Our July Member in Focus has been an active member on the site for two decades. That's right, twenty years! Seamingly Simple is one of our originals and we are honored to bring her in the spotlight. Just read any one of her reviews and its like participating in a sew-along, her accuracy in finding a true fit is superb. Margaret participates in many features that PatternReview has to offer, including numerous contests and is an active voice on our Forums. When she is not sewing or working in the engineering field, you can find her at home helping out her husband on their cattle farm. Let's get to know this dynamic member of the PatternReview community.
Stetch & Sew - Santa Fe Coat and Vest
Member Since: 12/23/03
PR Name: Seamingly Simple
Full Name: Margaret Allan Newell
Flickr.com: Online photo album
When did your love of sewing begin?
I've been sewing just about as long as I can remember. My mother considered me too young to teach, so I'd play on the floor while she gave my two older sisters a lesson. When they had left the room, I'd explore the sewing machine's capabilities with scraps. Throughout school, sewing sustained my desire for clothing beyond my budget. As an impoverished university student, I sewed my first winter coat; a kind shop owner in Toronto's fashion district gave me a deal on some lovely herringbone wool. I wore that coat for years and wish he was still around to thank.
An upcycled Pea Coat! Read Margaret's review
What is your background? Tell us about where you work and where you live. We would love to know more about your family.
I studied geo-environmental engineering in university and enjoyed a long career cleaning up contaminated sites. I'm semi-retired from that now, and serving as Vice-President of my province's engineering and geoscience regulatory body. At home, I help my husband with his cattle business, caring for any abandoned calves and marketing our grass-fed Angus beef. We live northeast of Edmonton, Alberta in an area characterized by prairie fields and boreal forests. Two sons in their thirties love visiting us for the rural lifestyle--one son lives in Edmonton but the other is in New Zealand and can't visit as often. Sometimes it works out that we can all vacation together. Still no wives or grandchildren in the picture. Sigh.
Left: A geo-environmental engineer takes an active interest in soil sampling.
Right: When a calf is abandoned, Margaret ties a bandana on it and bottle-feeds it until another cow assumes the role of stepmother.
Left: Margaret and her husband in costumes she sewed for a "Pioneer Days" parade.
Right: On vacation in Hawaii with her much taller sons.
Why did you choose the name "Seamingly Simple"?
The Seamingly Simple moniker pokes a little fun at myself. I've long been drawn to simple projects that don't take very much sewing time or skill to complete. But midway through such projects, I usually find them too plain and decide to jazz them up or use a more complicated technique that would look really cool. In essence, I take projects that are seemingly simple and turn them into something more complicated than intended. Although my projects take longer this way, I do end up with results that I like better than Plan A.
Margaret found that this year's Sewing Bee "cargo bottoms" brought luck while fishing.
Margaret took a simple pattern from McCall's and changed them into Cargo pants!
Do you have a favorite fabric to sew with?
Variety is the spice of life. I love how well cotton holds a crease, how well wool eases and hangs, and how easy-care synthetic fibers can be. To get the best of both worlds, I'd say I favor blends for garment sewing.
Cotton, BurdaStyle Magazine 05-2007-116
Wool, Sewaholic Patterns - Cordova Jacket
Polyester Knit, Self-Drafted - Dress with a twist
What are you sewing right now?
I'm not sewing much right now because it's summer. Married to a cattle rancher, I find life quite busy this time of year. On rainy days I've been completing some charity projects and doing some mending while I dream about returning to sewing in the fall.
Margaret's most recent review was a skirt and shorts for her sister!
Burdastyle Magazine - Banana Skirt
What is your Ride or Die pattern? You've used it multiple times and never want to be without it.
Not a pattern per se, but what I'd rescue from my sewing room in the event of disaster would be my set of pattern blocks. I've taken the time to make and sew basic blocks for a bodice, skirt, jacket, and pants that fit the way I like. I use these blocks to check the fit of commercial patterns and to draft my own designs. Making the blocks was as simple as starting with a basic pattern and tweaking the fit (but it did take a few iterations, each fitting better than the one before).
Pencil Skirt - BurdaStyle Magazine - Special No. 2
Jacket - Kwik Sew 3258
Tell us about your experiences with PR:
I joined PR because knowledge sharing is something I value. Before I start any project, I want to hear how others found the pattern, and how the instructions and fit worked for them. "Forewarned is forearmed," as they say. And, when I review a pattern, I aim to share helpful tips, shortcuts, and photos so that others can judge whether they'd like to sew it themselves. I've tried techniques, pattern lines, and styles that I only learned about on PR. And, through the Forums, I've met some amazing and inspiring people who've made sewing such a fun and rewarding process. The collective skill base and support at PR has been like having a virtual advisor help me advance my sewing skills and garment fit.
Have you joined the PatternReview Forums? Browse our boards here
Where do you sew? We would love to see photos of your sewing space.
I have a sewing room steps from the kitchen "so I can smell what's burning." I have windows on two walls, for exceptional lighting. On one wall I have a standing-height cutting table with storage below it, and on the opposite wall I have a sitting-height table with spaces for my sewing machine and serger/coverstitch machine. I put a small cat quilt in the corner--but the cat still prefers to sit on my project. A bulletin board and bookcase allow me to post ideas and organize resource materials. Into the remaining spaces I fit my ironing board, dress form, and a chest of drawers handcrafted by my father-in-law. I store my fabric in the basement so that it's protected from UV damage and to help me keep my mind on one project at a time (although that doesn't always work).
Which is your primary sewing machine?
My workhorse is a Janome MC11000. It sews beautifully and I use its embroidery capabilities occasionally to embellish gift items. My serger and coverstitch machines are also Janome--they have the same power plug and foot pedal so it's easy to set up either one of them in the sewing table's serger space.
Janome MC11000
Do you have any other hobbies?
I do a lot of cooking, canning and preserving because of where we live. It's inconvenient to drive to a grocery store and much nicer to choose ingredients from the garden and pantry. We enjoy hosting a farm-to-table dinner at summer's end, sharing our bounty with friends and family. Other hobbies I enjoy are photography, snowshoeing, golf, travel, and volunteerism. I belong to a charitable quilters guild that sews things for nursing homes, hospitals, and shelters; I also help out in the kitchen at our local community hall. As time and weather allow, I work with our three horses, who are teaching me how to be a better trainer and rider.
"What can you do when a PR contest deadline falls when there's still snow on the ground? Adopt a pinup girl pose to model the shorts!" - Margaret
"Crossing a river on horseback instills appreciation for the surefootedness of our equine friends." - Margaret
Thank you so much for sharing, Seamingly Simple, you are an inspiration to our community!
Connect with Seamingly Simple on PR and see more of her reviews in her Review Gallery.
Burdastyle Magazine Skirt Suit - 2023 Sewing Bee Entry - Round 4 (final round)
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