I’m pleased to introduce you guys to another guest blogger you’ll be seeing around here! Karen blogs at memyselfandkai.com. Among other things, Karen is going to be bringing us interviews with interesting and creative people out there in the handmade/sewing/fashion worlds. Here’s a little Q&A to introduce you.

How did you get started crafting/sewing?

I learned to sew when I was around 12 years old. I enrolled in a sewing class and I loved my teacher. She was patient and funny and it’s a testament to her that even though I stopped sewing for several years–I picked it up again in my early 20s–I hadn’t forgotten the basics. I have a pattern to sew a pillow star on my blog (it’s under the “how-to do it yourself” tab) and that’s something I learned in her sewing class and recreated from memory. Also, my mother is a talented sewist and even though I went through a rebellious phase wherein I refused anything she made me, perhaps I inherited some of her skill? I can only hope.

I taught myself to knit by following instructions in “Stitch’n’Bitch” by Debbie Stroller. Her directions were accessible and I recall picking it up fairly easily. Then again, I also remember a disastrous first attempt to knit in the round, and my ex reminded me that I once threw a work-in-progress project across the room in a fit of frustration. Oops. I guess I have an impatient streak. But I persevered.

I also embroider. And I’m learning slowly–oh, so slowly–to crochet. I suppose I’m something of a dabbler when it comes to needles and thread.

What draws you to these crafts?

I’m inspired by what I see others creating. I’m driven on my the desire for the finished object, and I like to use/wear what I make. Some of the patterns out there today are phenomenal, better than a store-bought garment. And there is something fulfilling about the act of creating. It feels great to stand back after completing a project and think, “I did that.” Not all projects end that way, but that’s part of the learning curve.

What are your major interests in this realm?

I tend to knit/sew things I can wear. I also like to make quick projects–obi belts, zippered purses, etc. Because remember that impatient streak I mentioned above? It’s true.

I want to learn more about pattern making and customizing clothes to fit my specfic measurements. I tend, more often than not, to be a slave to the pattern. All in time.