Stuff from last year

This year has been a very difficult one for me, and for a long time I simply couldn’t find the energy—or even the desire—to create anything. Sewing, quilting, and crafting usually bring me comfort, but sometimes life makes creativity feel very far away.

Looking back at the previous year, though, things were completely different. I was sewing constantly, experimenting with garments, fabrics, and patterns, learning through every mistake and every finished project.

Today I wanted to revisit three of my favorite handmade clothing projects from that time.

Piggy Dress

This mod-inspired dress is still one of my favorite garments I’ve ever sewn.

I used the Burda Cap Sleeve Shift Dress pattern together with one of my all-time favorite Echino fabrics—the famous “piggies” print.

At some point during cutting, I somehow managed to place the fabric upside down, but honestly… I don’t think it turned out too badly after all. Sometimes imperfections become part of what makes handmade clothes unique.

Jackie Coat

The Jackie Coat was an absolute sewing marathon for me, but I was incredibly proud of the final result.

For this project I used the Burda 08/2010 Three Quarter Sleeve Coat pattern , combined with a beautiful fabric I bought in Istanbul.

For the lining, I chose the playful Home Sewing Is Easy fabric by Alexander Henry, which added a fun hidden detail inside the coat.

This was definitely one of the most challenging sewing projects I had attempted at the time.

 

Heart to Heart Shirt

The Heart to Heart Shirt was actually the very first garment I ever sewed.

Looking back now, I still can’t believe I managed to finish it—especially because I was also trying to translate sewing instructions from English while learning completely unfamiliar sewing terminology.

I used the free Burda “JJ” pattern , together with Kona Cotton by Robert Kaufman and the beautiful Heart to Heart fabric by Alexander Henry.

There were countless mistakes in all three projects, but honestly, I think that’s the only real way to learn sewing. Every project teaches something new, even when things go wrong.

 

With a new year ahead of me, I hope creativity slowly finds its way back again.

Be creative now.