I would like to thank...

Many thanks to the very sweet ShannonAshley for awarding me with this Kreativ Blogger award. The rules state that I must now share seven things about myself that you might not know:

1. I have three tattoos so far and my mum accompanied me when I got each of them done. My most recent is a simple line drawing of a swallow on my wrist which references my mum's swallow tattoo on her hand. If I have a daughter and she doesn't want to get a swallow tattoo, I think I would be secretly very sad.


2. I used to be a croupier and have worked in three casinos. I used to deal Roulette, Blackjack, 5-card Poker, 3-card Poker and Punto Banco (aka, Baccarat). Before you ask, No, it's not well paid (the UK is the only country in the world where a dealer cannot accept tips), and No it's not very glamourous (although at times it was very exhilarating). Also before you ask, the most I saw someone lose was £30,000, and I can't remember the biggest pay out I made, although it was ALOT (I've paid out two big accumulative jackpots). I always wanted to deal Dice (aka, Craps) and Texas Hold'em but found them difficult to get into due to being of the female persuasion.


3. I like to carry a sugar sachet round in my handbag to adjust my Caipirinhas to taste, should they require it.


4. My favourite type of music is Hip Hop.


5. If I could change one thing about my body, it would be my sensitivity (which verges on intolerance) to caffeine. That or my usual difficultly in sleeping, whether I'm abstaining from caffeine or not.


6. If I was Catholic, I'd get a bad-ass Sacred Heart tattoo. I have a Catholic best friend and boyfriend, is that close enough?


7. I almost always think tasks are going to be harder than they turn out to be. This usually means I am pleasantly surprised.

According to the rules, I must now disclose seven blogs that I feel deserve this award. I am using the criteria of the seven blogs I check the most regularly at the moment (in no particular order):

1. The Makeshift project is fascinating and relevant in it's aim to document a year wearing only handmade things (undies, shoes EVERYTHING). It has really encouraged me to take my own philosophies and practices up a notch (check my post here on the subject of Makeshift).


2. Veronica Darling's is a blog I came to via Sew Retro. This pizazzy little Australian chica does NOT hold back when it comes to sewing, setting herself fantastic challenges that would make the average sewer weep (her 100 Outfits and Frocktober chellenges being two she conducted last year). Her current vintage pattern challenge is one to watch. I also love her almost complete reliance on op-shopped and end of line fabric and notions, something most sewers would do well to work on (myself included).


3. Who doesn't love Gertie and her Blog for Better Sewing? The time and effort she must go to to regularly update this informative, thought provoking and fun blog is exhausting to think about. She's the sewers' sewer! I also love the posts when she discusses broader issues like body image, disposible fashion and the sartorial implications of dressing in a vintage style.


4. I must also direct your attention to the super-talented and creative lady Michelle at Naughty Little Epoch who is my homegirl, as in we are friends in the flesh and meet up when in the same country. I could give a million reasons why she is a special lady, but one of them would include that creatively speaking she isn't afraid to attempt any creative disapline, invariably with amazing results.


5. I may be accused of bias, but I have to say that the blog on Colette Patterns is really quite awesome. It always was a beautiful and fascinating blog, but now that Sarai has got more people on board to contribute, it has become an even more diverse and prolific blog to enjoy.


6. A more recent addition to my list of blogs to check is the sweet and refreshing Ancien-Nouveau. Her technical approach to garment creation shows she isn't afraid of the nitty-gritty that many of us shy away from!


7. The final blog I would present this award to is The Last Stitch which I actually only discovered last night, it is so new to me in fact that I haven't yet got round to adding it to my blogs bar. Her posts appear so clear and consise, I guess the polar opposite of my own approach, and I would happily wear every single garment she produces.

There are of course many more blogs I would like to present this award to, like Cheap Opulence who sadly hasn't updated in some time, and EmilyKate who I know also received this award from ShannonAshley, but I'll leave it at that. Enjoy, blog-fans!