Interview with Kellie Falconer

Dear readers, please welcome Kellie of A Maiden's Musings! You will remember her as the lovely winner of the 'Best Photoshoot' category in last fall's Historical Costume Inspiration Festival. I have asked each of the three winners to do interviews for my blog, and Kellie is the first. Enjoy!

Please introduce yourself with a brief bio.

A homeschool graduate, ardent bibliophile, and the oldest daughter and second of six children, I am an endlessly blessed farmgirl who loves the Lord God with all of my heart.

I currently live at home with my family in the gorgeous mountains and valleys of rural North Idaho, striving to serve the Lord in every aspect of my life. I love to sew and create beautiful things, and am at present working on expanding my own design business, located at KellieFalconer.com.

How/why did you first begin sewing?

I've loved to create things from quite early on, and my Mother, who is an accomplished seamstress, has taught me most everything I know about this lovely and useful art. She taught herself to sew when she was a girl, and I am so thankful that she has invested so much of her life in patiently imparting her hard-earned knowledge on to her daughters!

What was your first-ever project?

Hmmm. . . looking back, I think it might have been an applique wall hanging I made for my Mother as a birthday surprise. I was seven, with all the sanguine optimism typical in folks that age, but I remember repenting choosing a project that must not benefit from my Mom's help or advice only a few hours into the job! I was inspired by an applique picture that hung on the wall in my parent's room, of two Victorian ladies having tea. I think mine was an enormous tulip done on satin, heavily embellished with beading, embroidery, and a dear little paper birthday message in my seven-year-old scrawl stitched over the whole. Soon after my Mom saw my interest in needlework, she helped me read my first sewing pattern to create a corduroy jumper for myself, which I well remember had the distinction of sporting the most crooked seams in my long carer of them=)

Where do you go when you need inspiration?

Oh, there are so many things wherein inspiration dwells! A beautiful song on the piano, my adorable Great-Grandmother's retro photo album, a thrilling tale of past heroic deeds, or the butter-bespattered pages of a favorite cookbook are all mediums in which are harbored the priceless art of everyday life. If we would only look with eyes tuned in to the simple things, there is beauty - and inspiration - to be found in nearly everything!

There are also a multitude of fabulous corners all around cyberspace that I love to visit for a good dose of creative inspiration. Companies such as Cath Kidston, Victorian Trading Co, etc. have some absolutely scrumptious clothing ideas - am I the only one out there who has an "I-wish-I-could-buy-this-so-much-but-it's-too-expensive-so-I'll-make-it-someday-instead" list? =) I also love to watch my favorite movies with a notebook and pencil, making sketches of all of those wonderful gowns donned by the heroines of silver screen and costume dramas - and scribbling down all my favorite movie lines;)

I have just a sampling of all the blogs and websites that inspire me listed here, on my own blog: http://amaidensmusings.plexpedia.com/view-4576

Do you have a favorite historical time period?

Oh, dear... I love the hoops of the Antebellum era, am enthralled with flowing Medieval sleeves and girdles, and have always loved the Regency and Colonial periods for their adorable styles, but when pressed to choose one, I think the Golden era of the 1930s-40s will always be first. Who doesn't love the very words Vintage? Retro? Classic?

  

Favorite fabrics?

I love to work with those lovely, draping fabrics such as wool, wool blends, and linen. Tailoring is so much fun! There are, also, several fabrics that hold inspiration in the very sound of their names for me. Shot silk, for instance. Or sprigged muslin...

What are some of your other hobbies/interests?

I delight in studying God's Word, reading copious amounts of books, working on various entrepreneurial endeavors, working with horses, using far too much butter when baking, foreign accents, gardening with my family, and historical dancing. My family is very close, and we enjoy learning, playing, debating, creating, and most importantly, working together! I have a weakness for old books, tooled leather, fresh cherries, plaid, the color green - and my beloved pith helmet. =) I love to sing and play the piano, as well as the accordion, mountain dulcimer, and ukulele (with more or less success;), and hope to one day soon become a certified piano tuner and teacher. I am also currently studying German and Chinese with my sisters. I enjoy fishing, archery and rifle shooting, am passionate about home education, and am enthralled with all things Scottish - as well as myriads of other things too numerous to mention!

What would be your ultimate sewing project?

I have an ridiculously enormous "to-sew" list - don't we all? Historical costumes from every era (I can dream, right?), a full-sized canvas wall tent, and someday if the Lord wills, my wedding dress feature prominently on my list of dreamed-of monumental sewing projects;) I think my ultimate sewing project would have to be the extravagantly embroidered and beaded, lace-misted, fifteen yard tulle and cream satin gown replete with stunning details that keeps lurking in the back of my mind - the kind of dress dreams are made of. That's why I love the idea of a design business - I could never make something so grand for my own use, but if marketed well, there's always someone who will buy it - paving the way for the next epic project!

Where do you hope your sewing will take you in the future?

I have dreamed of starting my own sewing and design business ever since I was a wee lass, and last spring, shortly after my homeschool graduation, the Lord cleared the way for my first step towards this goal. I have a small online shop, which I am constantly refining and slowly expanding. Besides the ready-made and custom clothing, hand-embroidered kitchen towels, and home decor items that I now offer, I am in future planning to create my own line of sewing and embroidery patterns, vintage e-book downloads, etc! I believe being a faithful daughter and keeper of the home, and perhaps someday a wife and mother, is the most glorious and fulfilling job a woman can have. I also believe that entrepreneurship can be an important part of that job - the Proverbs 31 woman is depicted as a wise steward and entrepreneur. So, although I cannot see the future, I believe that my early love of sewing will prove to be a blessed and productive part of my life for many years to come...