Blog Hop!

Katie, from The Creative Counselor, nominated me to take part in the latest blog hop making the blog rounds. Katie is someone I admire so much. She’s organized and a super mom, super lawyer, and super sewist! How do you do it Katie? How?! My one boy tuckers me out. Katie is a mom to three adorable kiddos and she’s cranking out wardrobes for them and herself. She’s extraordinary!

It’s always nice to get some insight into the person behind the blog. Often people leave their personal lives out from their sewing blogs, and I understand why. But I do enjoy reading about it when it’s included. So here’s my part in sharing a bit of me and my sewing ways.

Why Do I Sew? 

In 2009, a really good friend of mine mentioned learning to sew from her mother. And I instantly thought how cool it would be to learn. Fast forward a few months later, my husband and I found ourselves newly married and living in London. The expat life can be pretty solitary. Looking for work was a chore. Add no job, bad weather, and no support system and you’ve got the perfect storm for depression. Sewing is what mainly helped me out of that depressive state. It was truly one of the hardest points in my life. Ever.

I am so happy I took a few classes at the now defunct The Make Lounge. I haven’t looked back. I started reading sewing blogs and saw that Karen was hosting a meetup in Walthamstow and decided to put myself out there and go. One of my best decisions ever!  Sewing not only became a therapeutic and creative outlet for me, it became the perfect way to meet like-minded people. Friends, huzzah! Saving grace, I tell ya! Sewing meetups are the best!

What Am I Working On?

Before I became a mom I was very anti-UFO (unfinished object). I always finished a project that I started. But now sewing only happens when he’s napping and if I’m excited about a project. Unfortunately few garments keep me enthused for long. So by the time I return to a project I started…well…I’d rather be dealing with the next shiny, bright thing.

Currently, on the sewing table, I have three Alder dresses I cut out before going on vacation. Luckily they will transition nicely into fall so I’m in no rush to get them done. And I’m also working on training pants for my little dude.

How Does My Sewing Process Work?

I wish I had some sort of rhyme or reason on how I go about my sewing process. I am often inspired by what I see in blogs. I pick a pattern and then find a suitable fabric in my stash to use. Then more often than not I have to grade the pattern to fit. I enjoy using independent patterns because of how available the designers are (need help? Email them and get a reply!) and how great the instructions often are. But I’m not the typical indie pattern size so I have to do a bit more work with them. Because I enjoy learning about fitting and want some practice using a pattern, I will make a muslin. I don’t find it to be a waste of time if I’m learning from it. And because I don’t sew as often as I used to, I need to flex my sewing muscles before I cut into my fashion fabric.

Once my garment is done I will wear it the next day so my husband can take photos of me. My photos are how I look for the day. Not too much styling involved. I’m a low maintenance kinda gal. With the photos done, I edit them and blog about the project using notes I’ve taken during the sewing process.

What Keeps Me Motivated to Blog?

Keeping connected with the sewing community is what keeps me motivated. The people I’ve met through sewing have been absolutely amazing. So kind, giving, and fun. I love belonging to such a wonderful community. Corny, I know. But that’s the truth.

Now it’s my turn to nominate someone. I want to nominate my first (and super funny) sewing friend, Dibs from Dibs and the Machine. She’s been super busy these days with moving house and such. I’m hoping to get some insight to how her sewing is going in the new house! I also want to nominate Gail from Today’s Agenda because her skills and productivity always have me floored. Amazing work, always. Hoping our paths cross again, Gail!