Blog Hopping

I'm jumping on board the latest Blog Hop folks - this is where various bloggers spill the beans on their writing and creative process and then pass the baton to some fellow bloggers to do the same. I have been nominated by Sarah from Prairie Girl Knits who I met on Ravelry during the recent Outfit Along. Make sure you check out Sarah's blog where she knits, sews and cooks up a storm - she even manages to combine two of her passions and knits food!

So here goes:

What am I working on?

I've always got lots of ideas floating around in my head but I try not to have too many different things on the go at once as I find it too overwhelming and I'd probably never finish any of them. I've pretty much always got a sewing project on the go and since I started knitting a year and a half ago, there's always something on my knitting needles (even if it might sit there not being touched for a while).

I've been on a bit of a knitting roll lately. I'm a good way through Andi Satterlund's "Chuck" sweater, even though I've discovered my cable mishap on the side (oops), not sure what I'm going to do about that! The sweater is a fitted, 3/4 sleeve, cable design and so far it's been really straight forward to follow (provided you pay attention, like I obviously didn't) and once I got my head around reading a pattern within a pattern. Andi has a great article about this on her blog so that was a huge help. I've decided I want to do full length sleeves but I will need to figure out how to do the calculations, so if anyone has any tips, please feel free to send them my way. 

So, onto the sewing table: I just finished a dress which I'll be blogging about once I have photos ready. But I've also been delving into the murky world of fitting lately, in a desperate attempt to understand my fitting woes. I tried my very first Full Bust Adjustment on Colette Pattern's Rooibos dress using their sewalong blog as a guide. It actually worked out pretty well but the end point for the side dart is too close to the apex so I'll need to make that adjustment.

I've also been plotting and planning my creation for Pattern Review's "Frankenpattern Contest" - (cue loud thunder clap and lightning bolt) heh, heh, heh. I love a sewalong! I get a real kick out of seeing all the different creations people come up with and you end up discovering a bunch of other sewists in the process, which brings me to my next question.

Why do I write/create what I do?

I think if you're passionate about something, you want to share it with others. I love making things and being immersed in the whole process, but unless you're sewing with a buddy, it's a solitary experience and it's nice to be able to share your wins as well as your "hair tearing" moments with others. That's why I started writing my blog, to connect with other sewists and share tips and inspiration.

How does my work differ from others in its genre?

I'm not sure if my blog is hugely different from other sewing blogs out there, but I guess the main point of difference is that I make a lot of my clothing to wear on stage. I have a few different groups that I sing with so I always have an excuse to make a new dress! Some of my creations are strictly for the stage but most of them can be worn to go out in too, they just tend to be made with bold and fun fabrics.

Day-to-day Wear?  Maybe not.

But I would wear this to go out in as well as on stage

How does my writing/creative process work?

I'm fairly new to blogging so I feel like I'm still finding my feet when it comes to writing. Mostly, I just try and be myself and imagine that I'm having a chat with a friend and keep it pretty conversational.

When it comes to sewing, I usually fall in love with the fabric first and then see what I can turn it into. Very often I'll be inspired to make a garment that I discover on someone's blog and sometimes it will be a pattern I never would have considered until seeing how good it looks on someone else.

Next on the Blog Hop Train

Thanks Sarah for inviting me to join in. It's been really interesting for me to think about these questions and I've also enjoyed reading about what sparks other bloggers to do what they do. I can't wait to see what my next Blog Hoppers have to say when they post their answers next week. I'm delighted to hand you over to:

Ree from Ree-Sewn who I met through the Dolly Clackett Sew Along for which she made an impressive FIVE dresses, all of which are gorgeous!

And Kath from Bernie and I - fellow Aussie blogger (though way over on the other side of the country) and queen of the shift dress, she certainly knows how to rock the 60's mod look!

And finally, the lovely Nicole Needles who I was lucky enough to meet recently in London. Nicole makes fabulous vintage inspired clothing with an attention to detail and finishing that puts most of us to shame (well, certainly me, anyway!)

Enjoy!