Kate Stanton

I’m a writer/editor who works in the media industry. In my spare time I sew and read up on pop culture and celebrity gossip. Though originally from the US, I’ve lived in Melbourne, Australia for about 9 years with my lovely husband.

What influence does music have in your life as a creative?:

I used to have “hobby shame” because I didn’t do much creatively outside of my day job in media. I tried for a long time to be musical — with little success. I once bought drum set on impulse (I barely touched it, but it looked really cool in my room!), and I spent several years in guitar lessons. I still can’t really play a thing. It was almost a relief when I found sewing. Finally, I could do something besides go to brunch and watch TV! These days I use music mainly to lift my spirits, or to set the mood for a day of crafting. I never sew in silence; I think it’s too lonely a hobby to do without background noise. It’s almost like having a friend in the room. I’m never picky about genre; I’ll sew along to anything from The Flaming Lips to the Jonas Brothers. I think music helps me focus, and reminds me when I’m frustrated that sewing is supposed to be fun!

Tell us about your playlist:

This is the stuff I actually listen to a lot while I sew. I realised only after compiling this playlist that it’s random as hell! How on earth does someone go from Waxahatchee’s ‘Lilacs’ to Ruben Nez’s ‘Hay Que Luchar’, an upbeat Latin tune I randomly heard on an episode of ‘Queer Eye’? But I think this playlist is a rollercoaster of genre and mood that reflects the chaotic energy I bring to a sewing project — super-pissed about uneven gathers one minute and peacefully blind-stitching the next. There’s also heaps of Bruce Springsteen, Dolly Parton and other Americana classics (‘driving down a highway’-style music). I’m an expat, so that type of music is comfort food to me. I’m also a huge believer in the power of a perfect pop song: try NOT to dance to Carly Rae Jepsen’s ‘Want You in My Room’. Plus, the four key changes in Beyonce’s ‘Love on Top’ will heal your soul.