Interview with Amy - Feeling Stitchy blogger

Here's an interview with our interviewer, Amy. This talented lady blogs for Feeling Stitchy, maintains her own blog, crafts, and cares for her family...

1. You're taking a brief hiatus from blogging.... what's the biggest challenge in balancing blogging/ crafting / raising your daughter?

I would like to say “I am a Blogaholic.“ Seriously though, the challenge sometimes for me is focusing on the laundry, preparing the dinner. Especially when I am walking around the house cleaning and my sewing room looks so inviting, I guess anything does compared to a pile of laundry. Luckily my daughter enjoys watching me sew, I include her in my projects and she loves to feel involved. And I think it is good for Isabel to be around people that enjoy creating, I want her to see that and understand the importance of it. As far as blogging, I don’t think Isabel gets anything from watching me sit at the computer so I try to do that when she is at pre-school or in bed at night. I just have to keep in mind that I do have a day job and that is caring for my daughter so most crafting has to happen in the evenings.

2. Were you inspired to embroider? Or did you just start on your own?

My grandmother gave me some of her vintage linens that she had embroidered. I believe that started my love for embroidery. Then I came across the flickr embroidery group and was incredibly inspired...thank you, Floresita :) So I bought an embroidery kit that was great for beginners and have never looked back.

3. What do you find most inspiring about crafting?

Oh so many things! Over the past year it has been the online crafting community. How supportive everyone is and the feeling of comraderie. But overall, I think I am most inspired to craft or create because of the process, the action. I took my first art class years ago in college and discovered the “process.” Being so caught up in what you are doing, where you just lose yourself in the endeavor of creating. I would spend hours in the photo or pottery lab and all my worries and mental ramblings would cease. It really is therapy for me. So I was thrilled a few years ago when I put a thimble on my finger, picked up a needle, and got lost in craft as well.

4. Any favorite crafty background music, movies or TV shows?

I cannot watch any of my favorite TV programs while crafting, I miss half the show and end up rewinding (Tivo) every few seconds to see what I missed. I really like to listen to This American Life, however, while hand sewing. The show is so wonderfully produced; I am really moved by it.

5. Who inspires you?

People who have a passion for creating, who can’t live without it. There are pieces you come across and people you discover that are so amazing for their love of art/craft. These individuals inspire me and make me want to discover that part of myself that loves to use my hands and my creativity. People who push me to delve deeper inside the part of me that loves to construct.

6. Are you tidy or messy? :)

By nature, I am very tidy and chaos makes me nervous but because I have so many interests I seem to be pulling out books, fabric, whatever resource that I am currently interested in so I have a few stacks around my home. But one of my favorite shops is The Container Store, just give me a bin and a label maker...whew whoo! Yep, I’m a sicko ; )

7. If you had unlimited hours in a day, what would your day look like?

Wow! Where to begin... actually, start with a cup of coffee, then a run with my husband, and then a leisurely breakfast. I would love to have several uninterrupted hours of craft time and then spend the rest of the days outdoors with my family and friends, going to the beach, cooking out, playing Bocce in our yard. Then I would end it with a great movie on the couch with my husband, something outrageously funny, we love to laugh.

Amy's Favorite Projects



I made these for the Embroidered Button Swap. I really enjoy making these buttons and I have seen quite a few of them in the Japanese craft books, which I love. I am really attracted to the no fuss, simplicity of Japanese embroidery.



This character is from one of my favorite childhood books, Gypsy Girl. I love what she represents, her carefree attitude. Plus, flipping through this book takes me back to a time when I had a little more gypsy in me, I want to go there again.



This was one of my favorite projects to embroider because of the receiver. She requested a sassy cat and I love making this little girl happy.

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Thank you Amy, for your time, and for all the great interviews and posts you've been doing for Feeling Stitchy. Hope your hiatus is very brief and we'll be seeing you back very soon! :)