I was at the park today, with the kids, and I spotted a little girl wearing a lovely dress. I looked closer. Definitely handmade,.. lovely fabric,... probably a bit too nice for a craft market purchase,....
Casually, I commented to the adult male attending to the little girl that it was a lovely dress. "her mother made it" he replied. I studied the dress. Something about it looked familiar, the bodice, the gathered skirt, the shape of the shoulder sections....
A little while later the mother wandered over and I tentatively struck up a conversation about the dress.
Me: That's a gorgeous dress. Did you make it?
Girl's Mum: Yes.
Me: It's a quilting cotton, right?{letting on that I know a little about these things} What's the fabric?
Girl's Mum: It's from Dear Stella's Piper range.
Me: Lovely. The dress looks familiar, what's the pattern?
Girl's Mum: The Sally dress.
Me: Ah of course it is.
{a flash of recognition crosses the woman's face}
Girl's Mum: Are you....
{leans in closer and asks in a conspiratorial whisper}
... are you a sewing blogger?
Me: {laughing} Yes, yes I am. But my blog's only about 8 months old...
Girl's Mum: What's your handle*?
Me: {now I'm leaning in and whispering, as I feel a bit ridiculous. My sewing alias was never meant to be said aloud}... ah... Lightning McStitch...
* Ok, she may not have used the word handle, but you get what I mean.
And on we chat for a bit, about making kid's clothes, independent pattern designers, where to purchase fabric, other blogs we both knew, our blog names and so on, when her partner wandered over...
Girl's Mum: Hey, guess what, this ladies a sewing blogger too.
{male partner makes snorting derisive laugh type noise and promptly turns on his heel and retreats}
My little one has an urgent need to wee so we excuse ourselves and make our way home. When I get home I start to tell Flipper what has just happened...
Me: Honey, you'll never guess what just happened?
Flipper: {looking vaguely curious} Hmmm?
Me: I saw a little girl in a handmade dress, and I recognised the dress pattern...
{Flipper rapidly losing interest and returning to looking at the newspaper}
Me: It was a lovely fabric and the pattern is called the Sally dress, and I knew that, or at least I did once she reminded me
{I think this might be more information than he cares to hear}
Me: And guess what, she is a sewing blogger too!
{Flipper makes a snorting, derisive laughing noise and starts to leave the room}
Me: {shouting at his retreating back} But that's not the best bit...
Guess what the best bit is?...
{no answer from the other room, but I know he's there}
... the best bit honey...
Is she knew who I was!
So, if I may be so bold as to make the introductions: Here's Haus of Harridan and her very pretty Sally dress. So nice to have met you!
How fun! It's nice to know that someone is reading your blog, isn't it? :D I mean, people comment and "like" posts, but it must've been something really exciting to have a real life person know you :D
ReplyDeleteIt's almost embarrassing how much I love knowing people read the blog and leave comments! thank you
DeleteThis is sooooo incredibly funny! I especially love your man's reaction. Makes me feel that sewing bloggers are somewhat natural kindred spirits. Must have been nice to talk fabric & patterns with someone who "gets" it!
ReplyDeleteYes, it's not really an interest that we can discuss in common. It's my quirky hobby that he stays well clear of, until I need HTML code help, then he's in his element!
DeleteSo lovely to meet you! Thank you for your compliments on my 'Sally', and the introduction on your blog. It was funny, I had this gradual dawning of 'she said quilting cotton' and 'hang on, she's heard of Sally?!' Awesome to randomly bump into someone who understands what you're up to, :)
ReplyDeleteLikewise, lovely to meet you and but for the fact that I have far too much fabric I'd be buying some of that helicopter stuff too (I loved those things as a kid as well)
Deletewow, that is so awesome. i would love to meet another sewing blogger. that's such a happy coincidence.
ReplyDeleteI would have imagined that I would plan to meet up with someone rather than spot a pattern "in the wild" so to speak. A very happy coincidence indeed.
DeleteHow nice is that?
ReplyDeleteLast week, I got a compliment from another at my kid's school - she's not a blogger/sewer but she reads my blog and recognized my girl's clothes. I was so flattered :)
That's especially nice to have a non sewer amongst your audience. I imagine your little girl always looks immaculately dressed.
DeleteOh, your first brush with blogging fame - how fun for you! Congrats:)
ReplyDeletethanks Lucinda, it really is a community. I still rate sewing that top for Lilah as one of the most rewarding things I've done
DeleteAnd it is one of her favorites . . . she loves to tell people it's from her friend in Australia! Love how our common love of sewing brings us all together:)
DeleteGreat story! I think I'd die if my work colleagues (especially the male ones) got wind of my dirty little blogging secret. At least for me no one reads my blog: you, however, are a bit like Oliver + S sewing blogging royalty!!
ReplyDeleteEvery time I am in Melbourne I keep a little eye out for some of the sewing bloggers.... (Oh god, I've turned into a groupie)
Yep, there are certainly hobbies in the past that other people have found more interesting and are capable of having a conversation about. This one is mostly a conversation stopper!
DeleteRoyalty my foot, I'm a groupie too, slavishly sewing things just cause I want to, not because the kids will like or wear it.
How fun! My husband is supportive of my sewing blog habit- but not remotely interested in discussing it! That is a very cute Sally.
ReplyDelete