Corner woman’s sewing skills featured in magazine
By Melanie Patterson
The North Jefferson News
Sewing is more than just second nature to Connie Sullivan — it is something she can’t imagine her life without.
“I can’t remember not sewing. It’s in my soul, I guess,” said Sullivan. “It’s a stress reliever.”
When her granddaughter Jordan was born in June 2005, Sullivan took sewing to another level by combining it with another art form — scrapbooking.
Sullivan’s sewing and scrapbooking were so impressive, she was featured in the September/October 2008 edition of Sew Beautiful magazine.
“I’ve always sewn,” said Sullivan. “But when she (Jordan) came along, it was a lot more fun.”
After she made Jordan’s first Easter dress, Sullivan made a card using notions — buttons, lace, bits of fabric — from the dress.
But why stop at a card?
The move to full-blown scrapbooks was a progression, according to Sullivan.
“It’s a gift from God,” she said.
The progression was also inspired by Sullivan’s purchase of antique patterns.
Sullivan said she was curious about what type of material the women used and other details.
So she started making notes on her patterns and saving swatches of fabric from each article of clothing that she made.
That made it easier when she decided to go back and make scrapbooks for Jordan.
Her granddaughter was a year old when Sullivan got the idea to make scrapbooks. She has completed two books so far that detail 25 outfits she has made for Jordan.
While Sullivan has been making scrapbooks for two years now, she said it has not gotten easier.
“You just have different ideas,” she said. “Sometimes I know what the pages will look like before I’ve finished the outfit. … Sometimes you stew over it and lay it out and look at it for awhile.”
Her handiwork is often admired by other mothers and grandmothers.
“Sometimes people tell me to let them know when I’m having a yard sale,” Sullivan said. “But these (outfits) won’t be in a yard sale.”
Sullivan could not estimate how much time goes into making the clothes and scrapbooks, but she said it takes many, many hours.
Sullivan and her husband Butch live in Corner, while Jordan lives in Fultondale with her parents Josh and Sandy Sullivan.
Jordan is Sullivan’s only grandchild, and also the only grandchild of Doug and Myra Cupp of Gardendale, Sandy’s parents. Sandy’s father is Jerry Burgett of Fultondale.
Sullivan said she would keep making clothes for Jordan “as long as she’ll let me sew for her.”
As for scrapbooking, Sullivan said she would continue that, too.
“I hope she’ll cherish it one of these days as something really special,” said Sullivan.