Love to Sew
by Debbie Von Grabler-Crozier · Published by Search Press
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Meet the Author
Hey there, can you introduce yourself?
I have been a professional craft writer now for just over 21 years. I love my job and it means that I get to be creative every day and my colleague is my cocker spaniel, Daisy.
I am also trained as a Nutritional Biochemist (past life) and I have a few degrees because I love science too.
At the moment, my designs are based around sewing but I also paint and love to make cards and general craft items.
I was born and raised in Australia and at the moment, I am living in the UK. I am married and I have one son who has learned to live with mess :-)
I adore dogs and cats (animals of all kinds) and my hobbies are quantum physics and crochet. I love reading too and have more than 16,000 books.
Tell us a bit about the book?
The book is full of little projects to make your house cosier. They are easy and anyone, of any sewing level can have a go. But then, I also included some more advanced ideas - there is even a quilt! Of course there had to be a bag- those of you familiar with my work will know about The Bag Boutique (also Search Press). I am passionate about bags of all sorts!
My favourite make is the fabric basket with leather handles. It is so useful but at the same time, pretty. I hate the idea of using something for 'best'. In my world, it is a special occasion any day that you are alive and well. Everyday objects can also look nice.
What was the inspiration behind it?
I love concept words - we find them in other languages and they usually take a fair few sentences to translate into English. I am half German and there are lots of lovely concept words in that language. A concept word is a useful and elegant way of describing something that we all know about and usually take for granted. Lagom is a Swedish concept word and it means not too much and not too little. just enough. See how one word sums it up beautifully!
I love Scandi design. It is just so pure and nothing unnecessary is added. I have tried to emulate that idea in every project. make it practical, make it pretty but remove anything that doesn't bring something very special to the object's design and intended use.
Which is your favourite project?
Without a doubt the fabric basket! I have these all over my house and they are so useful. Every family member has one and if anything is left in a place that it doesn't live, it goes into the basket. Solves a lot of 'where is my....' questions.
I love the little gnome wall hanging too. I have always loved gnomes (pretty much anywhere but in the garden) and although this is one of the makes in the book with no practical purpose at all, it makes me feel happy to look at it.
What is your craft space like?
Small. If you saw where I worked and what is produced from there, you would not believe it! My husband has put shelves up on every wall and they are full of crafting supplies. It is the best insulated room in the district. I have my huge writing desk in there with my sewing machine on it and my computer and everything gets cut out on it. The desk dominates the room taking about half of the floor space! But it earns its keep. My little dog has her bed beside me and everything else is crammed in around us. But I know where everything is and I find that I can always fit one more thing in!
Have you always been creative?
I really have. My nana taught me to sew when I was very little and stayed with her for holidays. In the Australian countryside in the 1970s, there was not very much to do so she taught me to cook and sew. I still have the antique Singer treadle machine that she used to make all of her children's clothes and toys and on which she taught me. it is a prized possession.
I have always enjoyed painting too and just making stuff out of other stuff.
When did you first start crafting?
I cannot remember the exact time or thing but I have always made things. I would have been around five or six I think. It would have been painting at that age and probably nothing special. I learned to sew when I was eight. It was of course always a hobby and lay quite dormant for ages.
When I was 25, my father was diagnosed with a brain tumour and because of some pretty badly handled treatment, he was quite severely brain damaged. My mum wanted to care for him at home and this meant that we could not leave him. We took turns to mind him and when it was my turn, I sat and crafted. It was easy, convenient and portable. I started making my own designs and they came to the attention of a magazine editor in Australia and a career sort of took off from there. The following year my father had died and I had had my son so I was back to looking after someone. I realised that I could 'have it all' and be a wife, mother and professional if I took craft as my career. It has been the best decision ever!
Who are your crafty heroes?
I love Svetlana Sotak's work and Anna Graham. They never get it wrong! Just so inspiring.
Molla Mills is my crochet guru - I love the way that she has taken a traditionally conservative craft and made it über cool!
Where do you find inspiration?
All around me, all the time. I love the natural world and I love mathematical designs. The old joke about finding 'x' and asking a teacher when we will ever need that is not true of me! I use algebra and geometry to make my designs work. I look for and find 'x' every day! The trouble with what I do is that I cannot be sure that something will work and fabric is expensive! By using maths to make sure my patterns work, it helps to remove a lot of the worry. Writing a pattern is the same as writing a science experiment and it has to be something that makers all over the world can achieve.
What's next for you?
Well I have just signed for another book with the lovely people at Search Press so that will be a nice big project. My days will still be filled with all of the things that I make for my magazines and I love that I look at my schedule and can spend my whole 'working' day engrossed in fun and fabric!
Publisher's Description
20 beautiful projects for a balanced and centered home.Get that "just right" balance into your home and life, with the 20 fresh Scandinavian-inspired designs in this book.Lagom &aauml;r b&aauml;st, or "The right amount is best"-- a Swedish philosophy that fosters the concept of living a simple and more balanced lifestyle. In a busy and excessive world, rarely do we allow ourselves to cherish the positive qualities of living in a modest, homey way. In this book by author and blogger Debbie von Grabler-Crozier, embrace the Scandinavian ethos of a happy medium with 20 quietly beautiful pieces to sew for you and your friends and family.In this lovely collection of sewing projects, learn to create elegant and practical items to accessorise yourself and your home, from a tote bag, cushion and doorstop through to quilted throw and soft felted Swedish house shoes. Each design is accompanied by step-by-step instructions and photos, along with tips and techniques that'll give your creations a professional finish; corresponding templates and patterns have also been provided at the end of your book, which you can easily fold away into the back-cover pocket.Achieving a state of Scandinavian equilibrium and happiness has never been easier, so sit back, pick your needles and thread, and detox your mind and home with this stunning array of folk-style pieces that you'll treasure and share now, and in times to come.
