Ironically, as a very young child I was so allergic to new fabric that I could not even be in the store when my mom shopped for her fabrics to do her sewing. I had to stay outside at the playground. I didn't mind, she always brought me out a pretzel from the store and the playground was better than my swing set in the backyard. Once mom washed the fabrics it was okay for me to touch them, and I was given all the scraps to make my doll some new clothes! (My friends had me make their dolls clothes too.) By age eleven I outgrew the allergies to the fabric dye and moved up to more important sewing projects like making pillows, curtains, and blankets for my bedroom, and the "girls' side" of our tree fort outside. I also made costumes for the "plays" we held for our family members who would so graciously sit through them.  By high school I was creating dolls, quilts, and clothing and selling them in local craft shops and boutiques.  Not realizing how lucky I was at the time, I studied for 4 years of fashion design and sewing in my high school preparing me for college.

In 2001 I mentioned to my mom perhaps I wanted to stop selling my creations and start teaching sewing. Laughing at myself for the silly thought that anyone would want to learn to sew, after all, none of my friends knew how to sew, and pretty much everyone I knew didn't know how. I told my mom, I would be sitting around all summer but I was willing to take the risk and open a sewing studio in the corner of our family den. Thus began the start of both a new sewing studio in Chadds Ford, PA, and an informational sewing website for the world to see and learn about sewing! All three of my daughters took up sewing and enjoy it too. They are highly involved in the making of this website, our sewing studio, and encourage and support me in all my "sewing adventures."

Best Stitches,

Judi Montgomery Harris

p.s. Skimming through my diary from 1971 (I was 10) and on the Christmas day page it says that I received fabric, a sewing kit, and 5 other craft kits.