Kris Magyar

I come from a multi-generational family of sewers. My great, great Grandmother was a couture from France, who quickly found demand for her creations in theatrical productions in the 1800s. My great grandmother was a young widow and became a seamstress of a small western Colorado town in the early 1900s, after years of ranching in the dust bowls of Eastern Colorado. Growing up in the 1970s, my home was filled with clothing, quilts, aprons, kitchen towels, potholders, trivets etc...all with the creative perfection of my great Gran, Gramma and my Mom. They shared the tradition and each knew how to knit, crochet, tat, macrame, braid, embroider, smock...you name it, they did it with the ease of taking a breath. And they were always encouraging me and my sister to try new things. As the baby of the family, I learned to crawl, walk, talk, read and sew. Most babies have binkies, rattles and teething rings. I played with empty pin cushions, embroidery hoops and the pedals of Gramma's Singer tredle sewing machine. At age 5, I was stitching clothes for my Barbie, by hand, just as my older sister had done...doesn't every toddler have their own sewing basket? No silver spoons in this family, but there were many silver thimbles! Suffice it to say, sewing was an integral part of my life. I love learning alternative ways to be healthy and practicing Tai Chi.