I was tagged by Ashley over at Mommy by Day, Crafter by Night to participate in the Around the World Blog Hop. Today I get to answer some questions and tell you a little about myself.

What are you working on?

I’m working on a few things at the moment, but I’ll show you a quilt top I finished this week that I’ll hopefully get to quilt up this weekend.

I’m also making up some Liberty bags for an Instagram sale!

A dress is also in the works, but I’m saving it for the big reveal day!

How does my work differ from others?

I think this is a difficult question to answer, but I’ll take a whack at it. I do what I love. Nothing more, nothing less. I’m not influenced by this brand or that sponsor. I purchase only what I LOVE and do with it only what I want to. I think that freedom is one thing that differentiates me from others in the crafting community.

Also, I dabble in a little of everything sewing-wise. I have a passion for garment sewing, but I also love quilting and hand work. They’re all essential pieces in the making up of me as a crafty creature.

Why do I create? 

I think the answer to this really ties into my last answer. Because I love it! I love the fulfillment I get when I complete a project. I love the process, the colors, the feeling of everything I make. Each project is its own adventure, and I get such joy making things whether they are for myself or others. I love to think that they will become heirloom pieces treasured by future generations. Its so important to me to have the things that my grandmother made. She died when I was 13, and even though I don’t have her around, when I see things of hers, I feel like I’m still getting to know her or that we can at least relate in our love of crafting.

How does my creative process work?

Oh, goodness! I think I’m influenced both by creative ideas (like what I want to make), and by fabric. Fabric is really just a work of art on cloth. Some of that art is better than others, but I like to think I get the good stuff. :)

I’ll often find some pattern I want to make, or perhaps find a need that I can meet through sewing. When an idea begins with a project, I often put a lot of thought into what fabric I’ll use and order only what is needed and go from there. When a project begins with fabric, however, I’ll often buy an estimated amount for whatever I think I’ll most likely use it for. For instance, I have a Liberty addiction and I know I love to making clothing with it. So when some print comes out that’s utterly irresistible, I’ll buy 1.5-3 yards and hold onto it until I find the perfect project that will justify using such exquisite fabric.

And I do like for my projects and fabric to be on an equal playing field. I’m very much a perfectionist in this aspect. If I’m buying and using Liberty, it will be used on a top notch project, and I will do everything possible to ensure that it is perfect from the cutting, to pressing, so finishing every seam that could possibly need finishing. I suppose that’s another part of my creative process. I will take forever on something to make sure its awesome, and I rarely, if ever take a short cut like machine binding. I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with that, I just don’t do it. I appreciate clean finishes, so I’ll prolong the project to make sure I have that.

Thank you for stopping by. It was fun to share a little about myself and my creative process. Have a great weekend!

-Meredith