Do you come from a long line of crafty people? Have you always made things? I’ve always been a scribbler and have been known to paint now and then but I’m only quite new – well it’s been a few years – at the whole sew-it-up game. My mum can knit but other than that there was not a lot of crafting going on whilst I was growing up.
What other jobs have you had? I worked behind a bar being very, very irritated for my whole uni life, worked at Donut King which I totally loved. For the food, not the fluoro pink t-shirt I had to wear. But in my real, semi – adult life all my jobs have been fairly design based. But all fluked and gained through knowing people who know people and, of course lying.
Is fabric design your crafty dream come true – or did you arrive at it unexpectedly? I think it arrived unexpectedly. I was developing a lot of commercial children’s designs for freelance clients and as creative as that sounds – its really not. It’s butterflies and trucks and zoo animals. So in my down time, I started designing my own patterns, not really knowing what to do with them and using them in my illustrations and pimping them off to some clothing companies. Then I met up with Lara (who happens to live on my street) and saw that she had started to print onto fabric and thought ‘I can so do that’ and then did. The plan was to just make some stuff out of my fabric and maybe try and sell some on Etsy. And that’s what I’m still doing.
How much time do you spend on your craft? How do you manage the craft/life balance? Everyday. I work nearly every moment I can get away from the kids and the housework. I have no craft/life balance. Once the family chores are outta the way I work. I am lucky my partner works his ass off to, so I don’t feel guilty spending evenings on the computer because he is doing the same. Oh yeah, we have a great , totally functioning healthy relationship.
I try not to work on the weekends. If I do, its craft only , no computer. I play netball also. So there’s a bit of balance I don’t work on netball nights.
What do your family and friends think about your crafty life, your blog and your work? I think they think its A.OK. I’m sure they are pretty bored with it all. I am constantly blowing my own trumpet to them because being in my family means THEY HAVE TO LISTEN . So I’m sure they just go ‘ yeah, here she goes again…blah blah…this magazine…this pattern….mmm whatever.’
Luckily my Dad is too tight to upgrade to broadband so he doesn’t read the blog anymore because of his slow connection. So I don’t have to listen to him tell me I did a ‘crappy’ post. I think they do realise I’m pretty lucky to be able to do what I doing, that I can do a job that revolves around having kids and being creative.
Certain friends live in fear about what I could write about them, I quite like that power and plan to abuse it when it suits me.
Who inspires you? Crafty or otherwise, and why? Nearly every blog I read has something in it where I lamely think : I’d like that, I’d like to make that, I want that cake, that fabric, that life. I can’t pinpoint exactly what or who inspires me. Its’ anything and everywhere.
What will you be working on in the coming twelve months? Is there something you really want to do – or an area of your work you want to improve or learn more about? I will be working on some new Aunty Cookie fabric items, a new cookies print. But same of the same really, still keep drawing and making. I want to expand my retail base, to try and print a new design per season. Nothing too extravagant or groundbreaking. Ive still got the two kids hanging off me, until I have more than one full day to myself I cant really get cracking on anything too major.
What do you find difficult about this crafty life? And what is the best part? I’ve worked out that if it’s too difficult to do – don’t do it.
I’m my own boss and if I can’t be bothered sewing 25 cushions I’m not going to. I think this time last year I would have busted my guts to make everything on my to do list. Now I don’t. I’ve relaxed my self expectations. The best part is sales. I’m not gonna lie. It is. Making money from what you love doing.
Do you find it difficult to balance the creative with the commercial when you are designing? Yes. When I started my own fabrics I made exactly what I wanted, not knowing if it would sell or not. I have those same thoughts with each new design. Just because people comment saying ‘I love it. I’d buy it’ doesn’t mean they will. And so I can’t always depend on that. So at the end of the day I want a design that at least I’ll make something out of, if no one buys it!!
Do you have time to make things for yourself? No. I make my daughter some lame ass stuff every now and then, and sometimes people will get home made gifts. But nope. Got no time for that these days.
