1) What are your preferred crafts? Do you have one primary one that you do most of or do you dabble around in many different crafts?
My main craft is sewing. I love to try my hand at most things sewing except if it is a teeny tiny thing. I dabble in a lot of other crafts too but not one of them takes up as much of my free time as sewing. In the past I have partaken in scrapbooking, cardmaking and jewellery making. Not to say that I wouldn't ever do these things ever again but these crafts I tend to employ for items for myself.
I also enjoy knitting and cross-stitching although at the moment these have taken a bit of a back seat at the moment because my attention span is equal to that of a goldfish and I prefer to work on a project that has a quick turn-around. With knitting, my mum used to decipher patterns for me and then I would just follow what she told me to do rather than learning how to read the pattern myself, meaning that without her I am a little stuck. Doing cross-stitch can be a bit of a pain as I think I am starting to get arthritis in one of my fingers so because its such a small scale project I can't always do it comfortably.
2) What avenues inspire you most in your sewing/crafting that we might like to check out?
e.g. what are your favourite books or websites or shops to visit etc... that we *must* know about ;)
When I first started sewing Sew Mama Sew was a big source of inspiration for me but now I would say blogging in general inspires me. Seeing what other people can make and come up with boggles my mind but at the same time opens it up to the possibilities. My mind becomes fascinated with people who can come up with an amazing, original design for a bag or a purse or for a quilt. This in turn inspires me.
When I first started sewing Sew Mama Sew was a big source of inspiration for me but now I would say blogging in general inspires me. Seeing what other people can make and come up with boggles my mind but at the same time opens it up to the possibilities. My mind becomes fascinated with people who can come up with an amazing, original design for a bag or a purse or for a quilt. This in turn inspires me.
3) Are you a one project at a time person or do you have "craft ADD" - OR are you somehow like me and have a combination of both?
I am major ADD! Sometimes I can decide that I will have a sewing day and will spend all day in my sewing room without ever accomplising much because I work for half an hour then get up to get a drink or to move things or to clean or to take out the rubbish, etc etc etc. Then there are other times where I am OK like today, I worked on a 241 bag from start to finish in about 3-4 hours. I wish I could bottle that determination and use it all the time.
I didn't think I was too bad with leaving WIP's until I looked them all out for Rhonda's Finish-a-long. It definitely happens because I get bored of whatever I'm doing or that the project is going to take a while to finish so I start something new for some instant gratification. I would hazard a guess that there is a good percentage of us crafters do the same thing.
4) What is/has been your longest ever Work in Progress (WIP)?
Probably the cross-stitch that I still haven't finished. It is a Creature Comforts Cat that I picked up on sale at the HobbyCraft show at the SECC in Glasgow 3 years ago. All thats left to do on it is the outline and yet it still sits in my craft organiser that Sarah @ Narcoleptic in a Cupboard made for me as part of the Goodie Swap back in September.
5 ) What are some of your crafty projects that you've made recently (or not so recently is ok to) that you'd love us to see?
Once I get to be home at a reasonable time in which I can take some pictures I'll show off what I've finished lately. I am particularly fond of the 241 bag I have made with kittens floating with umbrellas. It's coming I promise.
P.S - Apologies for being quite quiet the last week or so, having a few health issues that are knocking me for six. Surprisingly though I do actually have new finished things to show!