Renaissance Mom: Meg McElwee

By Allegra Wermuth

We are thrilled to welcome Meg McElwee to our circle of Renaissance Moms. Meg designs sewing patterns under the name Sew Liberated, has written a book of the same name (with a new book coming out in Spring 2011!) and writes the very popular blog, Sew Liberated. 

I've always been drawn to working with my hands, from the time I was a little girl. I dabbled in drawing, painting, scuplture and textile crafts. I learned to sew from my own mother when I was about ten, but it wasn't until I was in graduate school studying to become a Montessori teacher that I rediscovered crafting. Motivated by the need to make beautiful learning materials for my classroom, I took up sewing again and also learned how to knit.

How did your sewing pattern line, Sew Liberated, and your book of the same name come about?

My husband and I were living in rural Mexico where I was teaching in a one-room Montessori schoolhouse. I was bringing in a modest salary of Mexican pesos – enough to live comfortably in Mexico, but NOT enough to buy anything like fabric (or save money to be able to move back to the US!) My husband, Patrick, noticed that I didn't seem to be able to live without nice fabric and yarn, so he suggested that I try selling patterns for some of the things I had designed in order to support my little fabric habit. It turned out to be a good move - I started by selling PDF patterns, then moved to selling printed patterns. I began writing the proposal for my book when I was still living in Mexico, and it was accepted by Interweave Press shortly after we moved back to the US.

Are you a work-at-home mom or do you have a work space out of the home? If you are a work-at-home mom,  how do you juggle your work duties with your mom duties?

I work at home, where I have a studio space. Juggling my work duties and mama duties is a real challenge some days, but most days I can count on Patrick to give me about four hours of uninterrupted work time. This is really critical for me, because I'm not really an effective multi-tasker; I can't be sending emails and playing with my son at the same time, or sewing and watching him at the same time – my mind just doesn't work that way! I find that I need to give my focused attention to the task at hand. Plus, I really feel bad when I'm distracted when I should be present to my son. We all do so much better when mama has a dedicated work period.

What inspires your creativity?

I'm very inspired by the many blogs that I follow, particularly blog of fellow mamas who are trying to infuse their children's lives with creativity.

What do you think has been your biggest struggle as a working mom?
Without a doubt, keeping work from invading the home. Hard to do when you work at home! I need to put limits on how much I work, and this also means clearing my mind of all things work related when I'm doing mama things. I try to keep a notebook around so I can jot down a thought or an idea when it comes to my head. Once it's on paper there's no need to continue thinking about it!

What are your goals for yourself or your business for your future?

We are expecting another baby in February, and he has been diagnosed with a congenital heart defect which will require a series of three open-heart surgeries. Our focus needs to be on him, and we're trying to do what we can right now to get the business to run smoothly without us being involved in every little detail. It's also important that we try to expand the business to support our increased medical expenses, etc. So I'm designing away until I go into labor, but I'm also excited to start offering fabric kits to go along with my patterns come the beginning of 2011.

What other hobbies do you like to dabble in? What is your favorite way to relax?

I love knitting, and it's pretty much what I do to relax. I also really enjoy sculpting, which has recently taken form as a puppet-making adventure.

Do you have any advice to give other women that are interested in starting their own small business?

Decide how much time you want to invest in the business from the start. Don't let it overwhelm your ability to enjoy your family! Limits are the key to a happy, healthy relationship with your business.

What is your favorite game to play with your kids?

Oh, my son is still so little, but let's see – we love running around the coffee table singing “Pop Goes the Weasel!”

Thanks for the opportunity!