A few days ago I learned that a dear friend and longtime mentor of mine, has died. My blog today is an appreciation for Connie Amaden-Crawford, who I met in 1980 as a fashion design student at FIDM in Los Angeles. She was my draping and patternmaking teacher. She was tough and exacting and the other students were afraid of her. But…I was her straight A student, and I learned decades later that she was responsible for my full scholarship which was a blessing to me. Honestly, I don’t know where I would be without Connie mentoring me as a young woman. She was a gift bestowed on me by the Universe, and when I asked how I could possibly repay her, she was just tell me….to pass it on.
Her love for teaching extended through the rest of her professional life. I am sure many of you took classes with her. Her specialty was helping women to make patterns and garments that were custom-fit to their bodies, no matter what size or shape. And…she had a Bernina machine which was her pride and joy. She wouldn’t let me touch it though…ha. I finally got my own Bernina 25 years later.
She wrote the textbooks on draping and patternmaking that were used by the fashion design schools. She was a licensed designer for McCall’s Pattern Company for the Butterick Label. She wrote articles for countless sewing magazines, and was a guest speaker on HGTV and the ABC series “Home”.
I wish for every ambitious creative young person to have such a mentor. And for those of you further along in your sewing and quilting careers, I urge you to look for opportunities to mentor those special young people who cross your path.
Our teacher-student relationship extended to a long friendship across the miles and decades, and we had a deep appreciation for each other as creative professional women. Her generosity made all the difference when I was trying to figure out who I would be in the world.
Thank you Connie. I will never forget you.
Sharing your passion for fabric…
Luana & Paul
* The 2004 photo above is of Connie and myself, when she came to see my garment in the Bernina Fashion Show in Houston.
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Travel/Lecture Dates:
Feb 18-21 – QuiltCon – Raleigh NC
Apr 26 – May 1 – Alegre Retreat, Gateway CO
May 16 – New England Quilt Museum, Soul Stories Artist Reception
May 18-26 – Montpellier, France
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