My earliest experiences in making things were not textiles at all. I was not brought up stitching with mum or Grandma, like so many textile makers. By contrast, I spent my pre-school years at home with my dad, mainly in the shed, making things out of wood. I had my own tiny workbench with saw, hammer, vice, and oil can (oh, how I loved my oil can!) and made things from balsa wood. The love of making things has never left me.

My dad later took me to costume museums, where I pressed my nose against the glass, absorbed every detail of the dresses, and developed a love affair with historic costume, which has had a far greater impact than he or I expected. Only now as an adult, making things for a living, can I see what a fundamental impact my childhood had. But it took some time before that really showed.

I learned to sew as a teenager, making some wild clothes, and then started on cushions and handbags in my 20s, interspersed with making replica medieval clothes and picking up spinning, tablet weaving, and braiding along the way. I went along an academic career path (not into arts) and studied medieval history at university. Then I earned a Master's in Museum Studies, heading, all the time towards becoming a curator of historic costume. Alas, the jobs were just not there, and I took a sidestep into museum education, which I discovered - to my surprise - I loved.

Fast forward a few years, and I was in my (almost) dream job, working at the Victoria and Albert Museum. Yes, I was working in the education department and not as a costume curator, but it was the nearest I could get. As much as I loved working there, meeting professional makers, artists, and designers opened my eyes to another world. The people, combined with the masses of amazing, awe-inspiring, wonderful stuff in that museum pushed me into making a break for it.

For years I'd said I was saving up to quit my job and make stuff. And that is pretty much what I did six years ago. I sometimes wonder now, as I manage the multiple roles my career entails - educator, project manager, museum consultant - if I actually did more sewing when I had a real job. Turning a hobby into a career doesn't always work and isn't easy, but I am incredibly proud of what I have done, considering I have no professional training in textiles. What made it work for me is that I have had a lifetime of creativity, ideas, ambition, and passion started by my dad and nourished by working in the most wonderful museum in the world. 

Ruth Singer is a textile artist, author, and educator who creates one-off textile artworks and products using sustainable and recycled materials. Her work is inspired by historical textiles, museum objects, personal heritage, memory, and stories. She's also the author of two sewing books, Sew It Up (UK, 2008)/The Sewing Bible (US, 2009) and Sew Eco (UK, 2010; US, Fall 2011). See more of her work at ruthsinger.com. Photo by Dominic Harris.

Why I Make is a guest series exploring the human impulse to create. Read more posts in the Why I Make archives or submit your own story.

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