Helen from justsewtherapeutic has nominated me for a Liebster Award (with a nice button and everything), and I have to say I was very chuffed. I did have to do some research into the award and it seems to be an award by bloggers for other bloggers. Not something that I can put on my CV then, although I guess being nominated is a kind of peer review. There are numerous posts on the rules and the meaning of the award, but I decided that I didn’t have much to add to any of these, so will launch straight in to my questions as posed by Helen.

1. What was the first thing you ever made? So, first question and I’m stumped! I would have made things for my dolls and possibly the dogs and cats of the time, but I still have an apron and needle case made when I was around ten, which means they are more than 50 years old (my oh my, where did the time go?) and I will claim these as early evidence of my sewing
   
   Please note that this apron still fits me – have I not grown since I was ten?? The apron has both smocking and embroidery and close inspection shows that I haven’t improved much in the intervening years!
   
2. If you could only ever use five patterns again which would they be? I think my “quintessential” skirt, Vogue 1247, Vogue 8859 pants, shirts for my guys – KwikSew 3422, bra – KwikSew 2100, and the last? Tilly & The Buttons Coco top.
3. Greatest sewing achievement? I’ve been considering this question for a few days now. I think it’s making clothes for my family that they are happy to wear.
4. Greatest sewing failure!? I’m not sure if this is a sewing failure, but my biggest failure was trying to make a dressmaker’s dummy and it had to be taken to with the axe – it was a very traumatic experience.
5. How much fabric have you got in your stash? What, it needs to be quantified?? Eek! I have several stashes – a publicly known about one, and several secret ones. The public stash is sizable – at least 200 metres by my estimation.
6. How did you learn to sew? My mother taught me, and then I went to a boarding school in England where needlework was treated very seriously. I really did acquire some good skills there.
7. What summer sewing projects are you planning to tackle? I have some newly acquired Marimekko prints that I want to turn into skirts and dresses, I want to make a Sorbetto with a patchworked front, which sounds odd, but I saw one in Stockholm which inspired me. I am also embarking on a rag rug making project and my first quilt in about 30 years. I also need to get back to some vintage sewing and I have some lovely vintage patterns for this.
8. Do you make a muslin or dive straight in and wing it? I’m a wing it type of person. When I do make a muslin the real thing turns out differently anyway, so now I make “wearable muslins”.
9. What would be your perfect weekend? Camping in a paddock (with sheep) with my sewing machine and a good project. Failing that, a weekend locked in my sweatshop making shirts for my men.
10. Favourite film, book and album? Well, these change a lot depending on my mood – Shawshank Redemption has to be one of my favourite films, Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less by Jeffrey Archer is a favourite book, and I love Grieg’s Peer Gynt.

I was quite interested in why Helen chose my blog for this award – was it my erudition? my wit? my fabulous sewing skills? er, no. It was for having the biggest stash on the Me-Made-May flickr group! I have to tell you that I loved this – one of my friends tells me that I don’t have a stash, I have a stock, and it’s so true. Sooo, my claim to fame is the size of my stash, and you know what? I still never have the right fabric for what I want to make!

Now for my nominations:

Jagoda from fitnottofit.wordpress.com is first. I really like Jagoda’s sense of fun (and her hair) and I’m envious!

Andrea from obsessivecreativeness.blogspot.com, because she makes fabulous bras and I’m jealous!

Yvette from Sewonandsoon.blogspot.de because she makes lovely things for her family and has a bilingual blog.

Sew, Jean Margaret who has a great sense of style.

And my questions for these lovely people:

1. What do you want to make but feel too apprehensive to start?
2. Apart from your sewing machine/s, what is your most used sewing tool?
3. What is the next skill you want to acquire?
4. What is your all time favourite pattern?
5. What is your favourite era for clothes and sewing?
6. What other creative pursuits do you have?
7. Where would you really like to shop for fabric?
8. Where do you mostly buy your fabric and notions?
9. What stops you from doing more sewing?
10. What place is top of your bucket list?