The Next Stop on the Blog Hop

Hey there, friends!

There’s something a little different today as

I’m participating on the Blog Hop Around the World!

The lovely Vickie from Horsemark Cards invited me to be a part of this blog hop, which travels around to different creative blogs and lets us share a bit about ourselves before hopping over to some of our other blogging friends.  Vickie creates some of the most creative and fabulous handmade cards that I have ever seen, so you should most definitely take a look at her blog and her business site.  Vickie is certainly full of unique ideas.  I’m not even sure how she comes up with so many ideas nor how she makes it come to fruition in paper form!  She also makes some interesting and fun quilts! And she’s such a sweet and wonderful person and a fellow California girl! 🙂

First off, I’ll answer a few questions!

1. What am I working on?

I just finished up a project and started cutting out a silk voile evening gown for a wedding next month.  After I get finished cutting that out, I’m actually going to cut out a few other things:  a pattern for testing, a cotton shirt dress with contrasting colors/prints and a silk charmeuse dress with a big panel print.  I’m probably going to sew up the pattern I’m testing first as it has an earlier deadline and then work on the three dresses.  I don’t usually cut out patterns like this, but I find that when I have a lot of things on my sewing list that I want to work on, that this helps me “breeze” through them — or at least it makes me feel like it!  Besides that, I’m still doing hand embroidery on a Mexican inspired peasant dress from a vintage 1950’s pattern.  I’m over halfway done with that and hope to finish it before it turns cold!!!  That project has been in my head for over a year!

2. How does it differ from others of its genre?

I don’t think what I’m making (or planning to make) at the moment is too different, although I don’t really see many sewing bloggers sewing much formal wear.  I’m also not sure that anyone has done any embroidered vintage peasant dresses.  I mainly make clothing that I wear daily, but it’s nice to mix it up and sew some special occasion garments and fun and inspiring things that take a long time to make.

3. Why do I create what I do?

I have this vision of myself with a fabulous wardrobe in colorful sumptuous fabrics that is uniquely me.  I don’t buy clothing anymore and for a few years now, I’ve been sewing it myself.  Of course this takes time and my sewing list is never ending.  My fabric stash is overflowing and just the idea of wearing something that I’ve only seen in my head drives me to sew it.  I have soooooo many things I want to sew and who knows if I will ever get around to all of it as I just keep adding to the pile!  One of my greatest joys in life in sewing and then finishing  and being able to wear what I’ve made.

4. How does my creative process work?

What comes first, the fabric or the pattern?  Ha ha!  Sometimes it’s one and then it’s the other.  Sometimes I’m inspired by a designer garment and then find the pattern and fabrics to recreate it.  Sometimes there’s a fabric I buy and then find the pattern to go with it and vice versa.  I generally do have a plan and have started making lists of fabrics and patterns so I don’t just buy whatever.  I will share how my current projects came about:  1) The evening gown — I had the pattern already as I loved it and knew I would have something to make with it someday.  When I decided to make a gown for a friends’ wedding, I looked online and bought the fabric in the vision I had in my mind for this gown; 2) testing pattern — well, I didn’t choose that pattern, so I got the pattern and then went “shopping” in my stash for fabric; 3) cotton shirt dress — After being inspired by Mary’s beautiful shirt dresses, I picked up her pattern (McCalls 6696) and then decided a fabric I had picked up in NE over the summer would be perfect for it, although I had bought that fabric with no real idea what I would sew with it; 4) silk charmeuse panel print — I saw the fabric and fell in love with it and then found a simple pattern that would work with it; 5) 1950’s peasant dress — I’ve always wanted one, so I searched for a vintage pattern, found it, then decided on the fabric (a turquoise broadcloth).  So as you see, it’s a bit of a convoluted process for me!  My inspiration not only comes from sewing blogs, but I’m also an avid reader of fashion magazines (Vogue, InStyle, Elle), fashion blogs (What Kate Wore, Girl with Curves), sewing magazines (Threads, Vogue Patterns, BurdaStyle) and I read a lot of historical fashion books. Oh yes, and then there are classic films (“Dinner at Eight”, “My Man Godfrey”, “Giant”) and period dramas (“Call the Midwife”, “Downton Abbey”, “Pride and Prejudice”).   I’d say that the gears are always going in my head as I’m dreaming up things I’d like to wear!

And now I’d love to share with you a few fellow sewing bloggers

whom I love to read and who are the next stops on the blog hop!

Sandra — Sewist Stitch

Sandra is a New Zealand blogger whom I’ve admired for a long time!  I especially love how she sews up Marfy patterns!  Although I don’t always follow instructions on sewing patterns, it’s always nice to know they’re there and Marfy’s don’t have them!  Sandra stitches them up with no problem and shows off her unique, sophisticated, chic style.

Andie — Sew Pretty in Pink

Andie is a super cool fellow fan girl sewist from Canada.  Not only does she have a marvelous style all her own, but she is so creative! I just love looking at photos of the geek crafts she makes and hearing about her thrift store shopping and sweet fabric finds.  If I could only find such awesome fabrics as she does!

Gwen — Calm Under Tension

Gwen is a fun and sporty sewing chick from Washington.  She amazes me with her me-made athletic wear and her eye for color and prints.  She seems like such a happy, smiling person and she always has such great things to say.  She’s an outdoor enthusiast with an eclectic style and I find it so darn cool that among the amazing things she’s done that she’s also gone to clown school and belly danced!!

Happy Sewing!