The Liebster Award

Last week I found out that Just Jessica nominated me for The Liebster Award! I’m so happy she likes my blog and the costumes I make. It always makes me happy to know that others like my blog!

I couldn’t respond to the questions she asked as quickly as I wanted to because I was working on my website and personal matters that showed up this past week. Since things calmed down enough for me to write a post, here it is!

1. What made you want to start sewing?
   I started sewing when I was 8 years old, but it was so long ago I don’t remember what made me start sewing in the first place!
2. What has been the hardest technique for you to conquer?
   There are so many techniques I had a hard time conquering, but I’d probably say sewing button holes is the hardest. I can’t figure out how to sew button holes on the sewing machine, but I am getting better about sewing them by hand. Still, I really don’t like making button holes. I dislike them so much that I avoided sewing anything with button holes for years. My dislike of button holes are fading and I’m accepting them as part of everyday sewing, but I think I need to try to make more things with button holes to officially conquer this technique.
3. Where do you pull your inspiration from?
   Ooo. This one is hard. I get inspired from many places, but I think most of my sewing inspiration comes from historical and vintage clothing. Although I do not sew a lot of historical and vintage clothing, I love studying it because it sometimes gives me answers to questions I have about assembling something I’m working on but cannot find information about in contemporary sewing books.
4. Do you have any sewing books that are your favorite because of techniques or just for inspiration?
   I have a lot of sewing books (Not as many as some I follow, but more than my friends) but my favorites are…
   – Glasgow Museums Seventeenth-Century Costume: I’m still reading this book (I’ve been “reading” it for two years) but I find the pictures of the costumes very inspirational.
   –Couture Sewing Techniques: This book is not for a beginner sewer, but if someone is not a beginner and is curious to see how couture clothing is made, this is a great book. It also explains the fabric that is used in couture clothing, stitches that are used to make the garments (And how to create the stitches yourself), pattern making, and more. I’ve used this book as a reference more than once while hand sewing.
   – It’s All About the Dress: This book was written by Randy Fenoli, best known from the show Say Yes to the Dress. It does not explain how to sew a wedding dress, how to draft a pattern, and so on, but I do find it extremely useful. After reading it, the world of wedding dresses made more sense to me than it ever did before. I like to use it as inspiration and sometimes as a reference, especially since it breaks down the parts of a wedding dress such as the different necklines, trains, and fabrics they can be made out of.
   –Patterns of Fashion: I linked to the first book of the series, but there are four. I love these books! I find them very interesting because not only do they have an explanation about specific clothes from the time period, they have patterns. I’m currently trying to make one of the dresses in the first book, but progress on it was delayed for a while. Despite that, I find these books very helpful in trying to learn how clothes were made in different time periods. I’ve used them as reference in solving sewing problems I faced in my non-historical costume sewing.
   –Seventeenth and Eighteenth Century Fashion in Detail and Nineteenth Century Fashion in Detail: These books are just pretty to look at. I find the attention to detail in these clothes fascinating and very beautiful.
   –Victorian and Edwardian Fashion: A Photographic Servery and Victorian Fashions and Costumes from Harper’s Bazar, 1867-1898: These books are very useful references and inspiration for Victorian clothes. Although I never used either of them for sewing, I used them for my drawings! I know that when I decide to make a Victorian costume, I’ll use these books as a reference and to get ideas for my costume. XD
5. What is your favorite thing to sew?
   Dresses! I love sewing dresses. Some of the dresses I love to make are complex and take a long time to make, but I still love making them.
6. Other than sewing, what are some other hobbies you enjoy?
   Drawing and photography. I also listen to music. A lot. I hate to admit it but I sometimes go through withdraws if I don’t listen to music at least once a day. XD
7. Where is your favorite place to travel?
   I don’t travel as much as I like to, but when I do get out my favorite places to go are outside such as parks and open air museums in Arizona. I love getting out in the air and seeing the different scenery Arizona has to offer.
8. What’s your favorite place to purchase fabric from?
   I used to love buying fabric from Joann’s and Hobby Lobby because they are the closest fabric stores near my house, but lately I’m buying more fabric from Sy Fabrics and Etsy.
9. Who is your favorite indie pattern company?
   I love Truly Victorian’s patterns! I really do like them better than Simplicity and McCall’s Victorian patterns.
10. What is your favorite sewing tool?
    Probably my sewing machine. It saves my hand from sewing too much. XD
11. What is a conversation you’d like to have with your sewing machine?
    I have so many conversations I’d like to have with my sewing machine, but I think it would either be if it needs to be cleaned or what kind of needle it would like to use so I could buy more needles and have them ready for when it’s time to change them.

In order for me to get this award, I need to nominate others for the award. Unfortunately, everyone I follow have more than 500 followers. (They did the last time I checked at least) So, I’m going to cheat and nominate anyone who sews and/or wants to answer my questions! (Yes, yes, that’s bad. You can commence with the booing right now.) If you answer my questions, please tell me so I can link to your blog!

And here are the questions I would like them to answer:

1. Why did you start sewing/drawing/hobby?
2. Is there a project you want to sew/work on but don’t because you didn’t feel ready to work on it?
3. Where do you get your inspiration from?
4. Do you listen to music/watch TV while working? If so, what is your favorite thing to have playing in the background while you work?
5. What project did you work on that you are the most proud of? Why?
6. What is your favorite tool to work with? Why? (Example: sewing machine, pencil, ect)
7. When is your favorite time to work?
8. Do you like to travel? If so where?
9. Do you take your sewing/drawing/hobby with you when you travel? Why?
10. Was there a time when you wanted to give up sewing/drawing/hobby? Why didn’t you quit?
11. What is the best part about sewing/drawing/hobby?

Liebster Award Rules:

In order to be eligible, a nominee must:

•link back the person who nominated them

•answer 11 questions designed by the person who nominated them

•nominate up to 11 other bloggers for this award who have less than 500 followers

•create 11 questions for new nominees to answer

•let the nominees know that they have been nominated by going to their blog and notifying them