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Student Feature: Lucy - It's Never too Late to Start Learning.

Student Feature: Lucy - It's Never too Late to Start Learning.

We've met people from all walks of life and all ages and we were particularly inspired by our dear Lucy! She's showed us how it's never too late to start on a new skill or hobby and exemplifies the quote - 活到老,学到老 (live long, and keep learning even in your advanced ages). What impressed us was that she always practiced and repeated what she learnt, and went beyond the requirements of the course to perfect her skills. It really is never too late to start learning!

Read her enlivening interview below and check out her beautiful creations:

 

Tell us about yourself!

Hi! My name is Lucy. I'm 58 years old and a retiree. Trying new things and experiencing different hobbies is what I love. I have been practicing Qi Gong for 17 years, Chinese calligraphy for 12 years and the most recent ones are Chinese Brush painting (5 years) and of course, sewing. I picked up sewing again some time last year.

 

How did you start off with sewing?

During the Circuit Breaker last May, my husband needed some shorts, so I took out my sewing machine and a piece of fabric that I bought more than 30 years ago. I do have some basic sewing skills as I took needlework and sewing during my O Levels, so I decided to give it a shot!

Lucy's work in progress with a pair of shorts.

Thereafter, by a stroke of luck, I heard from my daughter's friend that she was sewing her own cheongsam! She picked up the skills from Fashion Makerspace and from then on, my interest in sewing got rekindled.

I quickly signed up for the Cheongsam Bundle that was available then as I am a huge fan of Cheongsams. Every Chinese New Year, I will usually acquire a few pieces.

 

You have been with Fashion Makerspace for quite a while! What classes have you taken so far?

The Cheongsam Bundle I took comprised of a few modules.


Lucy's various masterpieces - from her Cheongsams to the Top and Skirt.


To acquire more sewing techniques, I signed up for the Fashion Sewing Bundle (which was a Bundle of 4 at the time) and learnt how to sew a variety of garments!


From jumpsuits to princess line dresses, Lucy has created her own collection!


I also love wearing pants and took the Sewing & Patternmaking: Womenswear Pants (Intermediate)! Currently I am attending the WSQ/Skillsfuture Sewing & Patternmaking: Dress with Lining course to help me elevate my drafting and sewing skills.

 

Practice, practice! Lucy doesn't stop at making one of each design.

 

Some of the garments you've made look quite different from the classes you have taken! What's your secret?

With the basic patternmaking skills, I am now able to make simple dresses and adapt the different Fashion Sewing patterns to mix, match and create personal designs of my own. Combining the top pattern of the Contemporary Cheongsam with the bottom pattern of the V-Neck Flutter Sleeve Jumpsuit, for example!


Some designs you would not see anywhere else - mixing and matching is truly the beauty of patternmaking!

 

What did you gain/learn or were enlightened to along the way in your current sewing journey besides sewing skills?

Along the way I learnt to be more meticulous, more patient and less afraid of making mistakes!

 

Share with us one takeaway from sewing that you believe will benefit anyone and everyone.

Being able to sew and wear your own creations is very fulfilling and the fit is even more comfortable, as it's made to measure! Fashion Makerspace is a great place to pick up sewing skills as the instructors are all friendly and always ready to share and impart their skills.

 Wearing her own creations gives her a sense of fulfilment and accomplishment!

 

Lucy definitely has a whole wardrobe of handmade garments - and it's still growing! If you would like to sew your very own Cheongsam or want to step into the world of drafting and sewing with our professional trainers, our doors are always open for you.

Not sure where to begin? Head on to our popular Starter Bundle page to get started. Want to utilise your Skillsfuture credits? Check out all our WSQ/Skillsfuture courses here. We'll see you in class!

 

 

For further enquiries, you can email fashion.makerspace@gmail.com or whatsapp us at 8139 7787.

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