Who’s been your biggest creative influence regarding your introduction to revamping your wardrobe?
I was surrounded by makers growing up. I started sewing when I was 7 on my grandmother’s 1950’s Italian sewing machine (I sew on the same machine today) and it has always been a part of who I am. My grandfather never threw anything away (today we’d call him a hoarder!) and whenever something broke he either fixed it or hung on to it just in case. I’m the same way with buttons, ribbons, and scraps of fabric. Initially I started remaking things to sell, but when I kept hearing people say they threw something away because of a hole, or a lost button, I knew it was time to teach people how to revamp their own clothes. I started teaching lessons and then after taking a Dabble class I thought it would be a good fit for a Wardrobe Revamp class.
What are you most looking forward to in your Dabble class?
I would have to say I am looking forward to talking about my passion. It is so much fun to demystify sewing and encourage people to revamp and reuse things. I feel sometimes like people think what I do is magic! I love when people walk out the door with new skills and I hear later how they used those skills to revamp something on their own.
Are there any other hobbies you are privately dabbling in?
I’m a constant dabbler. When I am not sewing I crochet a bit, I read a ton, and take photographs with my vintage Ilford camera. I also dabble in language because I love to travel. I really want to learn how to knit and develop film.
And just for fun … If your life was a movie, what song would be playing during the opening credits?
Sunny Side of the Street by The Pogues. It’s a little ironic and dark, yet upbeat.
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There are just 3 spots left for Kandy’s next Wardrobe Revamp class. If you’re interested in signing up, click HERE.
Kandy Christensen is the mending maven and owner of Meandering Design, where she offers sewing tutorials and workshops for everything from beginners to novices. While her first love is sewing, she also has a love of language that drove her to acquire a Masters in English, and a love of travel that resulted in a stint working in Iraq as a Director of a Civil Society Project and a Masters of Science in International Public Service.