DIARY OF A NOVICE SEWIST: Patchwork Blouse
Blouse made with FS Linen scraps
Blouse made with FS Linen scraps
Blouse made with FS Linen scraps
Blouse made with FS Linen scraps
Blouse made with FS Linen scraps
To be completely honest – most of the time I buy fabric without knowing what to make with it. Highly excited, a bit overwhelmed yet with no plan in sight. This leads to either:
– too little fabric
-too much fabric
Let’s not talk about too little – this always hurts my heart. But too much fabric also comes with its personal ‘I could still use that (itsy bitsy) piece for I-don’t-know-what’ – problem. The result – bags full of scraps.
So… as my workspace is rather ‘limited’ at present, I had to come up with ideas of how to immediately use up the excess fabric. I made lavender bags, Christmas hangings, stuffed animals, stuffing for stuffed animals and – drum roll – Patchwork!
At the beginning of the new year, I found myself looking for a new flat for my son and I. The changes of the past few weeks left me feeling restless and stressed. It took some time to find my way back to the sewing machine, and when I finally did, I started sewing stars. Slowly. One after the other. Without a plan of what I wanted to end up with. I just sewed (and ironed – a lot).
It was a Saturday, Emil was at his dad’s and I had nothing else to do but look after myself (very important!). So I found myself sitting in my old living room between moving boxes with a floor covered in fabric scraps, a face mask on (the cosmetic one), watching trashy TV-Shows and sewing – all day long. Very meditative by the way.
I sewed the stars and ended up with a big blanket. Mhhhh, yeah, really didn’t want a blanket. Instead, I stood in front of the mirror, wrapped the blanket around me in every way possible – gave myself some bangs (but that’s another (tragic) story), and then knew I wanted to make a blouse.
The hardest, but at the same time best part, about this little journey was to let it go and let it flow. To try out new stuff and feel all the feelings throughout. It even felt like breaking the rules while cutting into my patchwork stars (and my hair) – and I would do it all over again. Even cleaning the mess afterwards felt nice and liberating.
When it came to taking the photos of my blouse, I knew I needed something different to the last times. I needed sun. And a little bit of normality in this crazy time. So I bought some warm croissants and invited myself to a small breakfast at my friend Sophie’s place. Sophie and her boyfriend Max aren’t only some of the greatest photographers, they are also the most warm-hearted people I know. And their home feels like a safe place – and that was exactly what I needed…Friends that feel like home and a blouse that feels like a blanket.
Blouse made with FS Linen scraps
Bussi,
Sophie
PS: All photos are taken analogue by my dear Sophie Nawratil.
About Author
Sophie Frank
Sophie is a self-taught sewist living in Vienna, Austria. If she's not sewing or taking analog photos, she's probably running after her son. Instagram: @bitte.mach.dasLeave a comment
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10 Comments
Rainbow Franck
I love it! Is your blouse made of just the single quilted layer or does it include batting and backing as well?
Karen McBean
Beautiful.
Janet Conery
LOVE
Peggy Carson
Such a unique idea for using your patchwork. You know, magnolia pearl is using lots of this idea for coats, shirts and such. You’re on the cutting edge.
Kathleen Kunysz
I’ve made lots of quilts. I had to stop because you can only use so many of them. I love your blouse!! I’m sharing your images with my daughter- she has been looking at patchwork jackets.
Arbor Buchanan
Bravo, Sophie!
Trish Jakielski
I loved this post – thanks for sharing it. I particularly liked you discussing the steps you took which led, gradually, to the open and free way you ended up creating this beautiful top. You played with it, you worked with it, you questioned it and – as you did with your friends – you embraced the comfort you found in it. I will re-read this post in my “too tiny, too full” creative space to urge me to meander more and try to organize less! Thanks again for sharing it.
P.S. I like the bangs – with the glasses and top and artwork on your arms they all seem part of a whole. Quietly daring?
Susan Bechamp
Sometimes our best work comes out when we have no pre-set plan to follow and just allow our creativity to have a free hand. Not everything has to be well thought out in advance to be successful.
Shari Thorley
this is absolutely fantastic. Sometimes the best items come about from something else totally, or by mistake. You look confident, and should be proud of this blouse.
Margaret Frye
Sophie, you and your blouse are adorable and you are on the path to a great life with sewing as your therapy. You’ve made lemonade from lemons. It’s good to be good to yourself (and great to have good friends!) and forgiving-the bangs will grow out 🙂 I LOVE the blouse!