Blog Award and a Surprise Gift

A couple of days ago I received the Very Inspiring Blogger Award – thank you The Choll! 

The description of my blog made me vary happy, so I’ll copy it here: Sarah in Sweden is amazing! She weaves, sews, embroiders and just to give me an even worse inferiority complex, recently started another blog (in Swedish) to assist Medieval Reenactors with historical accuracy. Praise indeed – I’m not sure I quite deserve it, but as, to quote Jane Austen “nobody minds having what is too good for them”, I will bear it cheerfully. Though being one of 15 recipients lessens the quality of the award somewhat; it gives it the air of a chain letter.

Ah well. In accepting the award, I have to tell you all seven random things about myself. Hmm…

- I dislike the sounds of other people eating. It’s a family trait; my father, one sister and one brother are like me. When all of us are at the same dinner table woe befalls the poor person who don’t have the sense and manners to eat with his mouth closed. I try hard to raise my level of tolerance, with varying results.

- I don’t like wearing trousers. I usually find them uncomfortable, and finding any that fits my curvy figure is nearly impossible. The days I wear trousers each year can be numbered on one hand.

- I like too many things: reading, sewing, weaving, knitting, scrapbooking, baking, writing etc. There’s much I would like to do, and less time to do it in. The result: many UFO’s and too many possessions, mostly books and textile related things. A library and a sewing room is on my wish list for a future home.

You've all seen my textile projects, but not much of my baking: 

this is a cake I made yesterday. My first try at making marsipan figures.

- I’ve always wanted to be a Mum, even as a child. When all the other children answered “pop star”, “fire fighter”, “actor”, “police” and “nurse” to the question of what we wanted to be as we grew up, I always said “a mother”. I guess I never was very ambitious when it came to a career, but love my present life as a stay at home Mum.

- I love solitude. I don’t dislike company, but a little goes a long way. Some people gain energy by socializing, others have their energy drained by it. I belong to the latter category, and I suppose that is one important reason for me preferring the life of a stay at home Mum to that of a career woman. (Besides, if I bring children into the world, I want to be the one to bring them up to live in it.)

- I never was a very good student. Everyone has always supposed I was a Hermione Granger kind of person, but the whole hand-these-essays-in-by-this-date-thing never suited me. I like to learn, but I don’t work well under pressure.

- I often choose to do things by hand, rather than by machine (like whipping cream, mixing dough and sewing), as I prefer not listening to loud noises. I am however not a complete enemy to technology: I consider the washing machine one of the greater blessings of the 20^th century, and am very happy to have a dishwasher. That I like the internet is obvious.

Now, I was supposed to pass this on to 15 other bloggers, but I can’t think of that many that truly inspire me, which have not already received it. I could think of nine blogs I want to pass this on to, and they are, alphabetically:

Battle ofWisby 1361-2013 – Ida (former of Idas Hantverk) is now hosting the official blog of Battle of Wisby 1361-2013, a large upcoming 14^th century re-enactment here in Sweden. Ida is very talented in several crafts, and also reports on living history outings, and preparations for the upcoming event.

Creating This and That – My Mum, Monica, who’s an avid scrapbooker. I love scrapbooking, but don’t have much time for it with all the other things I want to do, so for now, I sort of live on what she makes.

Deventer Burgerscap – The blog of a Dutch 14^th century living history group. A lovely mix of events, projects and original items.

Historisk Dräkt och Hantverk – My friend Mikael’s blog, a fellow member of Albrechts Bössor. One of the most talented costumers I know, interested in several periods.

In deme jare Cristi – My friends and also fellow members of Albrechts Bössor Peter and Maria blog about projects (Maria is amazing at most textile crafts), outings and 14^th century subjects in general.

Kurage – Yet another friend and member of Albrechts Bössor, Anders, is also into 18^th and 19^th century living history. Good crafter and entertaining writer.

MedievalSilkwork – Talented ladies do research, write about and recreate medieval textiles. If you’re interested in 14^th century living history, this is a must have in your reading list.

Neulakko – Elina is a 14^th century living historian in Finland, and her clothing is always well made and researched, and her instructional videos on nalbinding are great.

SwedishHousewife Mafia - My sister Linda’s blog (in Swedish only). She’s a stay at home Mum, creative and full of energy. Though having different interests from me, I admire her ability to keep so many projects going at the same time.  

In other news; after posting about my improvised rigid heddle, I received a real one as a surprise gift from Vix! Pretty, isn’t it?

Happy dance!!!