Burda Style For people who sew

1. Where are you from and/or where do you live?
I am from Sussex in the South of England, and now live in London. I just got back from a Holiday in St Ives, Cornwall and wish I could move there!

2. What was the 1st thing you made? How did you start sewing?
The first thing I made was an applique wall hanging. I did a lot of sewing by hand before I found an a sewing machine, which was a bit of a eureka moment, and I made of all sorts of things before I got up the courage to try making clothes. I started sewing when I first met my husband, he had a flatmate at the time who had a cupboard full of fabric and sewing things. Sewing was a revelation for me, I have struggled in the past with other creative outlets as I couldn’t seem to just let myself enjoy creating without being hypercritical.

3. What role does sewing play in your life?
Sewing plays a huge role in my life as I spend a lot of time doing it and thinking about it. Everybody needs some way of expressing themselves and a way of putting their hands to good use. I would really love to try to sell some sewn accessories on Etsy. I am working on some stock at the moment so maybe I will get it on there some day.

4. What is your favorite and what is your least favorite thing about sewing?
When it comes to clothes, I like everything except marking the seams. I’ve lately tried forgoing this part and just estimate the seam allowance against the foot of my sewing machine. The results have been varied as I tend to daydream a bit while sewing. I tend to get very motivated and make a lot of clothes if I’m spurred on by a relative success, but then make nothing for months if something gets left unfinished. I’m sure this is pretty common.

5. If you could make something for anyone who would it be and what would you make?
I love to make anything for anybody, especially if it is really wanted. I worry that my outpouring of sewn gifts are suffered by their recipients. For some reason, for a while now, I have wanted to make some crazy pompom slippers/boots for Russell Brand, but I have no idea why.

6. What are you looking for on our site? What do you think should be improved and what do you really like?
I was drawn to burda by the downloadable patterns and ended up loving it for the inspiration and wonderful people. Social networking is one thing, but social networking mixed with sewing?…you’ve gotta love that. I think a lot of the new aspects of the site are fantastic improvements, especially that we can follow our favorite members’ activity more easily. I think that Burda is a massive gift to sewers everywhere.

7. What is your motto?
“A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men.” (Or pretty much anything Gene Wilder says in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory).

For more on Naughtylittlepony, check out her projects, blog, flickr , and of course her top ten! Keep up the great work!