over 1200 patterns and 80 books and introduced new brands such as her Vintage Notions book series and Fabriflair®, dimensional paper piecing designs.
Recently, Prym Consumer, USA maker of Dritz® and Omnigrid® acquired Indygo Junction. Amy is now able to put her full attention to her passion for sharing fabulous vintage textiles & projects stitched by hand and sewn by machine. Her repertoire includes embroidery, quilts, fabric & notions, as well as DIY publications from the past with modern relevance.
Recently, Prym Consumer, USA maker of Dritz® and Omnigrid® acquired Indygo Junction. Amy is now able to put her full attention to her passion for sharing fabulous vintage textiles & projects stitched by hand and sewn by machine. Her repertoire includes embroidery, quilts, fabric & notions, as well as DIY publications from the past with modern relevance.
Amy's Mom was a big influence. Introducing her to sewing at a very young age! You'll learn more about her mom's background in the video.
Watch the interview and you'll quickly see that Amy has a gift for inspiring creative enthusiasts to learn from the past, and experiment with new products and techniques for creating her unique vintage made modern style.
During our time together we talked a lot about projects, tips, & tidbits taken from the Vintage Notions book.
May I say Vintage Notions is one of my all-time favorite sewing books! It's a unique collection of month by month, seasonally themed chapters with photos, patterns and project instructions, heartwarming essays, and yes, even recipes! Each chapter takes you back in time to an era when homemaking and handcrafted items were valued as special skills elevating not only the lives of the individual but the family unit and society as a whole. While the projects may be from a past era, you'll appreciate their time-honored status at home in our modern lives as well. The book is full of inspiration and projects suited for modern times, but I love picking up the book when I just feel the need to relax and unwind as I read and view pictures that take me back to a slower time.
In the book, Amy begins with a history of Mary Brooks Picken, her sole inspiration for the book. Mary Brooks Picken had accomplishments too numerous to mention in this paragraph, so I invite you to read more in the book. Mary was a pioneer in sewing education and a champion of elevating the various creative arts practiced in the home, sewing and otherwise. Learning sewing at a young age, she eventually founded The Women's Institute of Domestic Arts and Sciences in Scranton PA, attracting students from around the world. Her school helped empower women of her day to achieve status through their domestic accomplishments.
As modern-day creatives we recognize the fact that Mary's time was obviously quite different from our own. However, we still want the world to know that creative expression, and sewing in particular, deserves high status and praise for making our own lives and indeed the world at large a better place.
As modern-day creatives we recognize the fact that Mary's time was obviously quite different from our own. However, we still want the world to know that creative expression, and sewing in particular, deserves high status and praise for making our own lives and indeed the world at large a better place.
Continuing the tradition of educating and empowering creative enthusiasts, both women and men, Amy offers online DIY courses based on her fabulous collection of vintage fabrics and notions at VintageModernMakers.com. Would you believe there's even a course on Pearl Buttons? During the live show Amy told us how these beautiful buttons were made in the past. Who knew their origin was the Mississippi River?!?
Personally, I have a small but cherished collection of both old and modern "shell" buttons as I call them. With their multi-colored hues, I find them to be the perfect choice for so many of my garment projects. I've even been known to remove plastic buttons on a ready-made blouse and replace them with pearl buttons for a quick up-cycle project.
If you love buttons too, I encourage you to read one of Amy's own posts about identifying pearl buttons HERE. You'll also find some really special button images as part of her unique digital image collection, specifically Mother of Pearl Card collection images.
Check out all of Amy's course offerings at her site, VintageModernMakers.com. Grow your appreciation and knowledge while you create practical projects. Be inspired by Amy’s interviews with textile experts as well as artists and makers! Each “Primer” course includes sewing patterns and technique tutorials. Amy shares fascinating history lessons including field trips to museum exhibits.
If you love buttons too, I encourage you to read one of Amy's own posts about identifying pearl buttons HERE. You'll also find some really special button images as part of her unique digital image collection, specifically Mother of Pearl Card collection images.
Check out all of Amy's course offerings at her site, VintageModernMakers.com. Grow your appreciation and knowledge while you create practical projects. Be inspired by Amy’s interviews with textile experts as well as artists and makers! Each “Primer” course includes sewing patterns and technique tutorials. Amy shares fascinating history lessons including field trips to museum exhibits.
Speaking of printables, in the video we showed a sewing themed coloring page. This is a Freebie offered by Amy. Click on the above image to download your own copy. It would be fun to color it in and hang as art in your sewing space. Join her newsletter for more FREE printables HERE.
Yet another favorite project we touched on in the video was aprons made from men's shirts, one of the "magic patterns" included in the Vintage Notions book. I have this page bookmarked in my own copy. As an added resource you'll want to read Amy's blog titled Let's Up-cycle! A Shirt to An Apron!
We chatted between ourselves and interacted with friends who joined us in the live chat for a little over an hour. The time flew by! Now it's your chance to re-watch or watch this video for the first time. While you're on YouTube I encourage you to subscribe and sing up for notifications on my channel, so you'll know each and every time I add a video or begin a new live show.
Now, about that promised give-away. . . Amy has generously offered my Let's Go Sew community the chance to win your choice of one of her great courses. Simply leave a comment at the end of this post, telling us what you enjoyed about the video along with one new thing you learned while watching. On Saturday November 27th, 2021, I'll put all the names into a random drawing and pick a winner to be notified by email.
Now, about that promised give-away. . . Amy has generously offered my Let's Go Sew community the chance to win your choice of one of her great courses. Simply leave a comment at the end of this post, telling us what you enjoyed about the video along with one new thing you learned while watching. On Saturday November 27th, 2021, I'll put all the names into a random drawing and pick a winner to be notified by email.
I hope you enjoy the video and feel inspired by the samples shown and stories told. I'll close with a quote from Amy:
"Let the beauty of vintage textiles & the history of handmade ignite and enrich your creative spirit!"
"Let the beauty of vintage textiles & the history of handmade ignite and enrich your creative spirit!"
UPDATE!
November 27, 2021 was the day we drew a winner! Judy O'Dell wondering the random drawing and she'll receive a free online course of her choice, courtesy of Amy Barickman. Congratulations Judy!
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