B's Wig Shoppe: *7+1*

So I was going to post the first installment of 7+1 last night as promised... then, the power went out so my apologies. But doesn't anticipation just make it better?

I have quite a few heroes of mine lined up for 7 Nerdy Q's & 1 Fill-in-the-blank Both people I know in real life as well as some heroes of mine in different fields. I can't tell you how excited I am about getting feedback and answers from different types of people, and for this first installment, I decided to start close to home. In my eyes, our first interview-ee is the master of re-invention, and she is constantly figuring out something new to do with her hands, which makes her a perfect candidate in the crafty area. So without further ado, meet my mother.

My mom is Beth Green; she is super crafty and credits most of her *brilliant* ideas to 'things she thinks up when she should be sleeping.' She's a preacher's wife, a radio voice as well as an amazing seamstress! She sews everything from curtains to formal wear and mends clothes for everyone she knows. As of late, in addition to her own business, she's started making a lot of clothes for a young start-up designer (94grungecouture... my favorite is this one). Her business has become a real thriving thing over the past year and, amazingly, it's all word of mouth. Most recently she entered *BlogLand* to answer all of her friends sewing questions via the interwebs, which I think will only help her business grow.

A little photo gallery so you can get to know her...

Mom is on the left in that super groovy floral number,
which she made herself.
(My Aunt Van is the 'picture perfect' one on the right.)

Mom (again she's the one on the left :)
about a year after she and Dad got married.
She was making a lot of her wardrobe around this decade including this dress, which I totally want.

That's right. We wore matching clothes... all the cool kids did.

This past year, she made her first quilt for me while she was taking care of my Woo-Woo in Appalachia. It's put together from old clothes that we had when I was little.

Q1: What 3 sites do you visit regularly for inspiration via the interwebs?

A: Yours, HGTV.com, clutterfreebiz.com

Q2: What 3 activities do you do regularly that keep you inspired?

A: Mending. I love to sit and do handwork. My mother loved doing it and so do I. (Plus, it is calming.) Roam the aisles in fabric shops. Organizing a drawer while I'm on the phone.

Q3: What 3 books are on your nightstand right now?

A: (They are actually stacked on the floor by my side of the bed. Tiny nightstand.) "Dangerous Surrender" by Kay Warren "Mothers and Daughters: Learning to be Friends" by Marie Chapian "Live From New York: An Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live" by Tom Shales and James Andrew Miller (thanks for the book :)

Q4: Where do your ideas usually begin?

A: When an unattached light bulb suddenly appears above my head.

Q5: What was your last creative endeavor?

A: Making a purse out of one aqua and one yellow placemat. Still trying to decide what the strap will be made from...

Q6: What were you before you became the *you* are now? 

A: Store clerk, secretary, mail clerk, secretary, nurses' aide, bank teller, secretary, deejay, music director, secretary...wife & mom

Q7: What was the deciding factor that made you decide to be an sewer/seamstress extraordinaire full-time?

A: I learned to sew when I was aggravated that my dad couldn't take me on a planned shopping trip for a dark colored skirt for school choir that I needed the next night... so I dug around in Mother's fabric and patterns, making a brown cotton skirt. I pulled out the book in the sewing machine drawer and learned how to use it in one evening. That is until I couldn't figure out how to thread the bobbin. I finished it by hand. Then, about 40 years later, I made your wedding dress. People in our church were unaware I sewed and started asking me for alterations, mending, window treatments, clothes...and it has blossomed.

*When I was 6, I wanted to be a farmer.*

Well, I couldn't very well let her mention the dress and then not show it! So here is the story of *the dress.* Ever since I was little, she's made my clothes from pictures I've drawn. Like this prom dress from senior year of high school...

...complete with a gorgeous vintage rhinestone clip she found there on the side. So when it was time to get married, it was only natural that she'd make the dress, right?

So she took her circa 1974 wedding dress...

...and cut it up.

And put some pieces into my wedding dress...

But the coolest detail was on the inside. Housed in this little pouch was almost 200 years of marriage. She put pieces from her mother's wedding dress, my WooWoo's (dad's mom) wedding dress, as well as a hanky from Husband's grandmother (which was coincidentally my something blue as well).