Q&A: Meet Our Newest Fabricista, Marica!

Winner of the 2017 Fabricista Fashion Challenge!

Marica is a simple island girl, born in Jamaica and raised in Miami, Florida. She enjoys the gift of motherhood with her pair Aiden and Arielle.  Her passion is to touch lives whether in the classroom as an educator or inspiring someone to live in the moment. In her spare time, she enjoys spending quality time with her children, traveling, sewing and self expression through writing. 

What is your day job? 

My 9 to 5 is in the field of education.  I am currently a Middle Grade Mathematics teacher.  I am also a contributor for the Outlook Magazine - Jamaica Gleaner (here).

What is your dream job?
My dream career is to become a travel journalist.  I truly enjoy traveling, writing and learning about difference cultures.

What do you sew in your sewing room?

I love to make simple, chic garments for my daughter and me.  I hope to start sewing for son as well.  In addition to making clothes, I have a passion for simple DIY projects, making pillow covers, shams and pillow cases.

What is your favorite part of your sewing room?

I must say my favorite part of my sewing room is the corner where my sewing machine is located.  I also enjoy reading the inspiration quotes located in my sewing area as a daily reminder to enjoy this journey - life.

Give us an organizational tip:

I organize my fabric stash in tubs based on seasons. I currently have a Winter/Fall and Spring/Summer tub.  In addition, I have my planned makes for the month organized by patterns in a storage container.  I also organize my patterns by brand in numerical order.

When/How did you learn to sew?

I started sewing in High School in the early 90s.  I enjoyed sewing rather than cooking and fell in love.  Unfortunately, when I left high school, I gave it up.  I decided 3 years ago, to find a hobby that was therapeutic after losing my dad.  I decided to take a refresher lesson over a weekend and then used You Tube and blog to continue my sewing journey.

How much time do you spend in your sewing room?

For the most part, I only get to sew on weekends due to my hectic weekday schedule.  I will spend anywhere from 8-15 hours (Friday to Sunday) depending on the project(s).

Give us three words that describe your sewing style: Funky, chic and classic

Where do you get your inspiration for your projects?

My inspiration comes from a variety of sources.  I love art so I love working with vibrant colors and fabric that tells a story.  I then look at magazines, movies, fashion bloggers and sewist and draw my inspiration from a combination of sources and make the pattern or creation my own.

What was your first successful project?

My first successful project was in October 2014,  an elastic waist skirt for my daughter.

If you could pass along only one piece of sewing advice, what would it be?

The best advice I will share is that when failures come your way, use it as an opportunity to learn and grow.  

Thanks for stopping by! 

Follow my journey at:  Overdrive After 30

Marica will be blogging every 3rd Saturday of the month. 
Be sure to check back to see her first project, Saturday November 18th!