Elaine Perlov takes the Quiz

Elaine Perlov, the fashion designer who coined "modular" fashion and creator of the inspiring blog I am a Fashion Designer. Gee, did the Interview for a Rainy Day. I love her answers. We were pretty similar in our X-treme love of making stuff.

D: What were you like as a kid?
E: I think that the second grade me and the me right now seem very similar. Similar sense of humor, similar love of swimming, similar drive to make things. When I was a kid I was always making something with Scotch tape. I still love Scotch tape.
D: What did you love to do?
E: I loved to build models (boats, cars, planes) and do paint-by-numbers and string art with my Dad. As soon as we were finished with one project, we would get to work on a new one. By myself, I loved making anything out of construction paper. And glitter. I loved drawing and coloring, but I was not so big into coloring books because I thought they were boring. I liked to make my own pictures. Inexplicably, once a year my friend Jean Ann and I would make old man beards and mustaches out of white paper and pose for a Polaroid. We would tape them on with Scotch tape, fold our arms and wrinkle up our faces. We thought it was hilarious. We were around 5. And sometimes my Mom would let me sew. That was always pretty exciting. Alternately, I would attempt to totally redesign the clothes my Mom would make for me, having long discussions about my ideas in the fabric stores. I think we went to fabric stores every week. My mom was a big sewer.
D: How does who you were then, enter into your work now?
E: I think the constant desire to make something, no matter what it is, is still the same. I still get excited about making something new.
D: How do you keep that spirit of enthusiasm working for you now?
E: When I get the momentum going or get an idea that I am totally excited about, I won't stop until it's done. Just like when I was a kid.
D: What were your top kooky projects you tried as a wee one?
E. My major work was a 4-story doll house I made when I was 10 for my Honey Hill Bunch Dolls. It had 8 intricately furnished rooms, a garage, a roof-top pool, a working elevator and a backyard. I made the whole thing out of corrugated cardboard, down to the tiny forks, knives and plates on the table. I made cabinets, appliances, couches, chairs, bunk beds with pull-out drawers, vases, framed artwork, and a car. I also upholstered the chairs and draped the dinner table with fabric (mostly terry cloth) from my Mom's sewing cabinet. I put the whole thing together with Elmer's glue and Scotch tape. My Mom and Dad still have it in the basement!
D. Did you love arts and craft books?
E. I loved books about sewing projects in particular. Making pillows or making dolls. That was pretty fun. I made my name in pillows one year.