This week, I was delighted to get the chance to speak to Megan Reardon, whose Not Martha blog has become an institution for aspiring crafty god(esse)s everywhere. Accessible, stylish and easy to follow, her how to make stuff section makes these lofty ambitions seem a whole lot more achievable, as she tackles home improvement, cookery and clothing, while her main blog gives us an insight into how she gets on. For the full interview, read on after the jump.
CC: Since you started your blog in 2001, the online craft community has grown at quite a rate. What do you think of the other craft blogs around at the moment and which are your favourites?
NM: I like them all. I myself tend to not join message board type sites, but there is so much useful information and inspirational stuff to be found on them. I cannot say I have favorites, but I love the Craft Zine blog; they are always featuring things I never would have seen otherwise. I also love keeping up with Susan Beal, because she really keeps track of what is going on in the community and is so active with groups.
CC: How do you fit all the crafting you do into your daily routine? Do you ever find it hard to keep up?
NM: These days I don't have as much time as I used to. I bought a house last year and I'm finding most of my creative time and energy goes into it. Though, if I cannot find something I'm thinking of for the house I'm more likely to find a way to make it than compromise. (I'm thinking of things like my shoe rack).
CC: What is your ‘day job’?
NM: I make and sell knitting needle cases at The Organized Knitter.
CC: You’re skilled in a number of different crafts. Which did you begin with, and do you have a favourite craft?
NM: I think I began with sewing. My mother always had her sewing machine out and I took Home Economics in high school. I don't have a favorite craft, though I shy away from things with paper and jewelry making, I know very little about those and they would involve a whole new world of tools. I tend to approach crafting from a perspective of fixing or making something I need, and learning whatever technique is needed to do that. For example, I learned to knit in part because I cannot wear wool and it's easier (though certainly not faster or cheaper) to make myself a scarf or sweater than find one I like in stores.
CC: Are there any crafts that just don’t interest you at all?
NM: Quilting, I watched my mother accumulate several tons of fabric over the course of many years and only produce about two quilts. While I love the way quilts feel, all the work that goes into them is too fiddly for me. Buying and stocking fabrics can spiral into an obsession all too quickly since most are only produced in single runs and that “last chance” fear grips you. From my perspective it's a dangerous world, and I respect anybody who quilts and survives!
CC: What do you do when you’re lacking in inspiration or motivation (if this ever happens!) to get the creative juices flowing?
I look around at my own life and try to figure out something I need but don't quite know it, this is how I first decided to make my own lip balm. At the time I couldn't find any in stores that I liked so I decided to make it myself. When I'm feeling uninspired I also look around in shops that stock goods from local artists or go to a craft sale like I Heart Rummage and Urban Craft Uprising, Seattle has so many talented people making things.
CC: Your website shares heaps of useful links. What did you do with all the information you collect on crafting and cooking before you had a blog to put it in?
Actually, I started the site as a place to keep my notes and links to things I want to remember for later. I knew I could organize things more efficiently online, and I had just moved from Ohio to San Francisco so keeping information in a format that I wouldn't have to pack into another box when I moved again appealed to me. My site is still simply made up of things I think I might like to find again later on.
