Creating Success Around the World Blog Feature and Blog hop

Hi again...and welcome to another Creating Success Around the World blog interview - Every Wednesday our host from Europe, Australia, North America and me from Asia will be  features bloggers around the world, asking them a few questions about their experiences of the blogosphere so that we can all get to know a little bit more about their craft and their success stories.  

Today, I'm featuring another very versatile craft person that's Peggy from

Crafter : Peggy

Location :  Malaysia

Website :  http://clothwithpegs.blogspot.com

Blogging since : November, 2007

Creation : Felt collar, Laptop case, Booked travel wallet, 'Juicy' bag etc..etc. etc....

1.  Tell me about yourself, your family, hobbies?

Creating runs deep in my soul, in all things I do, from working life to hobby.  For designing & constructing buildings, I do it at work as an architect.  The rest of the time, I achieve smaller & faster gratification by crafting.  My husband & I have been told we are the DIY team by our friends.  He makes his own outdoor & camping gears, and now he is working on restoring an old Land Rover.  I create as and when inspiration hits me or sometimes out of necessity.  Other times, I like to sketch.  I keep several different sketch journals for different purposes each time (i.e. for work, for travel, for crafting ideas, etc.)

2.  When / How / Why you blog?  What agenda do you usually like to share about?

I had always made stuff even before I could sew on a sewing machine.  I bought my first sewing machine in 2008 without ever operating one before.  The lady who sold me the sewing machine taught me how to wind the thread onto the bobbin, wind & thread the neadle, & explained all the parts of a sewing machine.  I remember I still at a friend with me who filmed the whole thing lest I forget the process when I get home.  

I have always surfed online for crafting ideas, on YouTube, crafter's blogs & Etsy.  And that's where I thought maybe I could share the process of what I am creating with other online crafters too; like exchanging ideas & tips.  So it started with my first project of recycling old denims into bags.  [http://clothwithpegs.blogspot.com/2008/06/old-jeans-new-bag.htm] I seen this done a thousand times online.  So I believe I could attempt one myself too. And this is the first time I learnt about the different needle eye sizes & threads for denim, after my needle broke to my horror. 

And soon after I was working with some friends on creating a prop wedding dress for a photoshoot from recycled fabric found at a local thrift store. [http://clothwithpegs.blogspot.com/2008/07/dresshack-wedding-dress.html] 

 We shot a couple of settings, and I got to experiment my new underwater casing by shooting them underwater (without appropriate lighting strobes).

So, it got more & more interesting and I couldn't stop creating.  Ideas & suggestions by friends were pouring in & I just had to get them out.




3.  Do you create?  What do you create? Why?

 

I craft or create as and when the inspiration comes.  Sometimes I just sketched the ideas down into my sketch journal, & develop it it further by figuring out the parts I need. I enjoy the thought process.  Since I have never had formal sewing lessons, I plan my crafting steps as though I am building my design models; planning the components in pieces and assemble them.  

I recalled in my post of http://clothwithpegs.blogspot.com/2011/09/back-then-when.html, when I didn't yet know how to sew, I glued all my stuff together.  It was my tragic 'non-sewing' past.

4.  Do you sell your creation? If so, where and how we can purchase them?

Book Travel Wallet (Sold)

Since I still work almost full time and tutor Design & Theory in a local college, I haven't got much time to set up a fully stocked online shop, but I when I do find time to create items for sale (which is almost rare), I post them on my Etsy shop, http://www.etsy.com/shop/clothwithpegs.  Other than the shop, I do get custom orders from friends & family members.

5.  What's motivate and inspired you?

Travels & movies inspires me in terms of custom travel accessories and costumes, respectively.  Also, speaking to friends and new people always inspires me.  I enjoy hanging out with friends talking about future projects and prospects.  We have worked together on several projects ranging from wedding photoshoot (as earlier mentioned) to performance costumes/props to measured drawings for conservation projects.


6.  What is your most proud creation?

I'm proud of all my projects ... even the worst had a story I'm proud of telling.  That's because I believe that success sprouts from failure, and being able to laugh about it & challenge yourself to surpass it is very motivating for me. If I were still to choose one, it could well be my iPad cover (http://clothwithpegs.blogspot.com/2010/09/ipad-case-by-booked.html) which I worked on for 2 hours straight and was so absorbed that I forgot to track it's progress to add to my tutorials.

 7.  What is your most popular creation?

Popular by this extent, I would refer to the 'most visited page' for my craft related items, and that would be the tutorial for face mask  (http://clothwithpegs.blogspot.com/2009/07/current-issue-face-mask.html). It started around the time of the global epidemic of H1N1, where I thought using disposable facemasks all the time is not really sustainable, so I tried making some of cloth, so I can wash & reuse them.  Up till today, I still get hits for this entry & links to this entry.  I've had a reader who used this tutorial for costume, too.


Thank you very much Peggy! It's really an honor to have you in Creating Success Around the World today! Don't forget to check out today feature at other part of the world at below links...

World Wide Creative Hop (25)