#smyly2018: sewing makes you love yourself challenge

My sewing story

(Please excuse any mistakes, I'm doing my best to avoid them...)

It's only recently that I started to sew more. It seems that a pregnancy can change more than your body...


 

The beginnings

When I was a child, my mother would sew me costumes for carneval and so as a teen I discovered that I could express myself by creating my own clothes. But I guess I just had too many hobbies by that time and I didn't get the idea o go to classes. At school, at the age of 12, I learned some basics (I still have a folder from that time) and years later at home I altered some jeans into flared and narrowed the hips and added buttonholes to close them on both hips using shoelaces. I also started creating a dress using an old sheet starting at the bust, but I never finished it.

 

The meantime

Obviously sewing didn't really catch me and I was putting more interest in working with pearls and yarn, first crocheting, then knitting. And knitting was the creative hobby I stuck to since I was 20 years old - I could do it almost everywhere, it was not very expensive and I was able to do other things at the same time. When I moved to Oldenburg and started working as a teacher I knew I would need to have a hobby to relax and to make friends. That's what I found joining the weekly knit night Annkari started. I am so grateful for having found a home and so lovely and welcoming people there!

Every now and then I would sew pillowcases and similar simple stuff and some clothes (see here, here and here in my blog), I'd buy fabric and some magazines, even a new sewing machine (mentioned here), once I booked a sunday class were I finished half a pencil dress, but I finished only about 50 percent of what I started. Sewing still seemed too unpractical to me. You could only sew OR watching tv OR read...

And then came last year. And everything changed.
Last year, a few months after I met my husband, we bought a house, renovated it, moved in, planned our wedding, got married. And by september I wasn't able to work anymore. I had spend all of my time, weekends and holidays included, to push myself to work - besides my full-time job as a teacher - searching, organizing, renovating. Doing everything as efficiently as possible and forgetting to make any pauses.
I realized that EFFICIENCY was the problem and knitting was a part of it. I was - and still am - too efficient. Why making a pause when you can go on painting a room/surfing on the internet/watching tv WHILE eating/making plans/collect ideas for classes? That's not going to change easily. It's a habit and I have to admit that all my live I trained doing multiple things at once. Plus it's really helpful for my job as a teacher. BUT it's not helpful for me. I know that IT HAS TO CHANGE.
And in september the pause was there. And it took me rather than I took it. I wasn't able to tidy up, to cook, to do anything that wasn't essential. My husband was very understanding and supportive and bit by bit my ability to do something and to make decisions came back. I understood that I can love myself and that he can love me without me having to "earn" it by doing something.

 

Now

It was november when I discovered that I was pregnant. Now I really need to slow down and reduce my "making-qualities" and develop the "letting happen-qualities". I need to focus on one thing at a time and on what I need. A pregnancy sometimes literally forces you to do that. And that's fine.

How is this related to sewing?
Well, as I mentioned above, while sewing, you can't do anything else. You are completely focused. That is something I really appreciate now.
And, more conciously, what led me to sewing was seeing all the ideas reading pregnancy- and sewing-related blogs and finding tutorials for altering trousers and sewing jersey dresses. I know that I need new clothes for the next months AND I'm tired of consuming clothes, sometimes quite expensive and not always suiting me or fitting well. I love the idea of creating something unique and something I really want using fabric I love.

The dress

The garment I've chosen for this challenge is the first dress I made during my pregnancy, in january. It's the Kielo wrap dress by Named clothing (PDF for 13€). I shortened it to knee length and added an opening for nursing (I will write about it and show more fotos in another post). It fits like a dream and I feel beautiful in it.

What inspired me to join #smyly?

When I watched Hatties sewing story on her vlog it reminded me of my experience. That's why I share it with you. Thank you, Hattie!

How can you join the challenge?

Share your sewing story and a picture of a garment you sew and you feel confident wearing it via instagram, facebook, vlog or blog until february 28th. Hattie explains the procedure in this video and you can read about it in Athinas blogpost. The hosts are Hattie van der Krohn, Athina Kakou and Lisa Kisch. There are fantastic prizes you can win randomly. Thank you so much, Hattie, Athina and Lisa!

Kommentare

Tea hat gesagt…
Beautiful sewing story! Welcome to the sewing community! It can sometimes take awhile to get into sewing. I know it did for me at first. I hope you have a wonderful pregnancy and birth!congrats!
Vera hat gesagt…
Thank you so much! I'm really happy to join the challenge, the community and also because my life is changing so much right now.
This time I'm pretty sure that I will sew more - I already do. And it's wonderful to see that there are so many women sharing their storys and their knowledge.