A Choir of Bodies

Thinking of my body in a different way.

I’ve never been taught to sing. I grew up traveling with my father who is a professional musician, and we sometimes sang together as a family. I remember learning the words to hymns in church before I could read, and learning to follow along even when I didn’t know them. I sang with a group for a little while in high school, dreamed for years of being a singer songwriter, and still sing along with all my favorite songs and mess around with a guitar, but I really haven’t a clue what I am doing. Everything I do is just by ear and instinct. If I compared my voice as a soloist to the range and control of someone I admire I’d be rather disappointed, but singing along with a group of family or friends or a fully arranged song on a playlist I can fill in pretty well. I think I have a nice voice.

Likewise, It is sometimes hard to love my body. It’s so different from what it once was, so different from the picture I have of myself in my mind. When I compare what I look like to some of my favorite sewists, designers, and fashion influencers, I can feel pretty disappointed, and even embarrassed. But when I sent out invitations to many of my friends to collect measurements for designing my blocks, I thought of each one of them lovingly. My friends’ bodies are all unique and beautiful to me and the other people that love them, and all together we represent an astonishing range of diversity that I am falling in love with.

It’s an honor to make clothing to honor your body just the way it is. Here’s some of my favorite tunes that I sing along to as I cut and sew if you want to join me: Work Playlist.