“Unbelievable DIY Transformations: 50 Ingenious Hacks That Will Change How You Craft Forever!”
“Right now, my coffee is resting on a linen rug mug I made about 4 years ago and I’m wearing hand knit socks I’ve worn holes in and repaired twice,” Sarah Hegge tells us during our interview. Hegge believes in crafting things that last a while. “When you start from the idea that you’re going to have an object in your life for a long time, it changes how you think about the amount of time you spend on a project and the amount of money you’re willing to put into supplies,” she said.
Hegge lives and breathes arts and crafts. She’s a multi-modal crafter, who works mostly in fiber and textile arts. Her blog thecraftblogger.com has tips for amateurs and experienced crafters, who want to elevate their work. And she carves out time to teach textile and fashion classes at her local community college. Hegge studied fashion design as an undergrad because she wanted to learn more advanced skills. “My favorite class was tailoring, where we made a jacket using traditional hand methods like pad stitching,” she said.
It took her a while to find her path, and she explored various creative avenues along the way. “I ended working as a bridal seamstress, in a theater costume shop, and teaching community college classes. For a while, I worked in a couple of museums with historic fashions, eventually getting a PhD in Design from the University of Minnesota with a concentration in dress, history, and culture. For my dissertation, I conducted a study that involved carefully reproducing two dresses so that I could compare the sewing skills involved.”
