A sunny afternoon

Making the most of half term and a warm sunny day, we went to Plessey Woods country park, had a walk and ate ice cream. The sun was warm, what more can you ask for - apart from more days like this!

Me Made May 2013 - DONE!

worn four times

Well I stuck to my pledge to wear at least one me made item everyday during May - what I did fail on was the documentation! I just got bored with taking photos of the same stuff over and over again, so I didn't bother, but I did keep a tally of what I wore and how many times, there some surprises in there.

Worn once

I learnt that I don't have many separates - in fact I don't have any me made trousers at all, I have two refashioned skirts, but the weather hasn't been warm enough to wear them as they are quite short. I also (until yesterday) only had two me made tops. - kind of limiting! As I've been at work for most of may I have to wear smart stuff, which cuts down on the casual vibe that I prefer. So I now have a sewing plan to make more tops and to make a few pairs of trousers. I don't actually need anymore skirts so i'm not going to bother with those, but I do have a few that are too big and need resizing.

worn once

I made two Items for myself during May. I made a red dress and a Sorbetto top, both from the same fabric that I bought from John Lewis in Feb. I know that they will both get plenty of wear. As well as the items shown hear I also wore a cotton sun top, which I made last year and don't have any photographs of.

Purple top worn five times

Worn twice

worn once

worn twice

worn four times

worn once

Worn four times

worn twice

worn twice

worn twice

worn once

worn three times

worn three times

Sorbetto anyone?

I must have been the only person in sewing blog land not to have made the sorbetto top, a free sewing pattern which you can download from Colette patterns. Well I finally made one this week. Me Made May has made me painfully aware that I don't have many separates and in particular tops. After making my red dress a couple of weeks ago, I had a little fabric left, and I mean a little. Even trying to squeeze a simple sorbetto out of it was tricky. I did though and I can see why it's so popular. The fit was perfect and apart from making the bias binding it was super quick to make. I will be making more and have already drafted one with variations.

Share A Creative life - Rin from Sew in Love

Welcome to Rin from Sew in Love. I recently discovered her blog and she's kindly agreed to share a little about her creative journey with us.

Tell us a little about yourself.

My name is Rin and I have a crafty blog called Sew in Love. I was born in Japan, to a Japanese mum and Indonesian Dad. I grew up in Australia, and now I live in San Francisco with my Australian husband! You just never know where life takes you.

What is your main creative outlet?

Oooh so many. If I have to choose, it’s a tie between making things and playing / writing music.

How did you get into being creative?

Since I was a little girl in Japan, I dabbled in drawing, playing piano, calligraphy, painting....just to name a few. I think I started sewing in pre-school!

Who is your biggest inspiration?

My Mum and my Grandma continue to inspire me to create things. My Grandma is a professional tailor and she still makes beautiful garments in her shop in rural Japan. My Mum is just talented at everything she tries to make (like this blue dress from a vintage kimono), so she comes to the rescue whenever my crafty adventures go wrong...

Where do you do your making? what is your workspace like?

We recently moved to San Francisco into a studio apartment. I use the dining table as my office and sewing table. This is a big change from having an entire bedroom dedicated to my hobbies back in Australia! I’m really enjoying living with less; it’s amazing how much “stuff” you don’t need, even to enjoy a hobby like sewing.

Is your creative outlet your hobby or part of your business?

I enjoy lots of creative pursuits, and my sewing and knitting projects have evolved into the blog, Sew in Love. The blog is one of several online projects I am currently working on during my break from corporate life. Sew in Love will soon have an e-book for sale, “How to Sew Japanese Sewing Patterns”. Stay tuned! You can download a Japanese to Western clothing size conversion chart here and keep in the loop for the upcoming e-book.

What are you most proud of making?

Currently, I am very proud of a room divider curtain I sewed for our studio apartment. It’s a noren, which is a traditional Japanese door curtain. In our home, it separates the dining room from the living room, which means my husband and I don’t have to be in each other’s faces constantly! The apartment would seriously not be the same without it.

Here is a step-by-step tutorial on how to make a noren room divider curtain. It’s very easy and you can make one to suit your decor.

What challenges would you like to set yourself?

I’d like to strive towards living with less. I’m trying to practice the “one in / one out” rule for my wardrobe, which means I can’t make or buy a garment unless I donate something I already own. I am also trying to minimise fabric waste and buying second hand items whenever I can.

Tell us 5 things that would be on your bucket list.

1. Learn to speak Spanish fluently

2. Live in Japan again

3. Go to Yellowstone National Park

4. Travel around Australia in a campervan

5. Eat solely from my own permaculture veggie garden

Can you share 3 inspirational blogs that you would recommend?

- Ruffles and Stuff

Disney and her beautiful daughter Paige make gorgeous things. And I don’t know, this blog just makes me happy...

- I’m liking it!

Jeyco is a tailor so everything she makes it wonderfully fitted and advanced. I could never have her skill (or patience) but she inspires me to cut my fabric more straight!

- Project 333

Project 333 is a challenge to only have 33 items in your wardrobe for 3 months. It’s a great way to get a taste of a more simple life.

Finally...

Tea or Coffee?

Both. Tea for enjoyment, coffee out of desperation.

Chocolate or sweets?

Chocolate. But only if it’s good quality dark chocolate.

Vintage or modern?

Vintage, absolutely! My wedding dress was vintage and so was many of the furniture and decor. My DIY vintage wedding was a lot of fun to organise.

TV or Radio/music?

Radio. I haven’t watched TV for a long time. Oh hang on, we haven’t owned one for two years!

Favourite TV/Radio show?

Triple J is an Australian independent radio station that helps me keep up to date with home (and helps me keep my Aussie accent). I also listen to Freakonomics Radio.

Favourite Artist/ designer?

I don’t really have one. I think I just like vintage (i.e. old) stuff!

Favourite colour?

Yellow.

Thank you so much for sharing about your creativity. I'm looking forward to following more of what you create on your blog.

Refashioned Denim. Part 2

So taking on the advice of many. I kept this as a dress. I separated the tent like dress into a bodice and skirt. Added front and back waist darts. And took the side seams in by 1 inch on both front and back. I then recut the skirt to fit the bodice. Evened the length as it was originally longer at the back. Once the skirt was attached I added a side zip. This is the most unsuccessful part and I think I'll change the regular zip for an invisible one.

Refashioned denim

I'm just about to refashion this dress. Do I stick with a dress or go for a skirt? What do you think?

Share a Creative Life - Stephanie from Mabel Makes

Welcome to Stephanie from Mabel Makes who has kindly agreed to share a little of her creative life with us today.

Tell us a little about yourself.

My name is Stephanie Boomsma and I blog over at Mabel Makes. I live in Dublin, Ireland.  My Mom is Irish and my dad is Dutch so that’s where the unusual second name comes from. It means ‘beside the tree’. I was born in Holland and I have four sisters. It was a busy house growing up. Lots of women! I love to sew, knit and generally be creative. In September last year I took part in the Six Items Challenge to try and spread knowledge about garment workers rights. There is a price for cheap clothing that can be bought on the high street in the developed world and that is underpaid, overworked employees with poor working conditions. Many times those working conditions can cause death or serious injury! Through this challenge, Labour Behind the Label and the Clean Clothes Campaign, I learned about the slow fashion movement. I value well-made, beautiful and ethical clothing. I’m on a personal mission to create my own handmade wardrobe and promote ethical brands and handmade craft businesses.

What is your main creative outlet?
Sewing and knitting are my main creative outlets. I used to draw and paint but haven’t  really done so in a few years. Right now I am focusing on trying to learn as much as I can about garment construction and clothing. It is taking up all my spare time but I love it so that’s ok! I am starting to move away from following patterns and designing my own clothing, which is very exciting and liberating for me.

How did you get into being creative?
I think I’ve always been creative. As a child I used to make up plays and make my sisters act them out! Ya… I was one of those kids… Other people talk about TV shows and video games from their childhoods but I don’t really remember them that much. My childhood was filled with drawing, singing, making up games and plays and just being creative. We were always making and doing something.

I also think I come from a creative family. My great-grandmother on my Mom’s side and her mother too were dressmakers and my granny was a fashion buyer for a well-known Irish store. On my Dad’s side, I think it’s my great-great Grandfather, was a silversmith and has his work exhibited in a museum in Holland. My Dad’s parents are both very creative. My Oma used to knit and sew all the time and has beautiful tapestries and rugs that she handweaved.

Who is your biggest inspiration?
I don’t have a single person who inspires me. My Granny was a very stylish woman and she is an inspiration. I love to look at old photos and see how she and my Granddad lived. They had a great life. I also get inspiration from all the wonderful bloggers out there who have fabulous handmade wardrobes such as Tilly and the Buttons, Lauren at Lladybird and Roisin at Dolly Clackett. I take inspiration from fashion designers out there and also from just walking down the street and taking note of an interesting fabric combination or detail. I don’t follow fashion trends though because it’s too fickle and I want to own things that I will love for years instead of just a season.

Where do you do your making? What is your workspace like? 
I work on all my projects at home in our sitting room. I have a little corner where I keep my stash (well what I’m currently working on at least. The rest of it is in various cupboards in the house!), sewing machine and overlocker, my dressform and patterns. When I want to work on a project I take over the dining table. It can get a bit messy sometimes when I’m mid project!

My workspace isn’t what I want it to be. My boyfriend Mike and I rent a small two bed terraced house in Dublin city. Ideally I’d make the second bedroom into a studio so I can work on my projects. However, in reality it’s not very practical since we have family and friends staying with us occasionally. So for now I have to work with what I’ve got and be patient. I know that in the next few years we’ll be able to move somewhere bigger and I can have my own studio space.

Is your creative outlet your hobby or part of your business?
Currently this is a creative hobby for me but I’m starting to create my own patterns and designs for my wardrobe. If people like what I make, I might look into selling them. I’m working on building up to the point that I will be able to open an online store with handmade clothing. Check back on my blog for news on that because I’m hoping that things will get moving soon!

What are you most proud of making?
My Sew Retro Bombshell dress is my favourite item in my wardrobe. It took a long time to finish and it very detailed. Up until that point I hadn’t taken the time to hand sew and add vintage details to pieces.

What challenges would you like to set yourself?
Gosh I’ve so many plans and ideas but I suppose for right now my personal challenge is to draft my own sewing patterns and write and publish my first knitting pattern. All the while I will be creating my handmade wardrobe. Ultimately I’d love to be able to create my own label of organic and ethical clothing but for now that’s a bit of a dream.

Tell us 5 things that would be on your bucket list. 
1.     I really want to travel to Asia and explore Japan, China, Laos and Vietnam. The cultures are so different to here and I find it fascinating and inspiring. 
2.     Learn another language properly. I studied French in school but wasn’t very good. I speak Irish (Gaeilge) and did my exams through Irish but I would love to learn a more widely spoken language. 
3.     I’d love to live in New York for a while. Even if it was just for a year. 
4.     I want to drive across America, from the east coast to the west coast and do the tourist thing, stopping at all the sights along the way. I’d stop into lots of the fabulous restaurants and diners that I see on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives on TV too. I love food and some of those places look amazing! 
5.     To go on a safari in Africa!

Hmm it seems I should get started on my travelling soon!

Can you share 3 inspirational blogs that you would recommend?

·       I love the Purl Bee http://www.purlbee.com/ for craft inspiration. Everything they make uses interesting colour combinations and simple, modern designs.

·       Esther from the Stick http://esther-fromthesticks.blogspot.ie/ creates beautiful clothes and even more beautiful photographs. She’s only 18 but she’s already amazing! This girl is going places!

·       I love the DIYs on A Pair and a Spare http://apairandasparediy.com/ She comes up with really cool ideas and in my opinion starts a lot of blogging trends.

 

Finally...

Tea or Coffee?

Tea for me! I like coffee but unfortunately it makes me feel sick :(

Chocolate or sweets?

Hmm this is tough because my favourite sweets are peanut M&Ms which are basically chocolate sweets! I think I’d have to go with chocolate at a push…

Vintage or modern?

I think it has to be modern for me. Which might surprise some people if they were going by what is on my blog so far. It’s a bit of a contradiction but most of the clothes I’ve made are both vintage and modern. What I mean by that is they are modern with vintage elements. I find myself being drawn more and more to modern clothing and am starting to draft my own patterns because I can’t find what I’m looking for. I like vintage clothing on other people but it’s not really my every day style. I want to make clothes that I will wear all time – otherwise what’s the point?  My style in reality is modern with vintage details.

TV or Radio/music?

TV – I actually don’t watch a lot of TV. I mainly watch shows I’ve heard about but missed on Netflix or else Storage Wars on Discovery, which is a latest obsession. The TV is always on though in our house. Mainly as background noise!

Favourite TV/Radio show?

When I was younger I was a total Buffy the Vampire Slayer and X-Files geek. Lately I’ve really enjoyed Breaking Bad and Mad Men and my guilty pleasure is Made in Chelsea which is basically rubbish but I can’t help but love it. It’s really quite funny. Comedy wise I love Curb Your Enthusiasm, Arrested Development and Modern Family.

Favourite Artist/ designer?

Hmm only one!? I can’t pick only one so I’ll say a few.

It’s hard to chose favourite artists because there are so many different styles that I admire. Van Gogh, Vermeer and Picasso are pretty high up there.

For fashion inspiration I love looking at vintage Chanel. From the many modern designers out there I love Orla Kiely for her inspirational modern prints and colourful business wear, Chloe for the simple, wearable and classic pieces and Alexander Wang for casual wear.

I love Eileen Gray and believe she was a visionary and basically created the modern furniture and architecture styles of today. I think there is a movie coming out soon about her life with Winona Ryder and I’m really looking forward to that.

Favourite colour?

Gosh this is hard! It changes for me all the time but I guess red tends to be consistently up high for me. I find that it’s a flattering colour on me. I also really like blue. 

Wow Stephanie, you have a lot of creativity to share and I love the idea of creating and sourcing ethical clothing. Thank you for sharing, it's certainly inspired me and I hope it inspires others.

Share a Creative Life - Jane from Handmade Jane

It's time to meet out third creative, A lady whose blog I've followed for quite a while and I admire her drive to create! Jane from Handmade Jane is here to tell us a little about her creative life.

Hello, I'm Jane! I've lived in west London for the past 20 years, but I'm originally from Lancashire.

What is your main creative outlet?
Sewing. In fact sewing is my ONLY creative outlet. I don't knit or crochet or anything like that and sewing absorbs me so completely there just isn't room for anything else!

How did you get into being creative?
I'd planned to take a dressmaking course for years and years but never seemed to have the time to do it. It was only once my younger son started school in 2009 that I finally took the plunge and enrolled on a course. For two hours a week I learnt how to navigate a sewing pattern, cut out pattern pieces and sew them together - I absolutely loved it! I'd only initially planned to do one term but ended up staying for a year. I then felt ready to start making my own clothes without the guidance of a teacher and that's when I started my blog too.

Who is your biggest inspiration?
Other sewing bloggers! I'm inspired by them on a daily basis: what they make, their creativity, their generosity and willingness to share their knowledge. I don't think I'd have fallen for sewing so hard if there hadn't been such an amazing on-line sewing community to inspire and encourage me.

Where do you do your making? what is your workspace like?
I'm lucky enough to have a spare room that I use for my sewing. It's a converted loft room so it's lovely and light. It still has to function as a guest room, so I have to be careful not to let my sewing take over the whole space. My husband built me some shelves to go above my sewing desk which holds patterns, smaller bits of fabric and other sewing paraphernalia. He's also built me a longer storage unit where my overlocker lives as well as sewing files and boxes of trims, zips, binding and more patterns! My main fabric stash is kept in boxes under the guest bed, out of sight.

Is your creative outlet your hobby or part of your business?
It's mostly my hobby - I get a lot of pleasure from sewing my own clothes and about 80% of my wardrobe is now handmade by me. I do sell some of my handmade items at craft fairs and through an online supplier. These include bags, purses, cushions, wash bags and tooth fairy cushions. I'm never going to make a living out of it - I'm far too lazy and I wouldn't have the time to make myself any clothes! But it's a handy source of pocket money and keeps me in fabric and a few treats. I gave up working outside the house when my children were born so it's nice to be able to save up for something I really want (such as an overlocker) and pay for it with my hard earned craft fair money!

What are you most proud of making?
I would have to say my Abbey Coat. It's a short, jacket-style coat which I made in teal blue wool with a turquoise polka dot lining. I worked on it really carefully and it's probably one of my neatest and most professional looking makes. But the thing I'm MOST proud of are the bound buttonholes! They're my first attempt and I'm so proud of them!

Can you share 3 inspirational blogs that you would recommend?
The very first blog I started following was Tilly and the Buttons and it continues to inspire me still. I'm amazed at how far Tilly has come, from tentatively making her first dress, she's now released her own patterns and is teaching classes. She's also on a mission to inspire other people to sew and her Learn to Sew series is a fabulous resource for beginners.
Did You Make That? because it's so brilliantly written. It's funny, wise and informative all at once and I love the way author Karen engages her readers in discussions about all kinds of sewing topics. I've learnt tonnes of handy tips, just from some of the comments people have left!
I'm pretty good at following a pattern but what I'm NOT good at is coming up with my own ideas and designs, I just don't seem to have the vision. That's why Charity Shop Chic is so inspirational. Author Sally has an amazing ability to turn old sheets, granny clothes and basically any old rubbish she finds in charity shops into unbelievable beautiful creations. She's got a real eye for seeing the sewing/refashioning potential in anything and I really admire her for that. My favourite thing she's made by far is an imitation Chanel jacket. I've seen it in real life too and it's just as lovely up close!

Finally...
Tea or Coffee?
Can I say both?!

Chocolate or sweets?
Chocolate

Vintage or modern?
Vintage

TV or Radio/music?
Radio. I have it on all day in the background whilst I'm sewing. I like Robert Elms on BBC London.

Favourite TV/Radio show?
Any Nordic crime drama for TV, I'm currently obsessed with Arne Dahl.

Favourite colour?  Red

Thank you for sharing a little bit about your creative life Jane and we look forward to more creative posts.

Red Dress

I finally finished the dress I've been making for ages - it's a simple dress with a self drafted bodice and semi-circle skirt. I bought the fabric in February from John Lewis.
The photo isn't great and I'll try to get a better one soon. It fits well, but I think if I used teh bodice block again I'd shorten the waist by about 2cm. I'd obviously drafted for my long waist and then forgotten that i'd made an adjustment and added extra length.

I love the fabric and it looks great with their my blue or red cardigan. If the weather warms up I might just get a bit of wear out of it!

I wore it on Thursday as part of the Me Made May challenge. I've stuck to it, but as I'm repeating the same few garments rather a lot I haven't photographed them every time I've worn them.

Wedding Dress Refashion

I've been working on remaking some once loved dresses into more wearable items. Recently I remade this dress.

It started life as a rather dated, lace and nylon number, but after a bit of jiggery pokery I created this lovely 50's style tea length wedding dress, which is for sale in my folksy shop.

Share a Creative Life - Jan from Handcrafted by Picto

This week we're sharing a creative life with Jan from Handcrafted by Picto, I've loved following her work and thought you might be interested too so grab a cuppa and come and find out a little more about Jan's creative life.

Hi, my name is Jan Ryan, I was born and brought up in Liverpool, I still have family there and love to visit. I moved to Suffolk 20 years ago, I can't imagine myself living anywhere else. I embrace the differences between my rural life and my city visits.

So Jan, what is your main creative outlet?
Gosh, I love to do so many things, but my main love is painting and that includes the doodling, the first sketches the playing around with ideas and of course, making a mess. I'll paint on almost anything, I paint wooden plaques and hanging decorations, nursery pictures, canvases and even slate and pebbles.
I work under the names 'Handcrafted by Picto' and 'Jan Ryan Art'

How did you first get into being creative?
I was lucky that I came from a household that encouraged creative play. We had very little spare money so if we, my two sisters and brother, wanted something we either worked for it or made it. As young children we made houses from old boxes or spaceships from plastic bottles. As we got older it was making clothes or altering what we had to suit the changing fashions, like putting a triangle of bright fabric into the side seams of jeans to turn the ordinary into something special. We were  allowed to decorate our own rooms and made soft furnishings and painted designs onto the walls.

Who or what is it that inspires you most?
On a personal level it would be my Mum and Dad, but creatively, it's not a 'who' but a 'what'. Nature is my biggest inspiration. I love looking at the changing landscape throughout the seasons. Flora and Fauna surround me and almost every day I spy something new or different, I have a toadstool as my logo and toadstools, fairies and fairy doors feature often in my work.

Where do you do your making? what is your workspace like?
I do most of my work at the kitchen table, the problem with that is it is only a small room and I have to pack it all away each evening. In the better weather I sometimes take my work outdoors into the garden.

If you sell, where do you sell your work?
I sell my work in a variety of places, online I have shops on Folksy  and Wow Thank You . I sell items in a couple of local gift shops. I also occasionally exhibit my paintings in Art Galleries.  

I also have a Facebook Page and my blog where you can keep up with my musings and have a look at more of my work.

What challenges would you like to set yourself?
I generally don't set myself serious 'challenges', why? Because I get myself too stressed out and worried if I don't achieve what I set out to do. 

Can you share 3 inspirational blogs that you would recommend?

Build a Little Biz
The Southern Instuitute
The Craft Blog UK

Finally...
Tea or Coffee?
Both, not at the same time of course, tea I like weak and milky, no sugar. Coffee, weak and milky with one spoon of brown sugar.

Chocolate or sweets?
Chocolate

Vintage or modern?
Modern

TV or Radio/music?
During the day I sometimes listen to radio 2 but mainly I prefer silence. In the evening I either watch the television or read.

Favourite TV/Radio show?
Don't have a favourite, but at the moment I like to sit and watch the quiz 'Pointless'  the series Stargate and QI

Favourite Artist/ designer?
I admire the work of Aubrey Beardsley and early Picasso. I think the work of Brian Froud is beautiful, I love the illustrations by Tim White. I enjoy looking at art from all eras and movements, Art Deco, the Arts & Crafts Movement, Abstract and Folk are just a few that I enjoy. 

Favourite colour?
I love all colours but if I had to pick just one then it would have to be blue, I love the colour in all shades and hues,


I'd like to thank Claire for allowing me to be a guest on her blog and to thank you all for taking the time to read a little about me.

Jan

It's been a pleasure Jan, thanks for sharing.

Happy Blogiversary to me!

Summer Hills - for sale on Folksy and etsy

I Missed it!
I've been blogging for two years last Friday. I was going to be super organised, but life got in the way.
I do have an anniversary giveaway though - look out for it later this week. Meanwhile please check out my Etsy and Folksy shops. I have just a few things for sale now - more to come soon.

Share A Creative Life - Parnuuna

Well folks it's time to find out a little about my first guest in my Share A Creative Life Series. 

Welcome to Parnuuna from BeMyGoth; can you tell us a little about yourself and where you are from?

My name is Parnuuna, and I am originally from Greenland. Now I live in Northern Denmark, in a city called Aalborg. I moved here because I wanted to study music at the university in 2006. But after a couple of years, where I sewed instead of doing my homework, I decided I should change course and apply for a designer/pattern cutter/tailoring school. Which I did in 2009. And since then it’s been all about sewing.

 
What is your main creative outlet?

My main creative outlet is sewing – definitely sewing. Well, designing, drafting the pattern and sewing.
I’ve been creative with many different things all my life such as drawing/painting, music and drama, but I ended up getting good at sewing.

How did you get into being creative?

I’ve been creative since forever – I don’t remember a moment of my life where I didn’t do any creative work of some sort.
I’ve drawn since I was a small kid.  My uncle saw that I was interested in drawing, and started tutoring me in art drawing for a year when I was young. Then I started playing music – guitar and piano, which kept my interest until 2009. All the while I’ve been knitting, crocheting, doing beadwork and sewing.

I sewed my first dress – a medieval inspired dress – by hand, because you couldn’t get any medieval types of dresses in Greenland. My family saw that I enjoyed sewing and gave me my grandmother’s old hand swung Husqvarna sewing machine from 1956.
After that it sort of escalating, and at one time I ended up with 4-5 different sewing machines from people who didn’t use them.

Who is your biggest inspiration?

 I don’t think I have one person that is my inspiration – it is more like all creative people that inspire me. I am most inspired when I am around other creative people.

I suppose my first inspirations were my grandmothers – both on my mother’s and father’s side, because they taught me the first things in knitting and beadwork.
I enjoy reading about people who succeed in living off of their passion – those people inspire me very much – because I want to live off of my passion as well.

Where do you do your making? what is your workspace like?

I do all my stuff at home – We’ve made our livingroom into a sewingstudio. My poor husband only has a little corner of one of the tables and that’s it.

It’s the biggest room in our apartment, and it’s suitable for now – but I do take up a lot of space, so it would be nice if we had a bigger place. Sometime in the near future, I hope. ;)

Is your creative outlet your hobby or part of your business?

I’m trying to make my hobby into my work, so to speak. After I graduated from the sewing school, I enjoy designing and making patterns. And I really enjoy sharing my passion and my knowledge with people, so that is what I am trying to do.

I have a website where I make tutorials on all sorts of creative things, mostly sewing stuff, and I have PDF patterns of my own designs for sale there as well.

I also want to do video sewing courses and tips and tricks, but I need to learn to be in front of a camera first.

Hopefully I’ll be able to make a living off of my patterns in the near future – I’ve just started taking it seriously now, so I do have to put in some ground work.

What challenges would you like to set yourself?

I would like to be self employed by the end of summer! I think that’s a major one, so I should opt for more than that for now. :D

Tell us 5 things that would be on your bucket list.

Hmm…

1.     Travel to a country and learn their language – Switzerland, France or Germany or Brazil. Maybe more than one. :D

2.     Learn to cook at least 42 decent meals.

3.     Knit a sweater.

4.     Write a book.

5.     Get decendants.

Can you share 3 inspirational blogs that you would recommend?

Yes!

1.     www.ralphpink.com an independent designer, who shares an awful lot! I use this guys method to make my patterns in illustrator, albeit with a different drafting system.

2.     www.tillyandthebuttons.com  - also and independent designer, who shares a lot! I like reading her blog. And she’s good at launching her patterns!

3.     www.sewaholic.net - also and independent designer, who likes to share. She sells real patterns and does sew-alongs.

All of these people, sell patterns, and that’s exactly what I want to be doing.

Finally...

Tea or Coffee? Both – depending on the situation. J
Chocolate or sweets? It used to be sweets, but my husband taught me to love chocolate… so both again. :D
Vintage or modern? Vintage – definitely vintage.
TV or Radio/music? Music – I don’t own a TV.
Favourite TV/Radio show? Hmm… I don’t think I have any. I like to stream fantasy/adventure  or drama tv-series like Game of Thrones, Mad Men, Ugly Betty, PanAm and such… But I don’t think I have a favorite.

Favourite Artist/ designer? None… I like everyone! :D

Favourite colour? Black, dark red, green, yellow, grey… uhm, I think I like most colours – depending on the thing that is coloured.

Wauw! It’s been a while since I’ve been asked so many questions at once! It got my brain working, so now it’s time for a nap. J

It was very nice to meet you, I hope to talk to you again.

Oh, by the way – if you want to see my hideout on the internet it’s here: www.BeMyGoth.com

And I do hang out at all the good social places too. Just search for BeMyGoth and you’ll find me.

Kisses - Parnuuna

Thank you Parnuuna for sharing at ragbags and gladrags - I hope you are able to achieve your dreams and we look forward to seeing how you get on with the pattern making. I'm looking forward to trying out your pencil skirt pattern very soon.