Thanks to the gorgeous Debbie of Lily Sage & Co, the blog hop baton has been passed on to me.  I first came across Debbie’s blog when she was a finalist in one of Tessuti’s competitions a couple of years ago – and yes, I did vote for her dress!  I always enjoy watching what she comes up with, for herself and for her husband and daughters.  Beautiful fabrics in divine combinations and the fearless ability to refashion and mix textures and patterns.  Thanks so much Debbie for getting me involved in the hop!  So, straight to the questions.

1. Why do you write?

I started my blog when I was pregnant with Stella, so almost eight years ago.  Blimey!  I had googled “headband tutorial” and found Heather Bailey’s blog, and from there I was sucked into the vortex of craft blogs.  At that stage the blogs I found and read were mostly patchwork, bag-making and children’s clothes.  With the encouragement of another online friend (Hi there Jodie!) I decided that I could share what I made as well, and things went from there.  My blog is a making journal, with the odd rant and miscellany.  There’s a bit about the family, but not too much, and it morphed into a travel blog when we went to Thailand earlier in the year.  But basically I write to keep a record of what I have made, whether it is sewn or crocheted.

I have been sewing since my teens – so that is over thirty years now.  I’ve never been a person to keep a diary, but for some reason I don’t find it too hard to maintain my blog.  It is the place where I record the details of each item, such as the fabric type and where from, any alterations, successes and failures.  There are very few finished items that haven’t made it to the blog.  I don’t edit out the unsuccessful projects, because this is my journal.  Sometimes things slip through the cracks, but I’d say that about 99.5% of what I have made over the past seven and a half years is on this blog.

I suspect that I continue to write the blog for a number of reasons.  Unsurprisingly, the big one is to feel part of the sewing community.  I am so blessed to have made real life friends who share my interests and understand the obsession with fabrics and patterns and how they can be combined.  I thoroughly enjoy the interactions with the people I have met through my blog, whether I have met them in person or whether our contact is still in the online realm!  My Chiang Mai fabric shopping trip with Gaye would never have happened without my blog, nor would my trips away to Sewjourn, weekends at Sew It Together or attendance at Frocktails, Sewcietea and various other blog meets.  I also feel that maintaining my blog is a way to give back a little to the sewing and crafting community.  I know how much I enjoy seeing garments on everyday people, and hopefully others also gain from my creations and opinions.  And of course, it’s a chance to show off and say “hey, look at what I made”!  It’s online show and tell to the whole world!  And I love positive feedback as much as most people.

2. What are you working on?

I have another trip to Sewjourn coming up in a few weeks time, so I’m really trying to prepare for that.  I’m finishing off the garments in the already-cut-out-waiting-to-be-sewn box, so that I can made a fresh start for the season ahead.  And I’m nearly there!  There is a huge pile of fabric matched to patterns on the cutting table, just waiting for me to start cutting.  These include:

• Grade 6 graduation dress for Clare
• Floral neoprene top for Clare
• Finlayson sweater for my Dad
• Liberty short-sleeved shirt for my husband
• Another summer knit dress for Clare
• A knit jacket for Clare
• An Oliver + S dress for Clare
• A skirt for me
• A top for me

Hmmm, there’s a theme here – lots of these are about Clare!  She does need some summer clothes.  Stella has heaps, as she has all of Clare’s hand-me-downs in addition to the extra things that I make her.

I keep a number of sewing lists on my phone.  There is one for garments already cut out, one of sewing plans for me, and another of sewing plans for others.  The last two are very long lists.

Currently under the sewing machine is a Marcy Tilton “shingle” dress, in lurid neon green and black stripes.  I probably have less than an hour of sewing left to do before it will be finished, after spending an hour unpicking it this evening because I’d sewn one right side to one wrong side and then had bound the neckline.  The unpicker is my friend.

3. How does your blog differ from others of the same genre?

This is an interesting question!  It’s probably not all that different, in that it focuses on sewing, crochet and crafting, but I suppose that as each person is different, each blog is different.  I reckon that I’m a fairly typical sewist of my generation.  My blog is pretty personal – there is no sponsorship, and the only ads are the annoying ones that come with free wordpress hosting (and I never see, but I think that you do).  I like to think that I’m pretty upfront and honest about what I make, and about my own sewing strengths and weaknesses as well as those of the patterns I have used.  I write pretty much the way that I talk, and what you see is what you get – all the while remembering that a blog like mine only ever reveals a small slice of who I am and what my life is like.  I like to think that my blog makes a positive contribution towards the representation of  middle-aged plumpish women in the sewing world who know their bodies and like themselves and what they make!  My blog also includes the garments that I make for my daughters.  I think that they have grown up on the blog!

4. What is your writing process?

I suspect that Instagram has impacted negatively on my writing process.  I used to blog a project very soon after making it, and now it can take some weeks before I get around to writing a proper post after sharing an Instagram snap.  That said, there is nothing like the blog for providing a good record of what I’ve made and how I found the experience.  I keep a list of finished items that are waiting to be blogged.  I try to get each item photographed as soon as possible after making it, which is why my blog photos are generally taken on the back deck by either my husband or by Clare.  It’s about ensuring that I have a record.  I take some photos during construction when I remember to, or of particular details.  Once photos are taken I crop them as needed, then upload them to Flickr where they can sit for weeks before being incorporated into a blog post.

I don’t have a blog post writing schedule – I write when I feel like it, then often write a few posts at once and schedule them.  It really depends on what the rest of life is like and how tired I am.  I suppose that is part of the reason why I am so behind with blogging finished items at the moment.  What with my current full-time work and juggling that with family and other commitments, I tend to sew something when I have some time rather than writing a blog post.  I usually prefer to finish something, photograph it, and blog about it before moving on to the next thing, as otherwise I forget many of the details about any construction or fitting issues.  That just isn’t happening at the moment.  I try to incorporate about four or five photos into each post to show most aspects of the garment, and although it’s nice if they are also good photos of me, it’s more important that they show the garment clearly.  Then I blither on a bit, making sure that I mention the name of the pattern, the size, what the fabric is and where I got it, any alterations, and any other information of note.   I like to break up each paragraph with a photo, and don’t often have blog posts without photos.  So overall my process is rather haphazard.  However, it is often improved by a glass of wine.

Time to pass on the baton!  I’ve enjoyed reading about others who sew and blog about it, and would love to have both Anna and Gaye answer these questions too.  I count myself very fortunate to have met these two women through blogging, and even more fortunate to now count them both as “real life” friends.  Over to you!