Sewing project no. 1

My first ever sewing project didn't have a chance yet to be shown on this blog. So I thought, as I already showed you some other projects, it's time. 


When my grandmother died in 2009, my grandfather gave me her sewing machine. At this time, I was a student and didn't have enough time or money to take sewing lessons, so I tried to start off just like that on my own. I bought an old dress in a pattern I liked in a second hand store and planned to make a skirt out of it. I didn't take long and I got frustrated because I had no idea what to do and was pretty sure I had broken my sewing machine. 

I kept the sewing machine, but never continued to sew until I decided to take another try a few years later. I took a course at the Modemanufaktur Ludwig in Cologne and learned to sew from the beginning. 

I chose a Burda sewing pattern for a full circle skirt that was supposed to be "super easy" or for beginners, even unexperienced beginners, but it turned out to be much more difficult than I thought. Just a few weeks ago I read something about Burda patterns being impossible to understand sometimes and now I feel a bit better :) 

Though the suggestion in the pattern description described more of a winter skirt made from a heavier, warmer fabric like whool or tweed. But I wanted to make a summer skirt and found this fabric while looking for a flower print. So it went from flowers to little dogs, birds and fountains, which is fine for me :) 

I can really recommend taking a course and I found it extremely helpful to have someone there to show you the basics and also some tricks to get nice, professional looking results. I managed to get a really nicely inserted zipper and pockets, but I should have practiced a bit more to make a nice buttonhole. 

I managed to finish my project in the course and have worn the skirt already many times since then. I really like the pattern and get asked about it sometimes, which makes me even more proud. 

One thing I learned from this very first sewing experience was, that if you are just beginning to sew, choosing an easy sewing pattern but going fo a very bold colour or fabric pattern draws the attention away from little details that didn't turn out perfect.