Seamstress, Fibre Artist, Aspiring Costume Maker
Contact:
Email: jodiemf17@googlemail.com
Various previous projects photographed below:
about me and my craft
I’m Jodie, I’m 23 and I am a self taught seamstress and fibre artist with a particular interest in costume and it’s storytelling abilities, traditional craft techniques, sustainability and historical fashion and it’s continuing influence. Above are photographs of a handful of my previous work including a handmade pair of jeans, a self drafted mini dress based on an archival image from the 1960s, and a hand knit vest made using intarsia.
Despite not having the opportunity to study costume making or textiles in a formal setting due to ending my studies in an unrelated degree, and then being faced with having to self fund any further studies because of this, I feel I am now even more keen and have a passion that is stronger still for gaining hands on experience in the industry as a result. I am determined not to let my differential path into garment making hinder me, and would love to work in a place with creatives and crafts people who share my passion and will broaden my perspective even further.
Leading my own studies has provided me with a unique insight, and has allowed me to explore different areas of costume and garment making of my own accord, rather than following a set guideline of study. This has in many ways, benefitted my knowledge and understanding and the way in which I approach and continue to develop my craft.
I have experience in working with a wide range of antique and vintage fabrics and am familiar with delicate repairs, alterations etc. My work with these kinds of pieces over the years has largely inspired my own outlook on and appreciation for handsewn garments and historic, domestic sewing practices, and is something that is important to my journey with my own craft. I have always been curious about how the construction and maintenance of a garment can tell a story in itself.
General wear and subsequent repairs are signs of humanity and what it is to cherish a beloved piece of clothing or blanket or pair of curtains. I find that older pieces tell a story of longevity that is rarely seen in modern clothing. I am also interested in a return to the use of natural fibres and materials, in hopes of a more sustainable fashion and costume industry going forward, and how this harks back to these antique fabrics I find myself to be so familiar with.
My love for sewing has always been rooted in history, it feels to me like a deeply ancestral craft, connecting me to people, and especially women, who I will never know and who will never know me. This is what draws me to costume especially- all of the stories that can be told by not only the costume, but also it’s maker. I feel my sewing has a lot of stories to tell, given the chance.
Jodie Foster 