OutrageousRags

My name is Judy and I love to sew. I’ve been doing it for many many years. I sewed my first garment (a white cotton apron) in 8th grade Home-Ec class. I nearly failed the class because I sewed the pocket on upside down. Needless to say that certainly did not put dreams in my head of a future sitting at a sewing machine.

However, like most mothers, my real sewing began when I had children. I had a beautiful little red-haired daughter and with her came visions of ruffles and lace. Alas, it was not to be…..she had visions of ponies and jeans. I did the best I could with what I had to work with and at least honed my sewing skills. Who knew one day I would be sewing for an Arabian stallion so she could participate in equestrian competitions.

My next sewing adventure came when my son’s high school theater teacher asked her students to raise their hand if their mothers sewed and might like to “help out” with their first performance of The King And I. He raised his hand – the rest is history. Over the next four years I spent more time in high school than he did.

And then came a much more challenging and rewarding sewing experience; I became involved in creating elaborate costumes for family and friends performing in the Royal Court at Renaissance Festivals. I particularly mention friends and family because this is something you do for love - it’s most unlikely that the money you earn will ever compensate you for the hours and the eyestrain involved. I will always be thankful for this experience though - it brought the best friend any woman could ever hope for into my life……you know who you are ;-)

And now we come to the present……the beautiful red-haired daughter is all grown up and we are working together. I do the sewing and the embroidery and she does the color creation for the one-of-a-kind fabrics we use. Sometimes she works with tie dye, sometimes shibori and other times she just follows where her imagination leads. You can be certain no two colors or designs will ever be exactly the same.

Establishing our shop on Etsy has opened up an entire new world of opportunity. We're creating the things that we enjoy.....tunics and caftans.....capes and ponchos.....many with a special emphasis on Plus Sizes. It's our opinion that Plus Size does not have to mean unattractive. To this end we are always on the lookout for fabrics with a color, a print or a fiber that will flatter a larger woman. You will also find a large selection of Celtic designs. So whether it is a simple skirt or something a little more “off the beaten path” here's hoping you'll find something you like when you visit our shop. We hope you'll like our ideas and if you have an idea of your own please tell us about it.....maybe we can bring that idea to life!