Saturday 2 November 2013

I'm a sewing blogger, and I'm proud!

I was at the park today, with the kids, and I spotted a little girl wearing a lovely dress. I looked closer. Definitely handmade,.. lovely fabric,... probably a bit too nice for a craft market purchase,....

Casually, I commented to the adult male attending to the little girl that it was a lovely dress. "her mother made it" he replied. I studied the dress. Something about it looked familiar, the bodice, the gathered skirt, the shape of the shoulder sections....

A little while later the mother wandered over and I tentatively struck up a conversation about the dress.

Me: That's a gorgeous dress. Did you make it?
Girl's Mum: Yes.
Me: It's a quilting cotton, right?{letting on that I know a little about these things} What's the fabric?
Girl's Mum: It's from Dear Stella's Piper range.
Me: Lovely. The dress looks familiar, what's the pattern?
Girl's Mum: The Sally dress.
Me: Ah of course it is.
{a flash of recognition crosses the woman's face}
Girl's Mum: Are you....
{leans in closer and asks in a conspiratorial whisper}
... are you a sewing blogger?
Me: {laughing} Yes, yes I am. But my blog's only about 8 months old...
Girl's Mum: What's your handle*?
Me: {now I'm leaning in and whispering, as I feel a bit ridiculous. My sewing alias was never meant to be said aloud}... ah... Lightning McStitch...

* Ok, she may not have used the word handle, but you get what I mean.

And on we chat for a bit, about making kid's clothes, independent pattern designers, where to purchase fabric, other blogs we both knew, our blog names and so on, when her partner wandered over...

Girl's Mum: Hey, guess what, this ladies a sewing blogger too.
{male partner makes snorting derisive laugh type noise and promptly turns on his heel and retreats}

My little one has an urgent need to wee so we excuse ourselves and make our way home. When I get home I start to tell Flipper what has just happened...

Me: Honey, you'll never guess what just happened?
Flipper: {looking vaguely curious} Hmmm?
Me: I saw a little girl in a handmade dress, and I recognised the dress pattern...
{Flipper rapidly losing interest and returning to looking at the newspaper}
Me: It was a lovely fabric and the pattern is called the Sally dress, and I knew that, or at least I did once she reminded me
{I think this might be more information than he cares to hear}
Me: And guess what, she is a sewing blogger too!
{Flipper makes a snorting, derisive laughing noise and starts to leave the room}
Me: {shouting at his retreating back} But that's not the best bit...
Guess what the best bit is?...
{no answer from the other room, but I know he's there}
... the best bit honey...
Is she knew who I was!




So, if I may be so bold as to make the introductions: Here's Haus of Harridan and her very pretty Sally dress. So nice to have met you!



16 comments:

  1. How fun! It's nice to know that someone is reading your blog, isn't it? :D I mean, people comment and "like" posts, but it must've been something really exciting to have a real life person know you :D

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    1. It's almost embarrassing how much I love knowing people read the blog and leave comments! thank you

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  2. This is sooooo incredibly funny! I especially love your man's reaction. Makes me feel that sewing bloggers are somewhat natural kindred spirits. Must have been nice to talk fabric & patterns with someone who "gets" it!

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    1. Yes, it's not really an interest that we can discuss in common. It's my quirky hobby that he stays well clear of, until I need HTML code help, then he's in his element!

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  3. So lovely to meet you! Thank you for your compliments on my 'Sally', and the introduction on your blog. It was funny, I had this gradual dawning of 'she said quilting cotton' and 'hang on, she's heard of Sally?!' Awesome to randomly bump into someone who understands what you're up to, :)

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    1. Likewise, lovely to meet you and but for the fact that I have far too much fabric I'd be buying some of that helicopter stuff too (I loved those things as a kid as well)

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  4. wow, that is so awesome. i would love to meet another sewing blogger. that's such a happy coincidence.

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    1. I would have imagined that I would plan to meet up with someone rather than spot a pattern "in the wild" so to speak. A very happy coincidence indeed.

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  5. How nice is that?
    Last week, I got a compliment from another at my kid's school - she's not a blogger/sewer but she reads my blog and recognized my girl's clothes. I was so flattered :)

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    1. That's especially nice to have a non sewer amongst your audience. I imagine your little girl always looks immaculately dressed.

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  6. Oh, your first brush with blogging fame - how fun for you! Congrats:)

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    1. thanks Lucinda, it really is a community. I still rate sewing that top for Lilah as one of the most rewarding things I've done

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    2. And it is one of her favorites . . . she loves to tell people it's from her friend in Australia! Love how our common love of sewing brings us all together:)

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  7. Great story! I think I'd die if my work colleagues (especially the male ones) got wind of my dirty little blogging secret. At least for me no one reads my blog: you, however, are a bit like Oliver + S sewing blogging royalty!!
    Every time I am in Melbourne I keep a little eye out for some of the sewing bloggers.... (Oh god, I've turned into a groupie)

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    1. Yep, there are certainly hobbies in the past that other people have found more interesting and are capable of having a conversation about. This one is mostly a conversation stopper!
      Royalty my foot, I'm a groupie too, slavishly sewing things just cause I want to, not because the kids will like or wear it.

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  8. How fun! My husband is supportive of my sewing blog habit- but not remotely interested in discussing it! That is a very cute Sally.

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I get a real kick out of knowing you've visited the blog and love to read comments. Thanks.