Sarah Caldwell - From Frogs to Frodo

Sarah’s love of sewing began when she was a young girl growing up in New Zealand. Her first creation? A bean bag frog. As she grew older, her passion for sewing grew and Sarah eventually studied fashion, design, and garment construction. Her talent led her to BERNINA. She shares what it’s like to work for a family-owned company, how everyone looks out for each other, and how she can go into any BERNINA store anywhere in the world and be welcomed like family. “It really is quite unique.” (1:57-10:29)

Sarah also talks about her biological family, and about growing up with a mother who struggled with mental health issues. She shares how sewing helped her deal with some of those issues, including the death of her mother. She’s glad that more people are talking freely about mental health. For her, and for many others, sewing and social media are providing creative and emotional outlets and are helping to build a strong sense of community. She shares many fascinating stories about her travels and the people she’s met along the way. One of her favorite experiences was going to the Kimono Museum in Japan and having them dress her as a geisha; she brings the experience to life in exquisite detail. (11:49 -19:43)

Sarah learns new things everywhere she goes and believes that sharing her knowledge with young sewists and designers is her way of giving back to the community. One of the ways she does it is by being involved with cosplays (costumed role-playing venues), including Comic-Con events. She has several different costumes she loves to wear, with Princess Leia being her most recent. It’s also one of her favorite creations. But cosplays aren’t the only thing Sarah’s created costumes for. She was part of the team that created costumes for Lord of the Rings when they were in New Zealand filming. As she shares the fascinating details of how it came about and the experience itself, she says that creating the quilt for Frodo’s bed was a labor of love. “Anyone out there who’s sewn with gold thread knows how challenging it is.” (20:14 -32:01)

Everything Sarah Caldwell does is a labor of love, whether it’s sewing, baking, doing Zumba or singing in her band. At times, she combines her sewing and singing skills in her classes. You won’t want to miss the entertaining podcast about a woman who dared to dream.

Be sure to follow Sarah on Instagram where you can get a first-hand look at some of her wild and wonderful creations. You can also reach her at @cladwell

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