SCHOLARSHIP STORIES
SAGE KNIGHT’S STORY
As a little girl, I dreamed of being a fashion designer and had sketches upon sketches of clothes I designed. I never took those sketches and turned them into physical clothes because sewing clothes intimidated me. I remember thinking several years ago that if I ever did learn to sew clothes, I should learn to make a pearl snap shirt because that would be a cool skill to have. It wasn’t until about two years ago that I actually put action to that thought. I called an older lady who was a skilled seamstress and asked if she could teach me to make a pearl snap shirt. Between our different schedules, it took about three months to make one shirt. I’m forever grateful I made that call and asked for her help.
Unfortunately, making pearl snap shirts is not a common trade, but I was lucky to have met Paige Callaway at the Art of the Cowgirl a few years back. Paige specializes in making functional fitting button up shirts for women. All the shirts she makes are from patterns created by her. When I started making shirts and realized I wanted to alter the pattern I was using, I knew she would be the best person to help me with what I wanted to learn.
Working with and drafting patterns is a whole different ball game than sewing. Even though patterns are two-dimensional, you have to think in three-dimensions because it is going on a body which is three-dimensional. There were two key places on a shirt that I wanted to learn, pattern drafting and alteration. I wanted to learn how to draft and make shotgun cuffs. There is limited information on the internet about making them. The second thing I wanted to learn was how to alter the armscye of the shirt. It can be a very ignored part on the shirt, but if done wrong it changes the whole fit of the shirt.
I came to this workshop, hoping to learn these two skills, and I did. I also left with a peace of mind knowing it’s okay to make mistakes when learning something new. It’s something I didn’t realize I wasn’t allowing myself to fully do when making shirts.
Being able to have someone work with you one on one with a trade will always outweigh any online course or YouTube video. I am grateful for Paige’s time because it would have taken me a lot longer to figure out what she taught me. She gave me the confidence to try new things until I figured out the best way.
This was a great educational workshop and it was also great mentally to be around someone who did what I did and had mess ups and struggles, but still kept going. Hearing Paige’s story was greatly motivating.
One of the best aha moments during this workshop was when Paige told me, “There is no wrong way. There’s a proper way, but just because you don’t use the proper way doesn’t mean it’s wrong. If you found a way that works for you then do it.” She even told me to write this down, but it’s been on my mind ever since she said this to me.
If I could go back and give myself some advice, it would be to get good sleep and take my vitamins before the workshop. As strange as it sounds, it’s true because unfortunately having a different schedule and being in a different country put me under the weather towards the end of the workshop.
I have a goal and a little bit of a dream to one day make one of those old vintage western shirts with the fancy yokes, shotgun cuffs and chain stitch embroidery. I taught myself how to draft the yokes, and now I know how to make shotgun cuffs. Knowing how to draft and sew on a shotgun cuff has been so rewarding! Chain stitch embroidery is next on the list to learn sometime in the future.
This scholarship experience created new possibilities in a personal way. I now have more options on how to design a shirt, and I am more confident in my pattern altering skills.
Thank you again for making this possible! Reflecting on these questions makes me grateful and humble for what The Rodear has done for me.
