Sunday, July 6, 2014

Blog Hop, some thoughts on instagram, and more...



Hello.

I have really neglected my poor old blog this year.

Thirteen posts in six months (and one of them, the last one, doesn't really count)

I'm back today for a couple of reasons:

firstly because Lazy Daisy Jones has invited me to participate in a Blog Hop 

and when the woman who taught me how to sew!!!
(something which has given me so much pleasure) 
asks me to 'jump', I say "How high?!" 

and secondly, because I miss you guys.

This year I was sucked-in by the speed and ego-stroking of instagram (all those likes!), but lately I've started to question its sincerity (can't think of a better word to describe what I mean at the moment...)

It's all so easy over on insta - just a quick skim and you're done. And no guilt when you don't have time/aren't in the mood to leave a comment (something I really grapple with as far as blogging's concerned. Do you?) 

While it's definitely a quick and easy way of staying in touch with old bloggy friends who don't blog anymore, (or very often) it lacks the warmth, friendliness, and (as Mel writes here) "the words, story and layers" blogging does. These are the things that inspired me to write Lucy Violet Vintage three and half years ago, the things I'm missing, and the things I'm coming back for.

note: I've 'met' some nice new people via instagram and reconnected with some old friends. I've seen lots (and lots!) of beautiful images, some amazing Brutalist architecture, and a heap of mid-century interiors that take my breath away!

Instagram's not a bad thing, it's just not my thing. Anymore.
  
Right, deep and meaningfuls over, let the Blog Hop begin!

Preface
Crikey I've got me some esteemed company here! Daisy's other blog hop invitees include an artist and a textile costume maker! Like Daisy, these women are creative SUPER stars! I am more the creative wannabe - inspired and amazed by the beautiful things other people make waaay more than the wonky things I make myself. I try hard, but more often than not my creative...um...experiments end up in the bin! I'm an interloper here, face pressed up against the glass, desperately wanting to be one of the cool kids. Keep reading, you'll see...

What am I working on? 
Now that I can (kind-of) sew I am working on perfecting the famous and fabulous Coco Dress. I have made two, worn them to work (OMG! I actually wore something I made in public?!) received loads of compliments (v. important to a beginner sewer - even if said compliments are from three year old's - they're quite the fashionistas these days you know...ahem!) and today I spent yonks in Spotlight (haberdashery shop here in Australia) hunting for fabric to make two more.


Coco au go-go!
(apologies for the crappy pics)

I have also been 'churning out' mini pinis: retro-inspired pinafore's for very little girls (well, one very special little girl to be precise)



I had enough fabric left-over from Coco #2 to make a matching mini pini for little Lovey. Poor kid, not even born yet and crazy 'Aunty' Kylie is making matching frocks!

(notice the trees on my frock are upside down! Ooops!)

The mini pini on my twenty year old Janome at the moment is a bit different to the others I've made. They are all made from vintage fabric, but I have re-fashioned (now that sounds fancy!) this one from a vintage Thai silk blouse - you know the kind with beautiful embroidery on the collar and shoulders? The tricky part for me was working out how to keep the buttons - the blouse buttoned up at the front, but I wanted my pini to button up at the back (I have always been a sucker for frocks and blouses with buttons down the back - my wedding dress had at least fifty of the bl**dy things!) I'll keep you posted...


vintage mini pini inspiration, a pressie from lovely Daisy.

As far as being creative at our place goes, now that our reno's are (kind-of) done, I am busy icing/jooshing/turning our house into our home. 

This beautiful, well worn (they call it patina darling!) Vatne Mobler, Norwegian leather lounge suite - a bargain I discovered at a local vintage shop, is our most recent 'find'. It has added a lovely warmth to our "brown room" (that's what we call it. Creative? Who? Me?!) It might not be wood, but it is good! (get it? Norwegian Wood? The Beatles? 1965?) Its arrival has meant that we can ditch our ugly, mouse-coloured micro suede sofa - a purchase I regretted the day it was delivered (10+ years ago!)


I bought my beautiful vintage Rya rug from my friend Sue (she has others for sale if you're interested...) Sue is in the process of opening her very own shop called Concete Swan (best name ever IMO!) specialising in restored retro garden furniture. More on that another time...

I am also about to paint the window frame in our kitchen black. Abigail (as in Ahern no less!) told me to ages ago, and that girl knows her ish so I thought I'd better! I'm also going to 'wallpaper' the wall around it with recipes from The General Foods Kitchens Cookbook published in 1959. I don't like our kitchen - it was renovated on the cheap and I think it shows. Like all my creative experiments, this one might go wrong. I could end up with a bin full of Swedish Meat Balls, Chiffon Pie and Salad Mould etc, but I'll never know unless I give it a go. Right?

Update: only a day later and already I've decided that my wallpaper idea would not be a good one.

Bored yet?
Don't worry, the answers to the next questions will be short and sweet.

How does my work differ from others in this genre?
My work? Genre? Next question please.

Why do I create what I do? 
Because I haven't (quite yet, cough-cough!) mastered the skills necessary to create haute couture...let's just say I'm still working on my pret-a-porter range ;)

How does my creative process work?    
Who wrote these questions? Someone creative I bet!
I don't have a process.
An idea pops into my head and after some procrastination I go for it. Or not. I fumble and bumble and swear and UNPICK! I get Anth to bang nails in the walls to hang pictures and five minutes later I've changed my mind! Our bedroom has been painted six different colours in four years! I'm a minimalist, a maximalist, like mid-century AND rustic. I'm fond of bright colours and murky ones. Sometimes my outfit choices are just so wrong it's not funny - bag lady-ish, but that's not the look I was going for! I love French flicks, but today I watched The New Original Wonder Woman (1975) and loved it too. I like to think you can't pin me down, but the truth is I'm all over the shop style-wise!

Have I answered the question yet? Marks for effort? Please.

Why not blog hop now? 
(This one I can answer!)

To end I would like to invite:

my lovely friend Lea who writes Life, Love and Making Stuff


sweet Zara, of Zaranne Handmade



and dear Nadine (a.k.a Woolfy). Find her at Tiny Woolf



(I would've asked you too Pipstar, but I know you're busy nesting at the moment)

In your own time girls, and no pressure.

If you're reading, thank-you. I really appreciate it x

I'm going to try to get back here more often. 

I think it's fabulous that bloggers like Curtise (I saw Lloyd Cole a couple of weeks ago Curtise!) and Dana (to name just a couple - there are many more of you) still blog regularly, and that Donna has started writing her legendary Freaky Friday series again. I love a bit of a freak show on a Friday Donna :)

Oh and Mel, I'm all for a "bloggy revival"!

x  





























26 comments:

  1. I love it when you blog Kylie. Your brown room is oh so cool! I am in total admiration of your sewing, honestly I struggle to replace buttons that come loose. Do you know I have resisted Instagram so far because I just know I would be quickly addicted and I feel like I don't have room for it in my life.

    Donna's blog is hilarious isn't it...I am so pleased I found her through you x

    ReplyDelete
  2. I want to go to Concrete Swan!!! xxx

    ReplyDelete
  3. Woohoo, she's back with a bang! An epic-ly awesome post on every level. I so love your mini pinnies and your frock sewing efforts - you are my superstar as I stand with nose pressed to the glass of everyone who is actually sewing something to completion! Lets get this bloggy revival happening, ok? mel x

    ReplyDelete
  4. BTW I don't think insta is all bad either ( twas a bit harsh on it wasn't I) just realising it is really truly not blogging. mel x

    ReplyDelete
  5. Lovely to see what you've been working on. I don't think one could fail home ec at school, but I certainly did not shine at sewing. Re Instagram, I find the program itself so clunky - I've never figured out if it can send a notification when someone comments and it seems so hit and miss. But, wow, are there some gorgeous pics on there and I do think it helps my photographing 'eye' to look at how others see things around them.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Lovely post, and how fabulous is your new vintage sofa!

    I prefer blogging to any of my social media sites, they are simply there to direct people to my blog! ;)

    ReplyDelete
  7. I'm so glad to see you post again. I miss lots of the original bloggers I followed at the start of my journey. Well done on the frocks....I am always gobsmacked by your beauty in front of the camera! Simply stunning. Those leather couches are ab fab too. Xx

    ReplyDelete
  8. Not bored at all. Style all over the place is just a wonderful way to be, eclectic.
    Lovely dovely frocks, even if the trees are upside down. Been there, sewed that!

    Good luck with the cookbook wallpaper. I already know that I'm going to love it.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I agree about Insta!! It's very quick and useful in a lot of ways, but I don't think you can build the same type/level of friendships as you can through blogging. Love that rug!!!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Yay! Welcome back to blogland - please stay! Don't feel you have to comment on our blogs - we love you unconditionally - oh well, not really. The condition is that you share your Lucy Violet Vintage world! You're too eloquent to be just an instagram girl - we need you! I think I also need your couches...Scandinavian patina...mmmmm....

    ReplyDelete
  11. Oh the pressure!! Thanks though :)
    Lovely post. I could hear your enthusiasm in your words. I did however sniff this morning when I saw you had pulled your insta account-my string o pearls is flowering ;) As you know, my instagram is not linked to my blog and I mainly use it to check in with family and friends. I'm not a lover of facebook but the photo sharing aspect of instagram appealed to me. I don't follow a huge amount of ppl either because I find it to be overwhelming. Actually, I don't read a huge amount of blogs either. I LOVE blogs but I try to be mindful of the time it can suck. Honestly with three busy kids, work and play I just can't justify the the time. When my kiddos were small and having arvo sleeps, blogging was my me time(the house was always a mess). The flipside of this though..when I go back in time and read the stories about my kids that I've recorded on my blog, it always bring me joy. So maybe I need to invest in it a little more. Oh the dilemma! hehe. Have a wonderful week beautiful lady! x
    PS I will always read your blog

    ReplyDelete
  12. Yayyy, so lovely to read your post! Its been wonderful seeing you on instagram, but you do have a way with your blog posts..so never end! Im a big fan! I still update my blog, but no where near as much as Id like, I think my brain sometimes tells me everyones moved on...but its good to see your coming back! xxx Taz

    ReplyDelete
  13. K... wowee you made me laugh on a Monday!

    sorry to see you go on ig...agree with everything you have said, I too am letting blogging dwindle, less ig and more blogging I say!

    Now lets cut to the chase....LLOYD COLE what !!! ???? as in ("and the commotions")
    I was a number one fan, adored him knew every word OMG OMG where and how please tell all...? gonna get my cd's out now and play them loud cos no one is home!!!!
    Pls dont tell me its another Lloyd cole and not that one....
    awaiting an answer xxxxx

    ReplyDelete
  14. What a long post. Not that I'm complaining at all, I always look forward to reading LVV. 13 posts in 6 months? Well, that's 8 more than me then! Funnily enough I've been thinking of IG, I'm liking the fact that it's visual and speedy. And yes, I know what you mean about commenting on blogs.... I hate to say it but sometimes it can be a bit of a chore... I'm not sure I'm feeling the bloggy love anymore. Anyway, love those Coco frocks. I'm soooo impressed with your sewing skills. You're a natural. The sofas, btw, are glorious. xx

    ReplyDelete
  15. Hey Kylie, it's good to see you! And look at all your gorgeous frocks - you're a natural! Nina is pestering me to make something for her... maybe I should, what do you think?
    How was lovely Lloyd? I've been following his tour via Facebook so I knew you'd have seen him. He's still got it, hasn't he? When he played Sheffield, he posted on FB that he was wandering down a particular road here looking for somewhere to eat, so I commented to recommend our favourite Chinese restaurant, and that's where he went - I think that makes us Best Friends, don't you?!
    Yes, I'm still blogging away, I am a model of consistency in an inconsistent world! Instgram's not for me - I like the words just as much, if not more, than the pictures. Keep posting, Kylie, I love it when you do!
    PS. Fab sofas! xxx

    ReplyDelete
  16. Hi sweetie, I really miss you too!! I just started my summer holidays and can finally wind down... I decided to pop in to read the latest from my favorite blogging friends, and realized there's no way I can catch up with everything that's been going on these last six months. It's been crazy busy times over here, with the company take over and ...just life, I guess. Anyway, I completely lost my blogging mojo. As mentioned in one of the above comments, I simply haven't been able to justify the time needed to write a decent post. AND I fell into the spell of Instagram... Which fills a gap when there's no time for the more substantial alternative. However, I really miss you all and hope you haven't forgotten about me... Even if I might not post much, I'll try to keep in touch, I love reading about your houses, op shop :-) finds and goings on! I'm so utterly impressed with your sewing skills, Kylie, those dresses are adorable! And OMG- that new rug!!!!! How amazing! You know I love those Vatne sofas, right? What a lovely thought- you have Norwegian furniture in your home:-)

    ReplyDelete
  17. Hi Kylie. I went to tag you on something on Instagram today, something I thought you might like, something that made me think of you. That's when I discovered you weren't there anymore. A Google search led me here. I wanted to make sure you were OK and to say goodbye. I love Instagram and I have really enjoyed interacting with you. I am sorry that it has not been the same for you you. Best of luck in the future. Goodbye! (from @decobroad)

    ReplyDelete
  18. BIG SAD FACE!!!!!!
    Mine of course when I saw that you had debunked from insta!
    Now I'll have to come here to see your goings on! Expect to see loads of late night, early morning comments in the coming months! Yes I miss blogging and I hope to make a better go of it BUT Instagram is Sooooooo Good! ...for me anyway :)
    Love that your sewing love this post. Love you x

    ReplyDelete
  19. So nice to see you back here...I haven't dare venture to Instagram.....clever thing with your sewing exploits too...look forward to seeing more. Xxx

    ReplyDelete
  20. Very impressed with your sewing! You had inspired me to sew more lately. I will miss you on Instagram, but I've followed here too for quite awhile (pre-Instagram). As a blog reader and not a blogger, I have to say I enjoy the interaction on Instagram with bloggers I read but don't interact with otherwise. I shall make an effort to comment more frequently. :)

    ReplyDelete
  21. Oh look at you all stylish in your handmade dresses.
    Thank you for passing on the blog hop to me. I better get to it as I think this is the third.
    x

    ReplyDelete
  22. I relate to so much that you said about insta - I did like that you'd found my whole family through it though! (:

    Your dresses are brilliant and they suit you perfectly.

    ReplyDelete
  23. I love the original Wonder Woman TV show! Great post Kylie. I reckon I am very much like you. I am all over the show with my likes and tastes, but variety is the spice of life so they say!! Love the couch. Looks super comfy. xx

    ReplyDelete
  24. There's good and bad here, or should I say happy and sad? Always happy to see and hear you here, but sad you're not on instagram, you brought it to life, but I understand what you mean. Yes, i'm like you, ants in my pants :) well, don't want to get bored, do we? Love your answers to those questions, so funny! Can't believe what a proficient seamstress you are now, it's very inspiring. Love the sofa but most of all love seeing pictures of beautiful you! Xxxx

    ReplyDelete
  25. I love your mini pink. The ones with the cross over back are my favourites. I just gave some away recently in the too small bag. sigh...
    I never got around to Instagram. My kids are on there. I see enough of them at home! twitch....
    I'm enjoying reconnecting on the blogs too although some of the old timers have left, others are returning to the fold. It's like a school reunion some days. Others I've just lost interest in because they've become so styled and formulaic and they want me to buy stuff. yawn...
    Who loves ya, baby!

    ReplyDelete
  26. Hi Kylie, I know this is an old post - but so glad you are still blogging. Good, infrequent blog posts are so much better than mindless daily churned-out crap! I tried to check your Instagram today and obviously couldn't. Noticed you had been quiet on Insta but didn't know you had deleted it! Sorry to hear, I loved your posts, they were warm and interesting and genuine. I am glad to know I am not the only one who struggles to blog (blogger's block?) even though there's so much going on. I find myself getting frustrated with myself, because I have always written full-time for my job and yet I still have struggles with it. Thanks for letting me know I am not the only one in the boat! (Oh by the way I am FINALLY at the point where our toilet tiling is finished and I can begin wallpapering the wall with vintage papers. I had forgotten what product you told me to use for the wallpaper glue and jumped on Instagram to check. I have the memory of a goldfish.... I do remember you advising me to use a credit card though!)

    ReplyDelete