5 on Friday: Crafterhours

Today we have Adrianna and Susan @ Crafterhours

1: How long have you been blogging? Why did you start? 

2: How did you discover the blog world? What is the first blog you followed?

Adrianna can’t pin it down, but knows that My Mama Made it (now Made by Lex) and Made by the Mama Monster were two of the earlier ones.  Notice a theme?  I guess I was looking for camaraderie (and maybe a nursing cover tutorial?).  Susan’s not so sure either, but remembers that Chez Beeper Bebe and Make It and Love It were early reads. Susan wondered then, and still wonders now, how can Ashley keep up that pace?

3: What crafting material/tool can you not live without? 


Adrianna can’t live without her sewing machine.  She has said it before and will say it again: without Susan, this blog couldn’t truthfully contain the word “craft” in it’s title.  Susan cannot live without Heat n’ Bond. She uses it for all sorts of appliques and embellishment. Not crazy overdone embellishment, usually. She doesn’t even like the word embellishment because it sounds overdone all by itself. But word nerdyness aside, that’s what she does with it.

4: What is your biggest DIY disaster moment? 

Well, actually, Susan’s been thinking of hosting a contest for biggest, baddest disaster. We all have moments where things turn out so badly that we wonder why we even try. Susan has had a whole pile of hideous knit projects that were good experience to make, but look awful.  Adrianna can’t think of one in particular (because there are so many) but has learned that they usually happen when she tries to cut corners or is sewing when she doesn’t really feel like it.  If you’re present in the moment, paying attention, and are willing to follow the rules, sewing disasters are easily avoided.  Unless you’re creating something brand new without a pattern, in which case it’s just part of the process, right?

5: What is your #1 tip for new bloggers?

Start somewhere. Post. Even if you know you can do better. You probably can, and you very likely will, but you have to start somewhere. There’s an Ira Glass video that sums it up nicely, in Susan’s opinion.  Also, don’t let it become “work”.  If you start feeling like you “have” to post, stop and take a break.  Nobody is paying you and you won’t get fired.