Thanks For Blog Awards!

Thanks to Susan, of the blog Threading Through Time, for a nomination for the Liebster Blog Award! And thanks also to Anneliese of the blog The Young Sewphisticate as well as Erin and Sophia of the blog Romancing The Sewn for nominations for the Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award! I’m pretty behind on thanking people for these awards, but better late than never, right?

As usual, these awards request that information be shared and the award passed on to others. I’ve done this in the past, so this time I’m going to reiterate the hearty thanks and share just a portion of the information requested by Susan, Anneliese, Erin, and Sophia. (Some of the questions are hard! I just don’t have an answer sometimes because I can’t narrow down the possibilities.)

From Susan:

What do you enjoy most about writing your blog? The connection to the knowledgeable, encouraging, international community of like-minded people as well as the chance to document the events I attend and the clothing I build.

If you could travel to anyplace in the world, where would it be? Antarctica. I’d really like to poke an emperor penguin in the tummy. Wouldn’t you?

What is the best thing about where you are in life at this moment? Knowing that there are lots of exciting and fulfilling times ahead and enjoying the wonderful adventures I’ve had so far.

What is the one as-of-yet-nonexistent invention you wish you could get your hands on now? A tele-porter, at the very least to get from here to there, though I suppose time travel might be fun, too.

What is your favorite color combination? Jewel tone shades of pink, purple, and teal, probably.

From Anneliese:

What do you find more exciting: the designing or the sewing process for your costumes? I love the creation of new clothing. While I enjoy research and looking at images, I don’t usually find myself designing things so much as being inspired by designs that were already created in the past. It’s really the manipulation of flat fabric to become a tangible, realized, dimensional piece of clothing that brings me joy.

Which do you prefer more: mornings or evenings? Why? I am absolutely not a morning person. I prefer to be asleep in the morning. In the evening, I usually feel productive and often get a second wind even after a tiring day.

What do you hope to accomplish this year? I have an 1880s dress for August to finish. I hope to make a new 1910s dress for September, a new 1900s dress for October, possibly a new 1850s dress for November, and maybe a new 1820s dress for December, plus I still need to finish my secret Vernet project by the end of the year. Oh, and I have some modern sewing I’d like to complete, too! That’s a pretty ambitious schedule and I’m pretty confident I won’t be able to make it all happen, but if we’re only talking about hoping…

Who or what sparked your interest in costuming? I had an amazing mentor in college when I was first learning to sew clothing and costumes. She allowed me to take an independent study with her to build an 1860s dress (Belle, my first historic dress). A few years later I made friends with and then became a member of The Commonwealth Vintage Dancers, who provide great company and amazing opportunities to wear clothing from a variety of periods, which is definitely an encouragement to keep creating historic clothing!

What is your all-time favorite period drama? Gone With The Wind, of course. It’s what sparked my interest in the 1860s.

From Erin and Sophia:

What is your favorite classic movie (pre 1970)? I really love Busby Berkley movies. I watched them with my dad when I was young, so they bring back lots of happy memories when I think of them. Footlight Parade is one of my favorites!

What is usually the starting point for your projects? Where do you get inspiration? I’m usually inspired by an extant garment, fashion plate, or pattern. I use these same sources primarily as resources as I work through a project. Fabrics and colors usually come after my first inspiration, though I do buy fabric without knowing what project it will be for if I love it enough or have ideas.

If you had an extra day in the week, what would you do with it? Probably sleep in and have a Quinn-day of not leaving the house and either catching up on life (boring) or relaxing (way more fun!). It’s also possible that I would use it to sew things…

What’s your favorite day-off ritual? Sleeping in. I pretty much always do unless I have some specific reason to get up earlier than 10am.

What inspires you to continue creating and blogging when there are so many other things competing for your time every day? Connecting with other lovely people who appreciate my hard work, encourage me in my unique hobby, and enjoy my adventures and pictures as much as I do. I also really enjoy chronicling of my adventures and projects. I’m able to record happy memories in both words and pictures.