ABOUT ME

Welcome!

I'm Cennetta Burwell and thank you so much for stopping by my little place in cyberspace!

This site is primarily dedicated to my creative adventures and my love of style and fashion.  I started this blog in 2007 after following Pattern review for nearly five years before joining.  Initially, I wanted to share reviews and projects like so many others in blogland and on pattern review.  It was also a way of me paying it forward.  Pattern review had been a great resource and I learned so many techniques, shortcuts, and alternative construction processes from sewists of all levels. 

I've been sewing and crafting for over 40 years.  It started when I was about 10 years old, the sewing part at least.  As a kid, I was always doing something creative.  Back to the sewing..,  I made doll clothes from scraps given to me.  It was so much fun.  By age 12 in middle school, students were "required" to take home economics (cooking and sewing) and shop.  This was my first formal class in sewing.  But like most sewists, I come from a family where women make and sew all sorts of things.  I grew up during a time where women spent a lot of time in the home and they used their creative talents to improve their lifestyle.  Both of my grandmothers sewed, making everything from quilts, to baby clothes, to wardrobes that any woman would love to have.  Most of my family thinks I'm more like my paternal grandmother.  This woman was super creative and quite the entrepreneur.  


In 2012, I won first prize of the Palmer/Pletsch "Best Rendition of a  Palmer/Pletsch pattern contest, the Sandra Betzina Sewing Ambassador contest, and the Haute Couture Club of Chicago stripe challenge.  Through Palmer/Pletsch and Sandra Betzina, I won 2, 5 day sewing workshops and from Haute Couture, I won a nice gift card to one of my favorite fabric stores.  Can I say 2012 was a good year!  In 2014, I became a blogger for the Mood Sewing Network.  I'm also featured in a few publications (Threads Magazine, Palmer/Pletsch "Looking Good", and ASG's Notions newsletter.  All of these honors and privileges I never imagined would happen to me.

My primary goal since the 7th grade was to be able to make clothes that fit me and enjoy doing so.

Anyway...

Believe it or not, sewing isn't the only thing I do.  I retired from the University of Illinois  after 31.5 years service.  My last position was Modular Administrator for Research Proposal Development and Tracking.  That's a mouth full, right?  In general, my job was to provide functional application support, train, and implement as required.  Now, I'm semi-retired and have been working in a dental office for about 2.5 years.  I enjoy many other activities like travelling and book clubs, sewing associations, family, and church.  My life is full and I love the complexity of it.  I'm busy but not without cause.

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I'm divorced.  I have one daughter who works in clinical psychiatry as a counselor at a major hospital in the Chicagoland area.  My family is close knit; we spend a lot of time together.  I have a diverse set of friends that enjoy the same things that I do.  Life is good and I am thankful to God for ALL blessings.  Recently, I moved into a new home in a suburban area near Chicago.  Love my new home.  I made sure there was room for a dedicated sewing studio, which I also feature on this blog soon.

Circling back to why you are reading/following this site.  I love to sew and it is a pleasure to share with you.  I hope you are inspired, motivated, and encouraged to explore your own creativity through sewing.  Your questions and comments are welcomed.  I do not claim to be an expert by any means.  I just want to share what I have learned.  Sewing is enjoyable and it has many rewards.  It is also a journey of learning and practicing.  Through my experiences, I discovered my own strengths and weaknesses, striving to hone my skills as I go.

Happy to Sew and Share!
Cennetta