Hopping on the Blog Hop Bandwagon

I've noticed this 'Blog Hop' thing bouncing around the internet for a while, and now it's come my way. The lovely Coo at Betty Stitchup, who I met this summer when she visited London, has put me forward to answer the 4 questions. Go check her answers out, and look around her blog at all of her gorgeous, retro-inspired outfits.

Let's start!

What am I working on?
I've just finished one project and am trying to decide what to do next. I usually have a big pile of patterns, that sort of acts as a visual 'to do' list. Here's my current pile:

It's usually stacked neatly......

I'm in need of some new work clothes, so it's likely I'll make the bolero in the bottom right and match it with the skirt from the top left. But the Maudella is also speaking to me, and she's saying 'I'm much more fun - make me out of the Japanese print!' You'll see one of these in a blog post soon, no doubt.

I also have a bottomless knitting bag, where nothing ever seems to get finished. It's currently holding some nearly finished socks, and a 2/3 finished jumper:

My knitting bag, with the black and white jumper sleeve(left), and the nearly finished pair of socks(right)

I'm pretty sure the socks will be on my feet in time for winter, but the jumper's a bit further off...


How does my work differ from others in its genre?
When I started, I thought I was the only one out there working from old patterns, but I soon found out I'm not. So I'm not really sure what makes my blog any different from other sewing blogs. Blogging, and then meeting other bloggers, has given me a great deal of confidence in my skills, and where pre-blog I may have held back, or toned down some of my outfit choices, now I seem to push myself further. I don't like 'twee' clothes or themes, and I increasingly find myself railing against current mainstream fashion which to me has very little glamour or rebellion involved in it. So I suppose I aim to present work that's technically and stylistically challenging, but also harking back to the past. 

Yup, that's me being 'technically and stylistically challenging'...

Why do I write/create what I do?
I've been sewing since I was a little girl, but it's always been a solitary pursuit. I've never joined a sewing club, or attended a knitting group. Blogging was a way of finding out if there was anyone else out there. It was also just a way of archiving my creations, a sort of note book to remind me what I've made, procedures and techniques I've learnt, etc.

How does my writing/creative process work?
I make stuff, then I post it - simple as that. I like to explain the inspirations behind some of my projects, like copying a piece from a film or an old photo. I would only write posts about subjects I would find interesting, so every now and then I'll include some holiday bits and pieces (usually with a sewing basis), or tutorials on techniques I think readers will find interesting. I really just make it up as I go along. I work full-time, so I have to squeeze posts in usually in the evenings; you'll notice that some of my post times are at ridiculous hours. Photos can happen any time. It's usually just me and the tripod, so they tend to be indoors, but now and then Mr Needles will help out with some outdoor shots.

Not every photo makes the grade, like this 'Popeye' pose

A fellow blogger recently told me that she'd like to see more about me on the blog, like outfit posts, or hair tutorials. I'm still not one of those people who's comfortable with 'sharing' on line. I suppose my basic insecurities also make it hard for me to believe that anyone would be interested, but I might branch out.


And that's my blog hop - I hope it was enlightening! The next step is for me to pass on the baton to some fellow bloggers. My 3 lucky bloggers are:

Janene Ooobop, who is always effortlessly stylish, with great photographs to boot!

Emmy at My Oh Sew Vintage Life - she makes gorgeous dresses, and regularly takes you through the insides of vintage pieces she owns, which I find particularly interesting.

Fiona at Diary of a Chainstitcher - she just gets better and better, and she's so damn cute.

See you soon!