We have not one but two special guests today. Please give a warm welcome to liZ & Elizabeth from Simple Simon and Company. These gals are the sweetest of sweet. I crossed paths with them a few years back during breakfast at SNAP and over the years, it has been so much fun getting to know them better.
Hi everyone! We are liZ and Elizabeth, two girls who married brothers and ended up with the same name. We blog together at Simple Simon and Company where we love all things sewing. We sew for our kids, ourselves, our homes and basically anyone who will take our goods 😉 We also love to blog about the art of homemaking and share crazy “Lucy and Ethel” stories on Facebook (crazy things happen when we get together).
What is your favorite or most often tool in the studio?
Elizabeth—I have so many favorites….I am really a sewing tool girl 😉 Let’s see, wonder clips (I have an unhealthy love for those), my hera marker, a hem gauge, my seam ripper, and many more.
liZ–Besides my machine all I need are a pair of scissors, an iron and my old school CD Player. 🙂
Where do you find inspiration?
Elizabeth–I would say my kids and my home inspire me the most…although vintage inspired fashion would be a close second. I love thinking about how a 60’s shift dress modern for my nine-year old….or how to make 70’s colors into an outfit and still make it modern.
liZ–I graduated with a degree in art so I think I’ve always been in left field…or completely right brained….Just about anything can spark an idea. The other day I saw an 80’s hatch back car that made me think of a cool way to segment a dress so I had to sketch it out quick at the next stop light. Seriously I could be looking at just about anything and the next thing I know my brain has left the building and is scheming up something to sew inspired by architecture, the color of the sky, or the pavement….
What is your favorite project?
Elizabeth–I love projects that my kids wear over and over. This lace dress below has been worn more than any other dress (I have a really girlie girl) and I love that she chooses it over and over. Those are my favorite things.
liZ–That’s a hard question….my most memorable project is this pink dress that I made for my Grace several years ago. It was the first item I drafted from scratch…starting with just paper and a ruler…
But my favorite projects to work on are things with weird textures or vintage fabrics and are inspired by my weird ideas. Like this look that I made for Grace:
It’s knit, faux fur, and vintage polyester (my FAVORITE) and part of the “Buffalo Gals” fall collection that I put together for Grace. The inspiration came from a trip we had taken to Yellowstone National Park over the summer.
Who inspired you to start stitching?
Elizabeth–I have really crafty women in the generations back in my family so as a result I started sewing when I was in 7th grade and never looked back. I really got into sewing for myself and my children after I was a stay-at-home mom and found that I needed something to do that couldn’t be undone.
liZ–I’ve always been against sewing or anything domestic for that matter. For my first married Christmas my mom gave me a sewing machine and I cried and then chucked it in the basement where it stayed for a good 5 years. Until my mom dragged me to a quilt block making class. I couldn’t imagine what I was going to do there with a bunch of old ladies…but little did I know I would fall in love. The class was in a fabric store and the fabric sucked me in! All the colors, patterns, and textures!!! I was hooked on making quilt blocks! But then when I had my Grace it was all over…quilt blocks turned into dresses and skirts and now years later I am so glad I was dragged to a quilting class and I’ve even gained an appreciation for all things domestic.
These gals always seem to make me laugh and smile. Our latest adventures together included a few late night chats during Common Threads, goofing off at the Arch in St. Louis. I know there are more adventures around the corner!
Did you know that…
- These girls love to sew for charity.
- Have great tips for getting your kids to open up and actually talk! (this is a goodie)
- They know how to have fun in the summer?
A big Thank You to the girls for stopping by for a quick visit in our world. Be sure to stay tuned on all the happenings in their world… I think big things are happening!
ps- It’s almost time to pick the lucky winners in the National Sewing Month Giveaway. Have you entered yet?
Hello! Are you new to The Sewing Loft?
If so, I’m glad you stopped by and hope that something has inspired you to keep your needle moving! Don’t miss a single project and subscribe via email HERE! Bonus- free embroidery pattern with newsletter sign up. Another great way to connect with me is via Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Google+ or Follow my blog with Bloglovin. I’m looking forward to getting to know you and creating together!
Comments & Reviews
Awwww…Heather, you are SO right! These two are the sweetest of the sweet! Love all they do 🙂