I’ve never been in, or on, a blog hop before.

In fact, I wasn’t even sure what one was before Bee invited me to take part.

You may remember Bee, she guest-posted for me when I was in Australia, visiting my sister.

Bee’s lovely blog The Linen Cloud is full of family fun, crafting and nature, to name but a few topics. If you haven’t discovered her yet, do pop over and say hello.

Bee sent me some blog-hop questions about my creative process… never an easy thing to pin down!

But here goes…

What are you working on?

I’m trying to explore some new directions that nurture a slightly more “grown-up” side of my creativity. I want to try new things, to break out of self-limiting habits and push myself in new directions – pretentious as all that sounds!

Just now I am fascinated with creating pictures using the fabrics in my collection to “paint” something beautiful.

I’m also trying to make my blog as good as it can be. I have challenged myself to go on blogging daily for as long as I can think of something that I think is worth saying!

How does it differ from others of its genre?

Hmmm… that’s like being asked “what makes you unique/special?”- which is exactly the question I’m grappling with at the moment!

A friend just told me that the vintage fabrics I love are a unique feature of my work. Well, I know that I’m by no means the only person using vintage fabrics, but I want to create textile art with them that stands out as uniquely and individually mine.

As for my blog, I want it to be the prettiest, most inspiring, most make-a-date-for-a-sit-down-with-a-cuppa-with bit of the interweb you could wish your eyes to light upon. That is all.

Why do you create what you do?

I create things that I love. (Well, that’s the aim anyway. I don’t always love the way they turn out).

Fun things. Pretty things. Old things used in new ways. I want to create things that make me go “ooh!”, and then want to jump up and revamp the room, or get me excited in some other way.

I love vintage fabric’s endless mix of amazing colour and pattern.

Getting a big pile of textiles out, playing around with them, and suddenly finding just the right combination, makes my heart race and my soul sing!

Oh, and I like to make fun things that make people smile.

How does your creating process work?

It doesn’t always! I lurch day to day from creative famine to creative feast. I have lots of ups and downs.

Some days I don’t even want to look at fabric because I feel utterly empty of ideas. Other days I will literally run to the sewing machine, grab the scissors and I’m off like a lunatic because an idea has popped into my mind that I want to capture before it disappears.

I find blogging a good way to bring discipline to my creative practice.

I often write what I do, which helps make me do stuff. Blogging and creating are symbiotic – and both jolly good for me, I find.

So that’s it. My contribution to the blog-hoppery.

All that remains is for me to introduce two more creative bloggers.

Kate blogs at tall tales from chiconia. She lives in Australia and makes quilts, with a rate of completion way beyond my own. Reading about her making process is always fascinating.

Ali blogs at ali bee wares. She taught me my first baby steps in dressmaking and is a hugely talented maker, textile artist and teacher.

Do hop over and check them both out. ♥