Thursday, January 14, 2010

So nice of you to come...


Oh look, you're right on time - and might I say, you are looking quite the vision! I really am tickled that you could make it. Come in, come in and sit a spell. I hope I didn't keep you waiting, I was having the most difficult time trying to decide which pair of stripey socks to wear today. Once everyone is comfortable I'll begin. I get questions from the visitors to my little place from time to time, so I thought I would answer some of them today. Starting with some background, then answer some technical questions and then anything goes. We'll have a wee Dear Lola session. I'm hoping you don't find it too tedious and even a little informative. Oh, and before you go, as a thank you, there will be a tiny give away prize!
Help yourself to some tea and get cozy.


Dear Lola,
What's your story?
Trickier question than you might think, for there never is just one story is there...I think I will keep it to the basics then. I was born a West Coast (US) baby to a couple of gypsies, and though we were often on the move, we never strayed too far from the wild west at the cusp of the Pacific Ocean. After my own rambling ways played out, I came to settle down in Portland, Oregon; where I reside in a little green cottage with The Engineer, Miss Ringlet, 3 guppies, 2 catfish, 3 lovely lady chickens, The Buddha cat and a dress dummy named Tiny Alice.

Lola Nova appeared in 2004 when I traded in the rock n' roll lifestyle to become a full time Mama. I seemed to know even whilst the babe was still en suite, that she was going to be a super star of the utmost kind; that being the case, she was going to require some magic clothes. So, I began taking patterns and cutting them into funny pieces and putting them back together in interesting ways, which led to me designing some of my own patterns. Which in turn led to a few quiet commissions and sales. In 2008 Lola got her own blog... and I think that brings us pretty close up to the present.

If everyone is still with me, I will move on to the technical portion of the program.

Dear Lola,
what kind of sewing machine do you use?
Up until recently the only machine I had ever owned was my mother's classic Bernina 830 that she purchased in 1978 - and I still have a deep love for my super trooper Bernadette. I have since upgraded to a Pfaff Performance 2058 which has recently been dubbed, The Fraulein. I also own a Viking Serger.

What kind of camera do you use?
A Nikon D40. Though I have read 50% of the manual and even taken a brief photography course, my photos seem to turn out well only about half of the time.

And now for the anything goes questions!

Dear Lola, Does your house always look so neat and tidy and interesting as it does in your pictures?
Yes. My sweet girl has never finger painted in oatmeal on the walls and the engineer always puts his dirty laundry in the hamper instead of dropping it on the floor right next to the hamper.

Why do you call Mr. Nova 'The Engineer'?
Because he is an engineer. I really had to stretch my imagination for that one. (No, not the choo choo train kind of engineer but, the kind with all the math)

Why are most of the pictures of you of your lower half?
It is simply because that is the half of me that is most usually the better dressed.


Dearest Lola,
What ever happened to The Troublesome Dutch Girl and The Lumberjack?
Oh, I have been quite remiss in keeping you up to date on that little saga. Fear not, I will be sharing all the gossip very soon.

Well, I am growing a little weary of talking about myself. My question for you is, is there anything you would like to see more of here in Lola land? Is there something you would like me to know about you?

I really can't thank you enough for coming to my 'getting to know you' party. I have had the loveliest time sipping tea and prattling on. Stay as long as you'd like but, before you go...there is a little door prize give away!

This little number originally seen in my Summer Wallet Tutorial is up for grabs. All you have to do is leave me a comment on this post and the winner will be chosen at random and announced next Friday the 22nd.

Thank you again it's wonderful to see you all. Have the best of weekends!

33 comments:

crzylady said...

nice to meetcha! Portland! My li'l sis lives there and I'm far away in Idaho *sniff*
love the stripiness. I have recently (Wednesday) been told my striped socks are no longer allowed at work and it hurt me a bit.
I am glad the engineer puts his clothes in the hamper and hope someday you and he create a tutorial for me to show the man I live with whose stinky socks are strewn all over the house and have on occassion attacked me from the kitchen.

Floss said...

Oh, there I was, panting on your doorstep, and it paid off, you opened the door! No doubt it's partly with being British, and partly with being in a very different time zone...

I'm not shiny, tonight - I'm in a vintage convent nighty. Will that do?

Thanks for your party, your story, your answers, your pretty photos and the chance of a party prize!

love

Floss,
whose socks aren't half as stripey, but are keeping her warm under all the starched cotton - I'm sure the nuns would have approved.

PS Getting quite worried about the heartbroken lumberjack - please tell us more soon!

Vic said...

Lola!

Thank you for a lovely time!

The tea was grand & the conversation even better, but the most wonderful part of the entire thing was how you kept running off to change your stripey socks for each new question! That you had the perfect pair to go with each query certaily amazed & delighted us all!

I must say, having seen that sewing machine of yours, I have fallen completely & hopelessly in love. I have never, ever, never ever, seen such an amazing machine! My life will not be complete until I find one of my own - but I don't like my chances down here in the land of Oz, I think perhaps they didn't make it this far, but we shall see.

I bought myself some crochet hooks the day before last my dear, and yesterday even attempted to, while peering at several musty old books & muttering to myself, to begin some sort of "chain" or other. My effort looks like no chain I have ever come accross, but I shall persist, so that when I have made something that resembles.... something, I will not feel too frivolous in buying (after convincing you to make, again) a hook purse or clutch or book or whatever tickles me on the day.....

Novel complete. ;)

Amy said...

I love the socks....personally the first is my favorite.

Thank you for inviting us all into your home for a lovely chat. It was nice to get to know you better. I am still relatively new to the blogging world, and sometimes feel I have missed out on the getting to know you stage of other blogs.

Jennifer said...

Would love a chance to win that awesome wallet! Thank you!

Anonymous said...

Im sure with all the happiness in your house that your pony knows the way back home!
d

Maevy said...

Thanks for the tea and the chat. I thought about wearing stripey socks, too, but honestly they don't quite measure up with yours. Love the pink and red ones!

Aussie-waffler said...

The fact that I don't own a single pair of stripey socks now fills me with sadness, I feel I must remedy this before the leaves begin to change their dresses and the winter chill crisps the mountain air. The next time I come for tea, rest assured, there WILL be stripey socks. I just loved this post,thanks so much for sharing :) x

Tas said...

Oh, please share your scone recipe before I go. Lovely to meet you and to be invited into your cosy little abode. If your gorgeous socks have gone missing once we leave, I think you will have a hard time picking which one of us stuffed them in our shoulder bag...

Claire MW said...

Love, love, love this post! You are supremely inspiring. I wish I had more time to be crafty. Someday, when all this horrible school business is over, and when the sheep are just so. I got my first felt sheets but they are not as nice as I would like because you have to pick the bits of hay out of them. I would feel bad sending you one. The problem is, to remove all the hay, the wool has to go through an acid bath (like all commercial wool does) that completely dissolves the VM (VM is short for vegetative matter in woolspeak) and I'm not sure I want to go there? I am in two minds. I like my small local fiber processor over the faceless commercial mill. Decisions....

How is the knitting bag design going?

june at noon said...

So cute. Glad you got your "color" back. Nothing like a pair of stripey socks to kick it off!

Unknown said...

Love your site, and I love your striped socks!
-Rose
currymr@comcast.net

lifeshighway said...

Thank you for the lovely visit and I adore a tea party. The stripy socks was just the right hostess touch to make us all feel relaxed and welcome in your charming home.

dottie angel said...

oh blimey lola, i'm sorry i turned up late. the traffic was grid lock on the freeway and then of course i realized i'd left my sanity at home and so had to turn around come back, find it under the piles of laundry that i have neglected since before the 1st Jan and then start out again.
before long it started getting dark and i took the wrong slip road and that was that... anyhow i'm here now, not with stripey socks as peachy as yours, no, i've got a rather interesting outfit that is the result of two weeks of neglecting domestics.
anyhow it appears i haven't missed out, your still all here and that's just peachy... lovely to know about the engineer's very good habits, it would appear both our men folk are well trained for my man knows where the hamper is too :)
and before i depart to head back to the shed, with rather dubious attire, may i just say i do admire your pretty shoes. i'm liking the double strap... and i note the toes are shiny, just like your lovely blog...
so glad to have found a bit of shiny here today :)

Floss said...

Back from your party, I've decided to do a little musical 'getting to know you' on my own blog! Do pop over when you have time because I think it possible that you're my only blogging friend with tastes eclectic enough to enjoy my final youtube offering!

Pomona said...

Gosh, I am awfully late for which I am truly contrite - put it down to general incompetence and a surfeit of work - I am finding it a bit of a nightmare working full time, which is very pathetic, and I am feeling the loss of knitting time most deeply.

I sincerely adore those stripey tights, and have been wanting to wear them for some time - I have progressed to teal and purple, but wondered if I were too old for stripes - but that Wicked Witch of the West effect is so wonderful. I have worn a plait this week, which was quite brave, considering my advancing years, and funnily enough I looked longingly at a similar pair of shoes in town this morning, but the completely Dottie Challenge jumped up to say no.

I was so charmed by your life story, and felt that you had bared your soul as much as I do in my ramblings - I am so glad that you are back on form. Do you think if I had a camera like yours I would be able to take such beautiful bright photos?

So thank you for bringing a bit of brightness into our life in this drear, cold January (I regard as a month to be got through, and feel glad if I reach February with a modicum of sanity), and I wish I could pop over for a real cup of tea rather than a virtual one. It is obviously sunny where you are, and I think I have forgotten what the sun looks like.

You are also very lucky in the way that you have trained your Engineer - laundry constitutes a major trip hazard in our house, even though I have the most beautiful baskets, one for every colourway.

Pomona x

A Bun Can Dance said...

Oh I am so glad I wore a pretty frock seeing as you have your stripey socks and everyone else is looking just spiffing!
You make a great pot of tea and I've thoroughly enjoyed getting to know you a little bit better. I admit to getting just a wee bit over excited at the mention of your gypsy childhood, as I often dreamed of being in a band of gypsies when I was a little girl in pig-tails :-)
Well, I guess I still dream of it all which is probably why we have Ruby Campervan....
As I write this 'thank you for the party' message, your splendid stripey socks and green skirt are drawing me in... I adore a pair of fancy socks or patterned tights and can't really see any point in wearing anything plain, by comparison.
Thank you for the chance of a doorstep prize - I'll keep my stripey clad toes crossed.
Have a fab weekend, and I hope there's not too much tidying up after the party.
Denise x

Anonymous said...

This party was just perfect, as always with you. I love the way you write, so inviting, along with those gorgeous stripey socks.

Thank you for this post and the little door prize. That wallet is actually how I came to find your blog and thus fell in love.

Mom L said...

I had a lovely time and I thank you for inviting me! I'm sorry I slacked in my attire and showed up in jeans and an antique blue tie-dyed shirt instead of something more colorful, but I'll know better next time.

I think I might have left my cell phone there - I remember kicking something under the sofa...I'll get it next time.

Thanks again,
Nancy in Iowa

Kristi said...

I am a new reader, so I love this getting to know you stuff. I just love the stripy socks you should give those away too!

crzylady said...

PS I hope you'll stop by my blog soon I have something for you!

Mom L said...

Knock knock - sorry to come back unannounced, but I saw something on the Chickens in the Road blog that you might like -- Suzanne gave instructions for crocheting a darling rose that would look wonderful on Stella!!!

Nancy

harmony and rosie said...

Heard there was a bit of a party over here so I thought I'd do well to gate crash. I do hope I'm not too late to enjoy the festivities.

My goodness, what an interesting life you have led so far and I must also say how mad I am for your lovely outfit. In fact I can't actually decide which socks I prefer because I am equally keen on my stripes. As it happens I bought a pair (blues) just the other day so if I wear them tomorrow I shall certainly think of you.

Loved the tea, by the way and thanks so much for having me.

Kate

Norma said...

first time here. live in hillsboro, or. neighbor. there is much exploring to be done on your site.

Monique said...

Hi Lola,

I just found your lovely blog and I LOVE it!Your stripy socks are awesome.Made me want to go into town shopping for some stripy socks too.Would love a chance to win that gorgious wallet.
Well, I'm off to read some more on your blog.
Monique.

Sara said...

What a pleasure to meet you. I have just found you and what good timing, what luck to stumble upon a wee giveaway.
I can't wait to explore the other stories on your blog :O)

Pia K said...

i'm terribly late to the party, sorry! i hope there are some wee cookie and tea left and that you don't mind very much that i turn up on a monday instead than a friday...

i loved your socks, the skirt (?) the shoes, the photos are gorgeous! swoon:)

i hope you'll have a lovely week!

Jessica said...

i'm a new reader too and we have a few things in common. i have my mom's old sewing machine, i have a vast collection of stripey socks, i live in portland...and although i am not married to an engineer, i am one!

very funny. (and thanks for the 'getting to know you' party)

. said...

Flaming Nora, why do I always miss all the good do's!
Shiny, happy, happy, shiny, x

diane said...

i ♥ lola.

Debbie said...

Awesome blog, will come back often.

please contact me at procekd@dunellenschools.org the verizon one is no longer.

Princesseneige said...

What a lovely story!
I don't know how I came here, certainly, through different other blogs. I just want to tell you that your world is magical, beautiful photos and so lovely creations!
A bientôt!

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