Twenty something questions with......Alviana of Popolok Design

Proudly presenting the second interview in my series “Twenty something questions with...” :
 Alviana of Sewn by Alviana and Popolok Design. 

Alviana and her muse: daughter Bella

 If you have been following my blog for a while you would have recognised the name as I have tested not one – but three - pattern’s for Popolok Design in the past 4 months. Popolok Design is Alviana’s relatively new venture but her blog Sewn by Alviana has been around for quite a while, I first met Alviana on the sewing blogosphere in my pre-children days. Back then Alviana was a copious maker of garments and she has put that energy into now creating very unique designs for babies and children, releasing on average about 1 new pattern every 2.5 months. 
As well as designing patterns Alviana work’s full time and is mother to the adorable little Bella – what a woman!

Without further ado here are Alviana’s answers to the list of questions I sent her (thank’s for answering Alviana- you are one very busy lady!) :

Sewing For Sanity: Approximately how long have you been sewing for/ at what age did you learn to sew?

Alviana: I remember I started sewing my doll's clothes when I was about 10 years old. Then I made a few clothes during my teen years. Stopped for a while, when I was away from home studying. Then resumed back in 2007, the year I found out about sewing patterns. Then, I was unstoppable :) 

Sewing For Sanity: How did you learn to sew? (Are you self taught/learnt at school/learnt through private lessons/taught by a relative / a combination of these?)(If self taught what resources did you mostly use? Internet/books/instructional DVDs...?)
Alviana: I never take any formal classes. I believe everything I know now is self-taught. But I did learn a few sewing techniques from my other relatives. My mother did some sewing when I was young, but just simple projects like curtain, pillow case and some of our clothes. The Internet (blog tutorial/videos), sewing patterns and books are my main resources.


Sewing For Sanity:  What was the first machine that you sewed on? Was it yours or borrowed? If borrowed what was the first machine you owned?
Alviana: My mother's Singer sewing machine, I can't remember what model.


Sewing For Sanity: What machine(s) do you currently sew with?
Alviana: Singer Confidence 7465.

Sewing For Sanity: How often do you sew (daily/weekly/monthly etc)?
Alviana: Currently, I try to sew about 3 to 4 times a week. Which is about 10 minutes to 2 hours per one time. 

Sewing For Sanity: Do you have your own sewing room/studio?
Alviana: Yes, a temporary studio. This will be our daughter’s room in the future when she’s ready to have her own room. Meanwhile, we are still co-sleeping. And the room is still my sewing room. 



Sewing For Sanity: Is there anything (besides sewing machines and overlockers) that you use on a regular basis for sewing / blogging and could not live without?
Alviana: My fabric, sewing patterns & books are my precious collection.

 Sewing For Sanity: Sewing blogs and websites- are there any that you frequent regularly? Any that have helped you become a better sewer? 
Alviana: Sewing.patternreview.com has helped me a lot. I don’t have a specific blogs that I visit frequently. When I have time to surf for leisure, I just Google what I want and end up at any random blogs. 

Sewing For Sanity: Are you part of any sewing groups/networks?
Alviana: Sewing.patternreview.com but I am not as active as before since I haven’t made any clothing for me recently.

I have a Malaysian sewing buddies facebook group - we share everything about our latest projects. I do wish I join more network and groups, but hardly find the time to maintain my participation.  
Burda-style site seems like a great network I'd like to join.

Sewing For Sanity: How do you find combining sewing/blogging and family? How do you carve out time to write/create?
Alviana: Since having my child, I can only find time to sew late at night after she'd asleep. I usually write and blog from my office if I’m not busy, other than that is family time.  

Sewing For Sanity: Best sewing tip(s) you have picked up?
Alviana: Currently, the best tips I have is to baste the centre back seam first before stitching the centred zipper, then unpick the basting after. I really like this technique and I used to be really intimidated with zipper’s before. 

Sewing For Sanity: Craft/sewing books – any favourite titles you’d like to share?
Alviana: My favourite book among all I have: Bridal Gowns: How to Make the Wedding Dress of Your Dreams
 
Sewing For Sanity: Sewing patterns – any particular pattern house/magazine/website you prefer or tend to sew from more?

Alviana: I really do like the patterns from BurdaStyle magazine.

Sewing For Sanity: Favourite item/projects to sew? 
Alviana: Dresses, mine and for my girl
 
Sewing For Sanity: Favourite fabric/materials to sew with (if any)?
Alviana: Cotton is my favourite fabric to sew. But among all of fabrics in the world, I love satin the most.  

Sewing For Sanity: Most challenging thing you have ever sewn? 
Alviana: Our handmade baby carrier (SSC). Took me about 6 months to finish it.

Sewing For Sanity: What would you sew more of if you had the time?
Alviana: Wedding and formal dresses. I just love this kind of projects. 

Sewing For Sanity: Worst project ever (if you have one)?
Alviana: All of my UFOs.  


Sewing For Sanity: Do you have U.F.O’s (unfinished objects)?
Alviana: Oh God, yes. Countless objects. Mostly are my self-drafted clothing, home-deco projects, and refashion trials. There's a clump in the corner in my studio dedicated for them, which annoys me so much. 


Sewing For Sanity: Best time of day for you to sew?
Alviana: Late at night, when the baby’s asleep and house chores are done. 


Sewing For Sanity: Anything you would be keen to acquire sewing wise if you won lotto?
Alviana: I will invest and having my own sewing supplies shop with enormous stock of fabric and notions. I will also quit my job and dedicate my life for my family and sewing.  


Sewing For Sanity: Things you won’t sew?
Alviana: Clothing for other people which I don't have the heart or passion to do it. And there's so many people out there will ask you to sew this and that for them once they know you can sew.  


Sewing For Sanity: Sewing for others – yes/no? 
Alviana: Certain people, certain projects, certain times. Which is very few. 

 

Sewing For Sanity: Has sewing taken you anywhere unexpected (that you did not expect it to)?  
Alviana: Yes, before blogging I always kept my sewing hobby to myself because I used to feel making handmade clothing is embarrassing. But, after I found out about sewing patterns and blogs, I realized that it can actually be a cool hobby to have. I start blogging, and unexpectedly gaining many inspiring readers and friendly friends. And now having my own pattern line is one of my proudest life achievements which I never expect to have. 


Sewing For Sanity: Did you start sewing as a "hobby"/"recreational" pastime?  Do you still see it as being this way in your life? If not how do you see it now? 
Alviana: Like many other sewists, it was started as a hobby. And gradually making it as a part-time activity for our side income. I see it as my part time job right now and put a lot of my passion and love into it, until I didnt really care if I making any profit or not. 

Alviana is currently in the process of testing her latest pattern for Popolok Design, which will be available to buy in the near future.
All other Popolok Design Patterns (including the three I tested: The Lulu, The Cece and The Novo) are available for sale via electronic PDF download from: 
 
Popolok Design Etsy shop 

You Can Make This

Fairytale Frocks & Lollypops

Popolok Design's Facebook Store (for Malaysia)

 

Twenty plus questions with...Stacy Schlyer

It is with great delight that I introduce my first blog author interviewee -
Stacy Schlyer, author of Stacy Sews: Diary of a fabric junkie.

Stacy Schlyer AKA "Stacy Sews"

I first started following Stacy Sews shortly after its inception in 2006 and I can say it is one of the first few blogs that presented sewing as a craft in a trendy, modern light. The projects that the author- Stacy Schlyer- made were things that I wanted to wear and the techniques and fabric’s she used were more accessible and relevant to me than those featured in “traditional” sewing books. It’s no surprise then that Stacy Sews inspired my own sewing blogging pursuits and over the years I have had many an interesting “chat” (through the internet) with Stacy, who has always been very generous when dealing with questions about the nuts and bolts of blogging from this once newbie!   

Stacy Schlyer is a Kansas SAHM to two gorgeous children and successfully balances sewing, crafting and blogging with family life. Since beginning her blog Stacy has also been employed as a blogger for Threadbanger and Burdastyle.

Here follows the rather large set of questions I emailed Stacy, which she very kindly answered :

1. Approximately how long have you been sewing for/ at what age did you learn to sew?

  I've been sewing almost 15 years (I was 25) - after I had my daughter, I spent a lot of my maternity leave watching crafty\sewing programs on HGTV (Home and Garden Television). Even though I didn't sew at the time, I enjoyed watching Sandra Betzina's "Sew Much More" and finally decided that I would give it a go. I called my mom to ask her what she thought of me getting a machine and she said she thought I would like it (and to invest in a seam ripper).

2. How did you learn to sew? (Are you self taught/learnt at school/learnt through private lessons/taught by a relative / a combination of these?)(If self taught what resources did you mostly use? Internet/books/instructional dvds...?)

 
  I taught myself. I had watched programs on sewing, but never 'used' them since (at the time) i didn't think my skill levels were going to be to that level. After buying a machine, I bought a pajama pattern (for children), some cotton fabric, and followed the instructions. The top turned out fine, but I managed to sew one pant leg right side out and the other inside out! From just the one pattern, I learned a lot and got the confidence to try other projects. Once I got the 'hang' of things, I spent a lot of time reading articles\forums on the internet and books to increase my skill level. After 7 years of sewing, I finally took, my first class (quilting) and an just now taking some online courses.

3. What was the first machine that you sewed on ? Was it yours or borrowed? If borrowed  what was the first machine you owned?

 
  My first machine was a White Jeans machine (they no longer make these) - I purchased it used (it was a floor model) from a sewing center. It was simple (not a lot of stitches, etc.), but it was a workhorse! I still have it and let my daughter use it when she get the creative bug and wants to sew something.

4. What machine(s) do you currently sew with?

 
  I'm not quite a 'collector', but I have several machines I work with. I have a fantastic Bernina 580 which I tend to frequently keep on the embroidery module and then use my Bernina 440 to sew with while embroidering. I also have a Singer machine that I take to 'sew-ins' and classes and a Singer 5-thread serger that gets a ton of use as well!

5. How often do you sew (daily/weekly/monthly etc)?

 
  I sew several times a week, but try to do something sewing related (reading, browsing\reading blogs\stores online, etc.) every day.

6. Do you have your own sewing room/studio?

 
  Yes! I am very fortunate to have a room devoted to sewing (which is great when I'm being very productive because I can shut the door and hide the mess, plus I have someplace to store my fabric stash).

7. Is there anything (besides sewing machines and overlockers) that you use on a regular basis for sewing / blogging and could not live without?

 
  Even though I don't do a lot of quilting, I get a lot of use out of my rotary cutter\mat and quilting rulers (I have all sorts of sizes). Plus my seam ripper (I like the cheap Dritz ones and have several on hand because I always seem to misplace them while I'm working)!

8. Sewing blogs and websites- are there any that you frequent regularly? Any that have helped you become a better sewer?

 
  I have a very large list of blogs on my feed reader that I try to visit frequently - I'm very inspired by seeing everyone's projects and what they've been stitching up in there sewing room. I also tend to follow a lot of sewing folks on social media sites (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram) which is a great way to stay connected to other people in the sewing community (with or without blogs) and love to participate in sewing chats (generally this happens on Twitter) when I have the opportunity.

9. Are you part of any sewing groups/networks?

 
  I belong to several - Pattern Review, BurdaStyle, and attend several sewing\crafty chats that happen weekly\monthly. (I'm sure there are more, but these are the ones that pop into my head first!).

10. How do you find combining sewing/blogging and family? How do you carve out time to write/create?

 
  I tend to sew when my children are at school or are asleep, but I may sneak in some blogging\article reading\sketching\etc. while my youngest plays by himself. I generally work best when I can sew\write for a good stretch of time uninterrupted. There are a few times that I let my son come in my sewing room and play (usually playing computer\internet games) while I sew, but that usually happens when I'm on a 'deadline'... he likes to 'help' too much!

11. Best sewing tip(s) you have picked up?

 
  "There is always more fabric" also invest in 'quality' fabrics - cheap quality material never works out.
Always use the right needle for the right project. I keep a chart up as to what kinds of needles (sizes and types) with what fabrics.

12. Craft/sewing books – any favorite titles you’d like to share?

 
  I am a sewing book junkie! My favorites tend to be project based since many of the information type books are typically geared toward beginners. Some of my favorite books are Amy Butler's Little Stitches (it's my 'go to' book for babies and toddler sewing), Lisa Lam's Bag Making Bible & Bag For All Reasons, The One Yard Wonder series, Heather Ross' Weekend Sewing, and my new favorite Sew Savy

13. Sewing patterns – any particular pattern house/magazine/website you prefer or tend to sew from more?

 
  I subscribe to BurdaStyle magazine and have vowed this year I will sew at least one look from each issue! I tend to be all over the board with what companies that I sew from, but I tend to lean toward more independents (StyleArc, HotPatterns, Amy Butler, various etsy retailers, etc.). I also sew a lot from books that I have purchased (see book junkie info. above).

14. Favorite item/projects to sew?

 
  I go through 'spurts' as to what I like to sew. For awhile it may be jackets, aprons, bags, tops, etc. and then I'll finally get tired of it and move onto something else for awhile.

15. Favorite fabric/materials to sew with (if any)?

 
  I love to experiment with all sorts of fabric. My favorite probably has to be knits\stretch fabrics, denim, and leather. I recently worked with oilcloth and laminates and had fun using them.

16. Most challenging thing you have ever sewn?
 
  A cover for a wire storage rack. I was only a few years into sewing and decided that I needed a wire rack to store my (tiny at the time) stash. I found a great pattern for a storage rack cover - it had tons of pockets, grommets, ties, and a roll up front so you could easily access everything inside the rack. For some reason I thought it would be a good idea to make this out of a heavy canvas. Not only was it HUGE, but extremely thick and heavy to work with. It looked great after I was done with it and got a lot of use out of it over the years, but to this day I still hate working on project that require lots of material!

17. What would you sew more of if you had the time? 

 
  More clothes for myself! Especially pants - there's nothing like a pair of well fitting\made pants!

  

18. Worst project ever (if you have one)?

 
  I've had lots of 'wadder' projects! I can't think of one that comes to mind as being the worst, though.

19. Do you have U.F.O’s (unfinished objects)?

 
  Yes, although I did a purge recently and only kept one that I was still interesting in making. I also have fabric\notions\patterns that are bundled together that I haven't started yet, but would like to get to one day.

20. Best time of day for you to sew?

 
  Morning after I've had coffee - I'm fresh, alert, and ready to tackle the day!

21. Anything you would be keen to acquire sewing wise if you won lotto?

 
  A long arm quilting machine and sewing studio that looks as if it belongs in a magazine (I imagine I'd have to hire a decorator for that one)!

22. Things you won’t sew?

 
  Aside from pillows, I'm not particularly fond of home decor sewing. I'll do it if I have to, but it's not my favorite.

23. Sewing for others – yes/no?

 
  Yes, but I tend to only sew for those who I know appreciate handmade.  

24. Has sewing taken you anywhere unexpected (that you did not expect it to)? 

 
  When I first started sewing I was looking for an outlet to be creative - I had no idea how much I would love it and that I would have the opportunity to share my passion with so many people (either through blogging or tutorial\article writing, etc).

25. Did you start sewing as a "hobby"/"recreational" pastime?  Do you still see it as being this way in your life? If not how do you see it now?

 
  I started sewing as a hobby. As much as I would love to turn into into a lucrative career, I'm afraid it might take the fun out what I do. Someday, in the future (when my youngest is in school full time), I may re-visit this, though. I'd love to eventually start a pattern business (or write a book)!

 Currently Stacy contributes articles to Sew News and Sew It All magazines, as well as projects for the Bernina blog WeAllSew.com.