I'm not worthy...

Oh my goodness!  I woke up to a nomination for The Liebster Award! My blog was nominated by Melody over at Sew Melodic. I love your blog by the way (I spent most of the morning reading it--everyone else, you have to check this blog out and I have to say I'm totally in awe with your bridal emergency sewing project.

Thank you, for the nomination. I don't feel like my blog is worthy.

The Liebster Award is a token of recognition that bloggers award to fellow bloggers who they think deserve more recognition. The terminology “Liebster” roughly translates to “Dearest” from German, and the guidelines of this award are as follows:

• Thank the blogger who gave you the award and link back to them in your acceptance post!
• Share 11 interesting things about yourself.  Don’t be shy, and don’t worry if they aren't relevant to the topic of your blog.  They aren't supposed to be!
• Answer the 11 questions that the blogger who awarded you asked in their post.
• Create your own set of 11 questions for the next recipients of the award.
• Pass the award to some of your own favorite bloggers!  Each awardee should have less than 200 followers for their blog.

I would like to pass this award to:

Sewing On Pins, Deconstruct, Alter and Create and Doobee's Creations. (Sorry for all the homework)

But I would love to know:

1.    How did you learn (or who taught you) to sew?
2.    Who is your favourite fashion designer?
3.    What was your first sewing machine?
4.    What other activities compete for your time?
5.    Do you ever lose your sewing mojo? If so, how do you get it back?
6.    Greatest sewing challenge?
7.    Favourite sewing gadget?
8.    Favourite fabric shop?
9.    Have you ever been on a sewing retreat?
10.  Do you hang out with a local sewing group?
11.  What is your opinion about reality television sewing shows?  

*****

My Homework Assignment

11 Crazy, Interesting or Like-Wise things about me...

1.    I live in the prairies even though my heart is out east where I once-upon-a-time lived.
2.    I don't like country music which makes me an odd-ball in this part of the world. Several friends are convinced that it is the reason I am single.
3.    I'm a dog person who loves wearing cat-eye glasses.

4.    I'm extremely allergic to cats and I have a brother who has six cats as pets along with other various domestic wildlife living at their home.  They are very very clever (the cats and my brother) as it is the perfect excuse to never host a family dinner.  Clever.
5.    My favourite author is José Saramago.

Lynn Mizono {Source}

6.    My favourite designer patterns in my stash are the ones designed by Lynn Mizono, Marcy Tilton and Katherine Tilton.


7.    I sew on a Janome machine, I couldn't imagine sewing on anything else.
8.    My favourite drink is water with fresh lime squeezed into it.  Hold the ice.
9.    I have never sewn a bound buttonhole or bound pocket. Yet.
10.  I have all three Pattern Magic books collecting dust on my bookshelf and I haven't yet made anything from them even though I had grand plans to do so last year. I guess that makes me a procraftinator.
11.  My favourite season is autumn because it is so incredibly beautiful. I dread summers in Winnipeg because of the hot humid temperatures infused with mosquitos.

11 Question Asked and Answered:

1.  What is your favourite item you have ever sewn for yourself?
That is a tough one. If you were to go through my closet you would be convinced that it is a Rachel Comey skirt, Vogue 1247, because I have five versions of this skirt hanging in my closet.  I have a few favourites (this is tough) but if I could only choose one it would have to be Vogue 1312. It is a black linen dress and Lynn Mizono design. It is soooo comfortable and I feel like a million bucks when I wear it. Added bonus, it was fun to sew.  

2.  How many pairs of shoes do you own? 
Too many according to some, you're really not going to make me count and face the fact that I don't need those two pair of Josef Seibel shoes at Costco right now. In my defence, I live in a place that has four seasons. I will admit to less than thirty.  

3.  Do you sew for others?  If so, what kinds of items? 
Reluctantly and rarely. My rule is that I DON'T SEW FOR OTHERS based on my past experiences but it is a rule that has been broken on occasion.  My experience is that people do not appreciate the work and expense that goes into making something and have been conditioned to cheap RTW.  Add to that Winnipeggers are famously known for their cheapness. It is amazing how reluctant people are to take their items to a tailor or professional seamstress to be altered all because they are looking to take advantage of their acquaintances who own a sewing machine.  

I was thrilled to have the honour to make my niece's graduation dress last year. She picked a beautiful slippery fabric for me to sew. I was terrified about inserting the invisible zipper with this fabric, thank goodness for basting tape! 

During Lent, I did some sew for the church, purficators and mending of some vestment pieces. The most terrifying sewing EVER. The vestments that needed some TLC were beautifully made by the priest's mom. Yeah, no pressure.  

Family is important to me, and I will never turn down any sewing for my family. Although, I secretly wish I didn't have to do any mending and alterations in my perfect sewing fantasies.  

4.  What is your advice for your fellow < 200 followers awards nominees?  
Have fun, embrace your mistakes with a sense of humour--there is a lesson in each and every one of them. And basting tape and a jean-a-ma-jig, two items that I think should be part of everyone's sewing tool-kit.     

5.  Do you have a celebrity you really fancy?  Who?  
Yes. Johnny Depp. Brains, talent, fashionable and he has made me laugh, cry and think in his many of his films. What's not to fancy?    

6.  What/who is your favourite blog/blogger? 
Oh my gosh, there are so many blogs and bloggers that inspire me and more that I've been discovering. Eugenia hasn't blogged in over a year but her posts on inserting an invisible zipper were a life-saver. I'm happy that those posts are still found online at her blog Eugenia's (fabulous) World of Fashion. I am consistently blown away with Carolyn's technical skills over at Handmade by Carolyn. And Kazz, an Austrailian designer who has one of the most creative and entertaining blogs out there along with some great taste in tunes. There are so many to list here (check out my blog roll for other favourites)... 

7.  If you could live in any country, which would it be?
I don't know that I would want to live in any other country besides Canada. Travelling in the past has made be realize how blessed I am. I wish I had the opportunity to travel more though (including seeing more of my own country). Hmmm, to be honest I would like to live somewhere where they have a better selection of fabric. There seems to be a lot of cheap fabrics dumped in the Canadian landscape in recent years. 

8.   Do you have a sewing stash?  What is in it?

 

Yes!  Doesn't everyone?  Oh my gosh, where to begin!  Fabric, zippers, trim, elastics, bias tape, sewing machine needles, interfacing, patterns, buttons, I think that about covers it.  

9.  What are some things you own that have leopard print on them?
I made a leopard print knit maxi-dress for Jungle January.  

10.  What is the best meal you ever ate?
Hands down it would have to be the steak sandwiches that my sweet, adorable Portuguese aunt made, seriously delicious. I found out that she used lard to make these delicious stripes of heaven on a bun. At first, I was kind of turned off by the fact they were made with lard, but I've come to the dark side.  Mmm, mmm, mmm.  

11.  What is your favourite fabric?  
I could answer this question so many ways.  It makes my soul sing to find fair trade fabrics and organic cotton. I wish there were more of these fabrics available. I typically prefer natural fabrics, wool, silk, linen and cotton. I also love plaid fabrics. But then I did fall in love with a doily print polyester recently. Go figure! I really can't narrow it down to one favourite.  But I will admit that I have a piece of chiffon with a print of the artwork of the great masters that I just can't bring myself to cut--it is just too beautiful.