Yeah! The lovely Echo at French Seams and Pipe Dreams has nominated me for a Liebster award, which is very exciting! Thanks, Echo!
The Liebster award was created to draw a bit of awareness to bloggers with a following of less than 500. There are some rules, because without rules there would be chaos, and nobody wants that:
1. Answer the questions given to you
2. Nominate other bloggers with less than 500 followers
3. Post questions for your nominees to answer
Questions for me
Why did you set up your blog?
I’d been feeling a bit stuck in a rut with my life, and I realised that excitement wasn’t just going to turn up at my front door and bite me on the hand – I’d have to go out and look for it. I hoped that writing this blog would force me to go out and find interesting stuff to do, and eventually I rediscovered sewing and didn’t have to leave the house anymore. Win.
What is your best sewing tip?
Measure twice, cut once. Also, if you’re not sure about what size to use, go with the bigger one – it’s a lot easier to make something smaller than it is to sit and cry over your ruined fabric that now won’t be any good for anything because there’s no way, even with a 1mm seam allowance, that your skirt is going to fit around your waist. Ask me how I know these things…
What aspect of sewing gets on your nerves? (I wonder how many people will say cutting out!)
Stay stitching. I don’t know why it makes me so angry. I suppose because it doesn’t feel like progress… I actually quite enjoy the logistical challenge of cutting out (weird, I know).
What’s the worst sewing mistake you have made?
Not stay stitching. Yup, turns out that really makes a difference to whether your facings fit nicely or not…
What is your all time favourite pattern and why?
Probably Simplicity 1609. Jiffy. The Jiffster. The Jiffmeister General. I’ve made a couple of them now, one yet to be blogged, and I always receive compliments when I wear them. It’s an easy pattern to make, and I didn’t have to make many changes to perfect the fit. I love 1950s silhouettes, but I don’t see that much opportunity to wear them currently, whereas A-line works for my figure and my lifestyle. I’m working on a new A-line dress at the moment, which features pockets and could eclipse this one, but we’ll have to wait and see the finished article to decide that!
Side note: I’ve just noticed the little picture next to Jiffy on the pattern is not, as I’d sort of thought and been a little confused by, an incorrectly coloured British motorway sign, but some dress-parts.
If you had to, what would you give up your mobile phone or your sewing machine?
Hmm… Not fair! My boyfriend works away from home for three days each week and I think he’d miss receiving 5-10 pictures of our cat everyday. Having a mobile phone, and FaceTime in particular, really makes it easier for us to still feel connected when he’s away. Therefore, I’d give up my sewing machine, but drive to my mums and use hers every day instead.
What is the best piece of advice you have ever been given?
Just get on with it!
I can spend a lot of time procrastinating and worrying about starting new things because I might not be good at them. It’s a bit ridiculous – how can you know you won’t be good at something if you don’t try? And how can you get better unless you practice?
What did you want to be when you were a child, and are you doing that job now?
When I was a child I wanted to be either a journalist or a fashion designer. I’m an accountant, so no…
However, I get to write and make clothes in my spare time, so I’m pretty happy. I’ve contemplated trying to do both of those things full time, but I think I actually quite enjoy the routine and the logical aspects of my job. Oh, and Excel. I really like Excel.
Tea or Coffee?
Tea. Milk, no sugar. When we lived in Belgium it could be tricky to find fresh milk, so I ended up drinking a lot of black coffee, but tea is still my first love.
If I’m out and about, I might stop off at a branch of Small Batch (a small Brighton coffee chain) for a mocha. Theirs are consistently excellent and the staff are really nice and friendly, too – you can easily get caught up in a random chat with them and the regulars while you’re waiting for your drink.
Out of all the things you have ever made, what is the thing you are most proud of?
A circus themed waistcoat I made for a school project when I was about 12. It was heavily appliquéd and embellished with a clown on one side and a lion on the other. I went absolutely mental on it, spending a whole weekend stitching circles of beads around the main sources of craziness. It was made entirely from the school supply of scraps because I was a frugal child big on refashioning from an early age.
I don’t have it any more, so I’ve knocked up a quick picture of it for you. It doesn’t really do it justice, to be honest. And yes, I am 30 years old, don’t have children and do own felt tips.
I like some of my recent makes a lot, but the detail and effort I put into this one have to make it the winner.
My nominees
Belgian Seams
Bernie and I
L’Attaque du Découd-Vite
Lady Stitcher
Lauren Sews
Mini Pip
Wild Child Sophie
Questions for you
1. When and why did you take up sewing?
2. Do you follow trends, or do you just sew things that you like?
3. What’s the thing that annoys you the most about the sewing process?
4. What are you working on right now?
5. Out of all the things you’ve ever made, what is your favourite?
6. How many pieces of fabric do you have in your stash? Is it tidy? Feel free to include pictures!
7. When planning a new project, do you start with a pattern you want to make, or a fabric you’d like to wear?
8. If you could only dress in the style of one famous person, living or dead, till the end of time, who would you choose?
9. What is the best piece of advice (sewing or otherwise) you’ve been given?
10. Do you have any other hobbies, apart from sewing and blogging?
11. What (or who) is your spirit animal and why?
As 2016 is going to be such a change for me, I don’t want to do my usual thing and overwhelm myself with resolutions. However, it’s not a new year unless I’ve made a ton of them, so let us focus less on how it’s February and more on how good my intentions are!
I don’t know about you, but I love starting afresh on 1st January, ready for new challenges and fun. I have high hopes for 2016, and one of those hopes is that I can make a bit more time for my little blog – I miss it!
There were good times, too.
