I had a lovely time on the super holiday, relaxing part of our Australia holiday, but the real highlight of the trip for me was getting to meet fellow blogger Steph, the genius behind 3 Hours Past the Edge of the World.

Steph and I on the farm in our version of grubby casual vintage

I’ve been following Steph’s blog for at least two years now: ever since she started commenting on mine in fact (side note – I try to check every blog that gets linked to mine in a comment, and most of them I end up following).

Steph’s blog fascinates me because we have so much in common, and some very distinct differences, both as people, and as seamstresses. We are both expat Americans with antipodean husbands. We’re about the same age, and have been married and in the Southern Hemisphere for about the same time. We both teach and sew, and share a love of vintage styles, and for making vintage styles work in a modern context. We also share a belief in sharing: in making our knowledge as accessible as possible.

At the same time, our knowledge and practice are quite different in some ways: I’m a very unscientific, un-technical, intuitive seamstress, whereas Steph knows all the the formulas, all the technical tricks, and figures out her sewing in such a precise mathematical fashion. I just guess and feel how patterns should go together: she knows.

Steph described herself as being ‘star-struck’ meeting me (awwwwww!), but the feeling was definitely mutual – her knowledge is so precise, and she’s so up-to-date on the sewing world, and not afraid to innovate and try things. Despite being in total awe, I felt instantly comfortable with Steph – we chattered away like magpies for the whole afternoon, and looked at the same fabrics and patterns and wrinkled our noses or drooled in mutual aversion or appreciation. I didn’t feel like I needed to hold back for even a minute – she’s definitely a kindred spirit!

Only a truly awesome person would do silly poses right after meeting!

Meeting Steph in person I realised we have so much more in common: so many things that we don’t share on our blogs, or that the internet can’t quite convey. We also have so much to teach each other, and share.

The whole experience really made it clear to me how amazing the blogging community is, and how much it has done for me. I learn so much every day from the comments you leave, and from reading other people’s blogs, and when I am lucky enough to meet other bloggers. We all have so much to offer the world, and when we get together and share ideas it magnifies the output so much.

Steph and I developed some amazing ideas for future projects that I’m sure you will be super excited about, and talking to her helped me to clarify some things I am working on, and and thinking about. So watch out – total awesomeness now coming as a result of this trip! (and also hopefully totally awesome Steph coming to Wellington for a visit – I can’t wait to show her where I live and work and the things I love!)

After an afternoon at Steph’s, checking out her sewing room and wandering to the local fabric store where I discovered Kokka fabrics and consequently  spent a bit more money than I had planned to on gorgeous cotton linen blends with adorable bird prints, we headed down the coast to her parents-in-law’s organic farm.

Also, Steph's daughter may be the world's cutest child.

It was paradise.  I was in heaven.  The middle of nowhere – ducks, chickens, cows, goats, horses, frogs in the semi-outdoor shower – it couldn’t get any better.  I’m such a country girl!

I’m going to tell you all about the farm with photos in a few days, but this post was getting too long, because I’m just too excited, and have too much to talk about, and think about!