Saira Sumar of Lihaaf

Let’s hear from my next Creator who Inspires in her own words.

Hello, I’m Saira from Mumbai. I quilt under the brand name Lihaaf (which means quilt).

I play a myriad of roles: daughter, wife, mom, sister, teacher, friend and quilter…

I don’t claim to have been sewing/quilting all my life. In fact, I hadn’t been near a sewing machine for over 25 or more years. But once the bug struck, now I can’t be away from it for 25 hours. The time spent assisting my mom with her sewing and quilting as a young girl helped me grow fast as a quilter. I’ve made and gifted quilts and quilted items to family and friends.

I just can’t stop; I have found my passion.

Designing, buying fabric, cutting, sewing, quilting make me happy.

Why do you craft? And why the specific craft(s) you pursue? Was it a straightforward journey, something you always wanted to do? Or did you get there via other pathways?

I’ve never asked myself this question…why?

Crafting, it’s something I’ve always done…but it’s also varied crafts and with huge gaps when I haven’t when I was occupied with college/marriage/kids…

Currently I’m into quilting, from 2014.

I’ve done crochet, embroidery, stained glass, fabric painting, calligraphy.

How did I start my quilting journey? I happened to see some posts on Facebook of quilts made by my friend’s cousin. (QTQuilts) I loved them and was drawn to them.

I spent 6 months ogling her lovely work and then I texted her asking if I could also learn how to quilt in Mumbai and what did I need? She said yes, of course and that’s all I needed to hear …

Are you a process crafter or a product crafter? Do you do it for the joy of making something, or to enjoy what you’ve made?

I’m definitely a process crafter and luckily I’ve enjoyed everything that I’ve made. 🙂

What has been your most rewarding sewing moment so far? Can you reproduce it, do you think? Have you tried to?

I’m happiest when I’m making baby quilts. The joy of picking fabrics, colours, patterns…I love it.

Once I’ve completed a project, I note down all the specifications

Once I’ve completed a project, I note down all the specifications: fabric sourced from, size, tutorial link, changes I have made or will make in my next piece, a photo for future reference. So yes, I can reproduce whatever I’ve made.

What normally gets you down or stops you in your tracks when you’re in the middle of a project? How do you then overcome the hurdle or circumvent it?

So far I haven’t experienced quilters’ block. But yes, life generally does get in the way. Then I wait for that period to pass and while I can’t get to the sewing machine, I keep in touch by watching tutorials, following sewing blogs, shopping online and offline for fabric, etc.

Has your craft changed you? In what way?

I start my day earlier to add an hour or two for sewing before the day really begins. Earlier I would be ready to step out of the house for anything. Now I try to merge two tasks and reduce the time away from my machine. I do think I’ve become a bit more patient…

I’ve changed from being a reader to becoming an audio learner. Multitasking is my forte.

Some advice you wish someone had given you when you were still in the beginning of your journey as a crafter?

When I began quilting, my best friend said, “You’re getting old!” But I found that being creative made me more energetic, enthusiastic and I made loads of new friends.

So I would say to anyone who wants to start, just do it. You will learn everything along the way. But be warned! Quilting is addicting.

Are there still horizons for you to conquer? Which ones, specifically?

There’s so much to learn…I’m barely past being a beginner.

I want to try my hand at Art Quilts sometime in the future. I want to learn to do intricate free motion quilting. I want to make a quilt to submit in a quilt show. I want to grow my home business of quilts and quilty products.

“Stop wishing start doing” is what I need to remember.

See more of Saira’s lovely work and get in touch with her on Instagram and Facebook.