A Very Inspiring Blog Award

 

Thank you Natalie!

People I just found out that the fabulous Natalie at A Frolic Through Time awarded me a Very Inspiring Blog Award. It is always such an honour to get an award, although I only ever claim an award once. This is my first VIBA, so here we are! The thought that my vapid droolings might inspire anyone to do anything other than to give up the internet in favour of, oh, living up a tree, is thrilling to me!
So, I am supposed to share seven rivetting things about myself, and nominate 15 other blogs that inspire me. Now I know that many of these bloggers could probably bathe in the awards they are given, if they were liquid, and so I won't be at all offended if they don't post about it or pass them on. This is my chance to acknowledge the bloggers and blogs that start and end my day with a smile. I harvested pix from their blogs, linked from the title thereof: all are wearing self-made outfits.

A Charm of Magpies - Joy hasn't been blogging long but her blog is delightful. It is such a thrill to finally have her join the blogosphere on the write side, and she has a lot to share. Joy inspires me in real life, and I love her writing style too so it is great to read online what I hear in person!

Don't Wait to Create - Shirley Mooney is a good friend - she is also an amazing teacher and a prolific and experimental fibre artist. She often challenges me to try new techniques, and if I am really lucky and she can find time in her diary, she sometimes teaches at Made on Marion, where her classes are always full. In this pic she is demonstrating Japanese Meshwork. You don't get posed photos of Shirls, just action ones like this!

Oobop! - Janene's blog is a treasure trove of inspiring ideas. One very concrete example is the shirt making binge - her make of Butterick 5007 for Mr Oobop inspired me to have a go for MrC too. I love her style and her down to earth approach to life.

The Japanese Pattern Challenge - Mainelydad is a very disciplined blogger who only posts his makes. I find his adventures in tailoring really interesting and they serve to inspire my own. Of course, I discovered this blog by reading his comments on one of my all time favourite blogs:


Male Pattern Boldness - What can I say? Peter has us all wrapped around his little finger. I look forward to his posts, which are a mishmash of his life, his makes, his musings about either and both, and of course, Cathy!


Did You Make That - Pshaw, Karen is a rockstar among sewing bloggers. And a total sweetie. I love to read about her makes, her life, and her puppy Ella.



 Scruffy Badger Time - From her zany photos to her ebullient approach to life, Scruffy Badger causes happiness in me. A delight.

The Dreamstress - Leimomi Oakes is The Dreamstress. As well as being a dear friend and the resident sewing instructor at my shop, she writes a fascinating blog. Well worth a visit if you're not already a fan!


 3 Hours Past - Steph C is an American residing in Brisbane. Talk about inspiring! Steph's ideas and experiments in fit and cut are, well, cutting edge to say the least. Her new indie pattern range, Cake, is amazing. Simple, gorgeous garments designed for busy women. But what really takes the Cake is her innovative approach to drafting and fitting. If you aren't already a fan or follower, do check her out.

All of these extraordinary people inspire me in different ways.

7 things about me:

1.  It's my tenth wedding anniversary this year. Ten years married and twelve years in total with the most amazing man, whom I love more every day. He is also snoring quietly beside me on the couch as I type, wearing a shirt I made him. So cute.
2. I am a HUGE Midsummer Murder fan. We have all of the series on DVD and watch them over and again. I love Lewis almost as much. Although surely if it were true noone would go to Oxford University as they would only have a 90% chance of not getting murdered before graduation!
3. I fall in love with items of clothing and wear them until they fall apart, and then wish I had bought or made several at the same time. This summer I actually wore holes in a dress!
4. My fave shoes are a pair of red Ecco slip-ons that I have worn nearly every day for five years and are now bin-worthy. Yet I cannot part with them!
5. In the past two days, I have wired example buttons onto the lids of over 100 button tubes, and made 12 strings of bunting. Oddly, I enjoyed both.
6. I really don't have a lot of time for technology. Yes, if something proves its worth to me, I'll go mad for it. Otherwise, not so much. My iRon will always matter more to me than any ipod or iphone!
7. My very first holiday job was working for my parent's company (I was 13). I had to match all the invoices to the statements, staple them all together and file them. This task I get to do in my own business and it always makes me smile that some things never change :)

And that's that! :) Thank you to all of my readers and fellow bloggers, I think we all inspire one another to some extent or other.