Canadian Pattern Designer blog tour: Interview with FABulous Home Sewn

interviewFAB

Today’s feature interview is with Fenna of FABulous Home Sewn. Fenna has designed some cute purses and wallets, and even has some free applique patterns for download from her Craftsy shop. She is also a stay-at-home mom to 5 kids! Not sure how she finds the time 🙂 I made the Petal Purse pattern last year, and my daughters love it. Read on for the interview and then enter the giveaway at the end. There’s also a discount code at the end of the post!

Sunburst clutch from FABulous Home Sewn
The Sunburst clutch

 

How did you decide to start designing patterns? Did it evolve from your love of sewing or had you always planned on designing patterns?

I love sewing and the designing of patterns started from wanting to make certain things for my children and not finding the patterns for them! Now, I’m having more and more ‘fun’ with it as I see it as a form of art!


Can you describe a typical day for you?

My days are pretty regular. I homeschool our five kids so the morning is devoted to their school work. The afternoon is usually when I get chores and housework done. It is in the evenings when the kids are in bed that I sit down and design or sew.


What was the first thing you ever sewed that you can remember? How did it go?

Ha ha. Well…my first sewing experience was on my mom’s sewing machine, sewing a square of fabric into a ‘dress’ for my Barbies. My real sewing experience started in home economics class in high school. And, I was not very good because I didn’t care, and I never continued it. It wasn’t until 5 or 6 years ago, that my husband bought me a cheap sewing machine for our anniversary since I had expressed an interest in ‘trying it out.’ That sewing machine has been replaced by a much better one around 3 or 4 years ago and it is being used almost daily!

Pirates Treasure Wallet
Pirates Treasure Wallet


Since this is Canada inspired blog tour, tell me a little about where you live.  Is there one place nearby that you always recommend to new visitors? (A shop, restaurant or landmark).

I’m Alberta born and after a very brief stint in BC (about a year in which I married, and then moved back to Alberta with my husband and newborn baby!) I am now in Alberta again for over 7 years. I live out in the country, on a dairy farm.
One place I love going with our family is Fort Edmonton Park! It is such a fun, history packed place.


Is there any other place in Canada that you’ve always wanted to visit or that you do visit on a regular basis?

I once visited PEI and fell in love! Absolutely gorgeous area with lovely, long stretches of beach!
FHS Zippy Keeper
Zippy Keeper


Do you think that being Canadian influences your designs?

I’m not sure if it influences my designs.


What are your top 3 favourite sewing or creative resources? (books, websites, etc)

I follow along in the PDF Patterns Sales and Promotions group on Facebook which is where I find out about most of the new patterns that are coming out, and get to see them sewn up by others. (ps. It is a dangerous place (for your wallet) to be if you have no self-control!)
I really like leafing through my Ottobre magazines every now and then. I got a subscription for a year, and I really like the European fashion for kids. Except for the shortness of the dresses–I always want to add a couple of inches to them!
And, finally, I bought an old Reader’s Digest Complete Guide to Sewing for a couple of dollars. It is excellent for learning techniques!

Petal Purse by FABulous Home Sewn
Petal Purse


What is your #1 sewing tip or trick?

A cool thing I learned to prevent ripping the stitches on button holes, is to take the seam ripper, poke it through at one end, and then back out in the middle. Rip. Repeat from the other side. There’s no need to be super careful about those last few millimeters at the end of the button holes!

***

FABulous Home Sewn is graciously offering my readers a discount of 15% off with the coupon code OCANADA.

Coupon code is valid in her Etsy shop from June 17 – 20, 2015. Prices are already marked down on Craftsy.

 

You can follow FABulous Home Sewn on their blog here. 

You can also find them on Facebook!

These fabulous bloggers are sharing their versions of a pattern from FABulous Home Sewn:

June 18: Create 3.5 – June 19: Calm and Carrion – June 20: Stitches by Laura

I’m also giving away 1 PDF pattern of choice from FABulous Home Sewn! Enter in the rafflecopter below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Don’t forget to link up anything you’ve sewn up recently by any of the featured designers!! You could win a prize package with a retail value of over $300!! Go here to link up!

Lulu&Celeste signature

 

Ula writes for Lulu & Celeste

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