A Place to Call My Own.

I thought you might like a little peek into a slice of my world. This is my studio which also doubles as my guest room thanks to a nifty Ikea sofa bed. It is the first time I have had such a large and dedicated room for my projects. But it seems that no matter how large my space I never seem to have enough. I am yet to really fit out the room for its purpose, but having a large double wardrobe certainly helps. There isn't a spare place to hang anything though as I have fabric stacks as high as I am tall.

I've always loved making things, even as a child. Mum was great at inventing projects to keep us kids entertained; making dolls clothes, furniture from old boxes and even a pair of pants for my teddy bear that I had to pin to him as I neglected to include a crotch! So it is a part of me that I just can't let go. I haven't always been able to sew. Mum was so fabulous with a needle and thread that I would simply put in a request with my amateur design sketches and viola! But after a while I figured I had better pull my finger out and have a proper crack at it. That was only just over three years ago and I'm surprised at what I have been able to achieve. I was not a natural at sewing. Design yes, but the technicalities and the math?! Not my strong suit. But in typical Leo fashion I refused to be beaten and kept at it. I do have quite a large box of failures suitable for the Hunchback of Notre Dame, but for every two failures I have now some absolute gems that I am rather pleased with.

In fact, I have a couple of newly completed gems to show you that I am saving for some special occasions this weekend. So I won't spoil the surprise of the outfits just yet, and instead just show you where the magic happens. And from my vintage thread tin to my Hello Kitty iPod dock, you'll be able to see just how eclectic my inspirations are.