Tuesday, November 7, 2017

Behind the Seams with Michael Miller Fabrics!

Today, on Making It Fun, we're going Behind the Seams...
Dagbjört Linda Sigurðardóttir

My very long and difficult to pronounce name is Dagbjört Linda Sigurðardóttir (you can copy and paste it into Google Translate, choose Icelandic and hit the microphone to hear it.) I'm from Iceland but now I live in Norway. My husband got a job offer here and we decided to give it a try for a couple years and suddenly 16 years have gone by and we are still here. Before that we lived and studied in Seattle, Washington, and back then I was very happy to have my middle name. I am an optician by trade and worked in that field until a little over a year and a half ago when I switched jobs and now I work for an ophthalmologist. I love my job and I have wonderful colleagues but work and life can be stressful at times and that makes me love my sewing time in the evenings so much. I can't remember when I started a profile on patterntesters, I believe it was called, never really finished it though. When I received an email that they were making changes and it would be Sewing Portfolios from now on I was intrigued and followed the link in the email and started my new profile. I haven't added all my previous sewing to my portfolio but I add all my new makes to it. As I see it all I can do is gain from it, costs nothing - I have a diary of my sewing - somebody might notice and like my work. Like getting a chance to be a Sewing Portfolios Ambassador and play with some gorgeous fabric.
*looks feature In Bloom Collection
Q: What's your favorite piece of work that you have created, your favorite project or your favorite part of the work day?
A: I would for sure say that my favorite part of the day is my sewing time in the evenings. Don't get me wrong I love spending time with my kids too but you moms out there know what I mean! When I first started sewing about five years ago my only plan was to make some cute little skirts with elastic waistbands for my youngest daughter who was almost a year old. I was hooked on Pinterest at the time and found a tutorial and made her two skirts. After I washed them for the first time the inside was a total mess and I remember that we learned in school that you should zigzag your edges on woven fabric. This then led me in the direction of sewing blogs and the rest is history, I now have a fabric/pdf pattern/sewing addiction! But starting out with this simple goal of little skirts makes my favorite pieces the three outerwear garments I made for myself and love to wear. The bomber jacket, the cocoon coat and the blazer. These patterns I tested for Wardrobe By Me and with all of them at first I thought jeez what have I gotten myself into, I can't do this! But slowly and carefully with the trusted seam ripper by my side I got them done and I loved seeing them come together bit by bit and I wear them with pride.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?
A: At the moment we are doing a bit of work at our house. My youngest two who share a room are now staying in my sewing room as we make the new room. While we are getting that done all I can do is swoon over the gorgeous makes everybody else is posting.
*Dagbjört next to her sewing machine in her sewing room/kid's room
Q: What are your goals for the future, both work wise and life?
A: I can't say I have any specific goals, I love my life as it is. All I want is to see my kids happy and grow up to become good adults. Oh and of course keep on learning sewing techniques and grow my fabric and pattern stash.

Q: What are you doing when you're not creating or at work? What hobbies do you have?
A: After work and dealing with housework, homework and after school activities sewing is the only hobby I have time for. My husband is away for work a lot so most of the time I'm doing everything that needs to be done at home myself.

Q: What would people be surprised to learn about you?
A: Maybe that we have two older kids. On the blog and Instagram you just see me and my two youngest. Our older kids are 21 and 18, I have sewn a couple things for them as well but they refuse to be photographed and shown to the world.

Q: Do you have any favorite blogs/magazines/IG feeds that you follow or read? 
A: I am ashamed to say that I don't spend as much time as I did browsing through the blogs I have saved in my Bloglovin' list. But I love Sewing Like Mad for tips and tricks. My Instagram is pretty much all sewing related and it's full of amazingly talented ladies and a couple of gents. I simply can't choose a favorite.

Q:  Where else can we find you? 
A: I blog here: bydagbjort and my Instagram is @bydagbjort

Q:  What else should we know about you and your work?
A: I don't think there is much more to me really. I'm a bit of an introvert I have a few but very good friends that I love to be with. A good night at home with friends and or family chatting about everything and nothing, a nice meal and some wine and I'm very happy.

Q: Do you have any tips or inspiring words for others? 
A: Not all your projects will turn out as great as you thought in the beginning but don't be afraid to try again cause practice makes perfect!

Q: Do you admire any artists / people? (famous or not!) 
A: Can't really say that I do. I admire good honest people that treat others with respect and kindness, pretty corny perhaps. I don't like idolization and I never remember names anyway.

Q: What is your favorite....
Color: All the variations of blue and lately pink too.
Animal: Well we have a dog and a cat.
Season: Summer!
Movie: A good romantic comedy like the Bridget Jones movies
Book: So totally different from my movie taste, I love crime novelles f. eks. by Jo Nesbø a Norwegian author.
Vacation Spot:The Greek islands, we once stayed in Skiathos and what an amazingly beautiful place.
Food:Spicy Indian food.
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As an ambassador for Sewing Portfolios, Dagbjört created the looks below using In Bloom by Sandra Clemons (in stores now!)
Click HERE to read more about them! 

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4 comments:

Candice Ayala said...

Just beautiful work!!! <3

Unknown said...

Thank you so much for the opportunity! ��

Unknown said...

You are so talented 🌹 I love all your work 😘

Nathalie V said...

Gorgeous makes! I absolutely love both the shirt and the dress. You really have great eye for fabric combinations!