Blog Hopping

So the next stop on the blog hop is here! Thank you to Coo at Betty Stitchup for nominating me to take part. Coo is a fellow performer by trade, and I love her blog. She makes SUCH gorgeous vintage-inspired dresses, and knits up a storm too! Her blog-hop post is here, have a look-see!

So, on to my answers...

What am I working on?

I'm currently working towards making my wedding dress, which is definitely the biggest, most ambitious and most important sewing project I've ever undertaken. I want to keep it as a surprise though, so I am going to blog about it after our wedding, which is in June. It's so hard not to share though! I am writing blog posts as I go along, and trying to remember to take 'in progress ' shots as I go, so that when it's time to share I will have a series of posts written as The Project went along, rather than written retrospectively. It's also hard keeping the progress of the dress hidden from my fiancé. Any problem or mini victory, I just want to show him and the blog world! I bet as I get further down the line with the making of the dress I will need the advice of the super wonderful online sewing community, so be prepared for cryptic tweets or a "help please!" blog post. I'm sure Project Wedding Dress will challenge my sewing skills!

Got to keep my sketches secret too!

I have a few milestones in Project Wedding Dress before I get to the actual dress, and at the moment I am making a silk slip / nightie to practice working with silk and lace (plus is will be wedding night appropriate). So far I have made a little toile, sorted out the fit and am silk-shopping tomorrow! Eep exciting!

Toile of slip, made from drapey polyester I found in dad's loft

How does my work differ from others in it's genre?

I'm not sure if it does. I try not to compare myself to others. My favourite blogs to read are definitely the ones where I feel like I'm getting a little glimpse into the world of the blogger, so I try to keep that in mind as I write. I make a point of trying to document my triumphs and challenges alike. I don't want to present myself as perfect, or always successful in my creative endeavours. I would like my blog to be a true reflection of my sewing adventures and hopefully it is! 

In terms of my sewing, I'm not sure whether that differs from others much either! I sew what I like and I like what I sew (most of the time). I sew things that excite me and fit with my personal style.

Why do I write / create what I do?

I create because I am a creative person. I'm always brimming with ideas, and I love nothing more than creating something new that wasn't there before. Be that art, music, theatre, clothes, cards... Pretty much anything. I have a need to create, and sewing is an extension of that. I love it for the process, the craft, the skill, and of course the finished result. I have always loved clothes, and have always been highly interested in style. So the fact that I have the power to create my own clothes, to express my style in my way, with pieces made by my own two hands is really liberating. 


Coupled with that is the fact that I can't often find the kind of clothes I want to buy in the shops. And if I do, I'm usually very picky about their quality and finish.... Or I can't afford them!! Making things has always been a solution for me. "I'll just make one instead" is a common utterance in our house! My parents were a huge influence on my creativeness. My mum sewed, knit, crocheted and made lots of beautiful things, and my dad is a potter, joiner, tiler, plumber... in short very handy indeed!

Instagram snap of the pot I threw under dad's tuition last time I was up at home

I write about what I create for a few reasons. When I started getting right into sewing properly a couple of years ago, blogs were a huge source of inspiration, help and advice. They helped me no end to improve my sewing and to really get excited by sewing again. So I really wanted to join that creative, supportive, inspirational fold! Plus, I wanted a way to document what I was creating, especially as I got better at sewing and grew prouder of my makes! I love to write and to share, and blogging makes me happy! That's why I do it!

How does my writing / creative process work?

I have a firm "no UFO" policy. I used to have a box labelled "current/unfinished projects" which was getting way too full. I found that i would leave things languishing there for years (yes, actual years) so I decided henceforth to finish every flipping thing I start, or throw it away if I decide it really isn't worth finishing. I have to say my new policy works a treat, but it does mean that I usually only make one thing at a time. I'm thinking that this will not apply to my wedding dress, as I know I will need some littler, lighter projects to keep me happy as I go along, between silk and lace and hand sewing. Or maybe I won't have time!

I have a sewing notebook, in which I write down little notes about the garments I've sewn straight after I've finished making them.That way when I make my next version I can remind myself of what I needed to adjust, alter or keep in mind from previous versions. I usually draft blog posts on my phone, on my commutes to my various jobs. I like that there's a productive way to use my train and tube time!  Taking photos happens whenever we've got time (Liam takes my photos for me).  I don't work to a blogging timetable or post on specific days, just whenever I have something to share. Sometimes if I'm in the midst of a sewing project and encounter a problem, I will write some of my blog post right then, in the middle of the frustration. It helps me to solve the problem sometimes!

My sewing notebook

Notes about my slip toile

Hop On...
Thanks for reading, it's been fun to take part in the blog hop and share a little bit about my creative process. I am passing the torch onto two wonderful sewing bloggers (drum roll please...)

Danielle at One Small Stitch, who sews and knits gorgeous, gorgeous pieces, and lately has been sewing up lots of lovely knit garments. Danielle inspires me so much with her finishing. All her makes always look so neat! 

And Sally from The Quirky Peach. Her blog always makes me smile. I love how much joy she exudes. Not only that but she makes beautiful clothes in fun prints and styles. 

They're both hugely inspirational to me, so do check out their posts next week!

Over and out!