I am delighted to be able to share that I’ve joined the #MinervaMakers brigade! A while ago now I applied for the scheme, in which Minerva.com send bloggers fabric in exchange for posts and social media activity about their project and the material. I didn’t hear back so assumed they had enough people in my demographic – you have to describe yourself in three keywords during the application; I chose plus-size, vintage and sustainable. But I was wrong, and recently the lovely coordinator reached out and I will be working with them on some exciting stuff!
That does mean I need to up my photography game, and I’ve spent a lot of time researching tips and tricks for posing and suchlike. I think that might become a post of its own one day in the future, when I’ve figured it out a little more, because gosh isn’t it a minefield? I have a great smartphone so I’m halfway there, but learning how to hold myself – and finding tutorials which don’t just read ‘contort until you look thinner’ – is extremely difficult.
I’ve been fairly quiet recently as all of things I’ve worked on seem to be for Christmas-gift purposes and so need to be Top Secret. The photo at the end of this post is a tiny little peek into something I’m very proud of and hope the recipient loves, but there’s not a lot else I can share. Last night I cut out two more garments, today I’ve prepped two more accessories for appliqué and assembly shortly, tomorrow who knows what I’ll achieve. I’ve made 10 of something-else for stocking fillers, I’m bringing out the fabric advent calendar made last year, and I still think I’ve got a couple more things up my sleeve I might try and whip up before the end of December.
I’m also battling a strong urge to abandon all of these things and go straight to making the coat I’ve designed in my head, and the outfit I want to wear for Christmas Eve dinner. My partner has agreed we can dress up in a vintage style and pose for photos on Christmas Eve, and I’ve got this beautiful green plaid I want to use. I’m half tempted to make separates rather than a dress, to give a bit more flexibility with it for wearing in the future, but we’ll see where the mood takes me when we get there.
In truth 2020 has been such an awful year that I know the presents for other people will always take precedence over more selfish sews. I’m not a Christian, but this season in my own spiritual year is one filled with bringing light into our lives. For me, as for many people, sharing homemade food and handmade gifts is a perfect way to reconcile the sacred and the secular traditions and to make the people we love smile.
And so, a preview of the best gift I’ve made so far! (Featuring my absolute favourite labels from Kylie and the Machine!)
