It Has Pockets!

How many things can you carry in two hands at once at the Con? The list can be endless! This prepaid workshop on Friday, Sept. 1 at 10:30AM at the Mart2 203E was designed for the beginner at sewing and anyone who has need for even more pockets!

Asta Darling, the instructor for this class, was wonderfully patient and encouraging. She holds a BA from Wimbledon College of Arts in London, England, in Costuming for the Stage and Screen. She has been sewing historic costumes for approximately 12 years and interned with The Tudor Tailor, Historic Williamsburg in the Margaret Hunter Millinery Shop and Prior Attire and the Royal School of Needlework. She has had a presentation with The Queens Gallery at Buckingham Palace and has provided social media content for HBO, Netflix, Starz, and other corporations.

In an outfit she created, sewing machines threaded, and kits at the ready, we began. Darling started with a brief history about pockets, which can be traced back to the 18th century. Some of what these pockets were documented in being used for was anything from women’s necessities to the theft of two chickens.

The participants started out from scratch, cutting out the pattern and then the fabric. Using the iron and adding binding, the pocket was nearly complete. The last detail was the ribbon that would be sewn across the top to be tied around the waist. In an hour and a half, each participant had a completed pocket. Elegant and a great help to anyone wearing one.

Author of the article

Award-winning author Amanda Faith may have been raised in Dayton, but her heart and home is in the South. With a lifelong love of teaching and writing, she had plenty of encouragement from teachers and friends along the way. Loving a good puzzle has always been a fascination, and writing gives her the outlet to put all the pieces together. Being adventurous and loving to try new things, it wasn’t long before her characters found themselves in unusual situations. She loves to put people from two different worlds into new situations and to see how they interact, taking them on journeys they would never have normally experienced. Her current adventure working as a high school English professor turned Media Specialist, writing, and doing paranormal investigations doesn’t slow her down from having a great time with a plethora of hobbies. Her published credits include several short stories, poetry, several journal articles, her doctoral dissertation, and her award-winning book Strength of Spirit. With multiple degrees, she has a passion for learning and exploring new venues. She is a staff writer for The Daily Dragon at Dragon Con. Check out her new website (www.amandafaith.net) or on Instagram (@dramandafaith)