
Merrill O’Malley
hobby sewist / makerMy mom taught me to sew when I was really young, and I have been sewing off-and-on since then. I live in Ottawa, Ontario with my partner, our two dogs and our cat where I work as a graphic designer, although I still don’t know what I want to be when I grow up. Once upon a time, I had my dream job as a seamstress and project assistant for a TV show on the Cottage Life Network called Weekend Reno, and it’s been tough to top since. I went to art school and to college for cabinetmaking so its safe to say that creating and creativity are really important in my life. When others find their confidence in running, baking or working, I find mine in making.
What influence does music have in your life as a creative?:
I grew up in a very creative and musical family. My mom who is an architect, is also the best sewer I know, and has a singing voice that brings a knot to my throat every time. I do love music, specifically anything that evokes a feeling of nostalgia, but I don’t tend to listen to it while I’m sewing. In fact, for the most part I sew in silence, talking myself through tough steps and having conversations with my pets. My music taste is eclectic to say the least. Most of my favourite songs can be found in the collection of 900+ vinyl records that my dad gave me years ago, and the ones that can’t, always have a story, place, person or memory associated with them. I think the feelings and memories drawn out by the music can be distracting, but if I am putting music on while I sew (I have a portable record player in my sewing area) I always tend to choose something that either reminds me of my mom, who taught me to sew, or something that makes me want to dance around the sewing room.
Tell us about your playlist:
When I started collecting songs for my playlist, I thought about what could possibly be the common thread between Outkast and the Backstreet Boys, and the thing that ties all of these songs together. I realized, with a lump in my throat listening to Nanci Griffiths, that it’s the overwhelming sense of nostalgia that I feel when listening to this playlist. This playlist has a mix of hip hop beats and synth with a good dose of twang and songs that make you wanna dance. Beware: explicit lyrics.
- Ms. Jackson – OutKast
- ATLiens – OutKast
- SpottieOttieDopaliscious – OutKast
- Street Talkin’ – Slick Rick, OutKast
- Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik – OutKast
- Two Dope Boyz (In a Cadillac) – OutKast
- Jazzy Belle – OutKast
- Skew It on the Bar-B (feat. Raekwon) – OutKast, Raekwon
- Da Art of Storytellin’ (Pt. 1) – OutKast
- Aquemini – OutKast
- Doomsday – MF DOOM, MF Grimm
- Good Ol Love – Masta Ace
- Beautiful – Masta Ace
- Soda & Soap (Featuring Jean Grae) – Masta Ace, Jean Grae
- Don’t Go Breaking My Heart – Backstreet Boys
- Chances – Backstreet Boys
- Incomplete – Backstreet Boys
- Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely – Backstreet Boys
- Nobody Else – Backstreet Boys
- Is It Just Me – Backstreet Boys
- Sleeping Ute – Grizzly Bear
- Speak In Rounds – Grizzly Bear
- Two Weeks – Grizzly Bear
- Yet Again – Grizzly Bear
- The Less I Know The Better – Tame Impala
- Feels Like We Only Go Backwards – Tame Impala
- Borderline – Tame Impala
- Lost In Yesterday – Tame Impala
- ‘Cause I’m A Man – Tame Impala
- Breathe Deeper – Tame Impala
- 01 Dead Of Night – Orville Peck
- 05 Queen Of The Rodeo – Orville Peck
- 11 Hope To Die – Orville Peck
- A New Love (Can Be Found) – Daniel Romano
- Hunger Is A Dream You Die In – Daniel Romano
- If I’ve Only One Time Askin’ – Daniel Romano
- I’m Gonna Teach You – Daniel Romano
- (Gone Is) All But A Quarry Of Stone – Daniel Romano
- Cold Hearts / Closed Minds – Nanci Griffith
- Lone Star State Of Mind – Nanci Griffith
- Ford Econoline – Nanci Griffith
- Trouble In The Fields – Nanci Griffith
- Anyone Can Be Somebody’s Fool – Nanci Griffith
- I Knew Love – Nanci Griffith
- Never Mind – Nanci Griffith
- Sweet Dreams Will Come – Nanci Griffith, John Stewart
- Come Pick Me Up – Ryan Adams
- Oh My Sweet Carolina – Ryan Adams
- My Winding Wheel – Ryan Adams
- Do You Still Love Me? – Ryan Adams
- My Winding Wheel – Ryan Adams
- Breakdown – Ryan Adams
- For No One – Remastered 2009 – The Beatles
- Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown) – Remastered 2009 – The Beatles
- In My Life – Remastered 2009 – The Beatles
- While My Guitar Gently Weeps – Remastered 2009 – The Beatles
- Hey Jude – Remastered 2015 – The Beatles
- Something – Remastered 2015 – The Beatles
- Something – Remastered 2009 – The Beatles
- Call Your Girlfriend – Robyn
- Dancing On My Own – Robyn
- Regulate – Warren G, Nate Dogg
- Nobody Does It Better – Nate Dogg, Warren G
- Friends – Nate Dogg, Warren G, Snoop Dogg
- The Suburbs – Arcade Fire
- Ready to Start – Arcade Fire
- Where Did You Sleep Last Night – Nirvana
- Come As You Are – Nirvana
- Plateau – Nirvana
- Lake Of Fire – Nirvana
- All Apologies – Nirvana
- Smells Like Teen Spirit – Nirvana
- Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God) – 2018 Remaster – Kate Bush
- Do It Again – Steely Dan
- Rikki Don’t Lose That Number – Steely Dan
- Hey Nineteen – Steely Dan
- 06 High Enough To Carry You Over – Chvrches
- 10 Bury It – Chvrches
- Gun – Chvrches
- The Mother We Share – Chvrches
- Here With Me – Marshmello, CHVRCHES
- Myth – Beach House
- Zebra – Beach House
- Silver Soul – Beach House
- Lover of Mine – Beach House
- In Spite of Ourselves (feat. Iris DeMent) – John Prine, Iris DeMent
- Angel from Montgomery – John Prine
- Please Don’t Bury Me – John Prine
- Wichita Lineman – Remastered 2001 – Glen Campbell
- Gentle On My Mind – Glen Campbell
- Galveston – Remastered 2001 – Glen Campbell
- Ode To Billie Joe – Bobbie Gentry
- Take Me to Church – Hozier
- To Be Alone – Hozier
- In a Week (feat. Karen Cowley) – Hozier, Karen Cowley
- Sedated – Hozier
- Angel of Small Death and the Codeine Scene – Hozier
- These Eyes – The Guess Who
- No Time – The Guess Who
- Undun – The Guess Who
- The Weight – Remastered – The Band
- The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down – Remastered 2000 – The Band
- Up On Cripple Creek – Remastered 2000 – The Band
- Down On The Corner – Creedence Clearwater Revival
- Who’ll Stop The Rain – Creedence Clearwater Revival
- Have You Ever Seen The Rain – Creedence Clearwater Revival
- Maneater – Daryl Hall & John Oates
- I Can’t Go for That (No Can Do) – Daryl Hall & John Oates
- Private Eyes – Daryl Hall & John Oates
- Out of Touch – Single Version – Daryl Hall & John Oates
- One On One – Daryl Hall & John Oates
- Highway Vagabond – Miranda Lambert
- Nothing Breaks Like a Heart (feat. Miley Cyrus) – Mark Ronson, Miley Cyrus
- Man I Used To Be – K-OS
- Crabbuckit – K-OS
- Let’s Ride – Choclair
- Money or Love – Saukrates
- Keep It Movin’ – Saukrates, Xzibit
- Dance Yrself Clean – LCD Soundsystem
- Daft Punk Is Playing at My House – LCD Soundsystem
- Redbone – Childish Gambino
- This Is America – Childish Gambino
- Cloudbusting – 2018 Remaster – Kate Bush
- To Be Young (Is to Be Sad, Is to Be High) – Ryan Adams
- Remind Me to Forget – Kygo, Miguel
- Feel It Still – Portugal. The Man
- Jolene – Dolly Parton
- Here You Come Again – Dolly Parton
- Do I Ever Cross Your Mind? – Dolly Parton
- Coat of Many Colors – Dolly Parton
- Harper Valley PTA – Dolly Parton