● ● ● Sewing

Since I started my self-taught sewing journey in early 2020, I’ve been routinely making around 25 garments a year for myself and my close ones. Since young age I’ve been customizing clothes to the best of my ability and I’ve always been yearning to learn to sew because I was never fully satisfied with the clothes the world could offer me.
I tend to work off existing patterns I find online, in magazines or second-hand and adjust them to my liking - changing certain pieces, adding lining, changing the pocket design and fastening method, adding embroidery, patches or charms. I’ve experimented with all kinds of garment types, fits and fabrics, and I always strive to improve and perfect my technique.

Costume

I’ve been designing and hand crafting my halloween costumes since my teens, and in the recent years I’ve been trying to do a more haute couture approach to them to challenge my skills.

Flamingo costume - sketch

A blue color variation made for my husband.
Aside from the cloaks, I made hand puppets for flamingo heads, as well as the underlayer
shirts and pants.

I made two cloaks using many layers
of chiffon, voile, mesh, as well as
various trims and feather boas.

Sci-fi romper design for my
Juno Birch costume

I made the romper out of foil-printed
spandex panels. It’s closed with plastic snaps
at the back of the neck and the crotch.

Garments

Sketch

I like adding a contrasting pocket lining

Chore jacket made with heavy cotton from IKEA

Original pattern design.
I swapped the patch pockets to diagonal welt pockets and added cotton batting, quilted along the pattern.

I also made a matching lined pencil
skirt with a side slit.

Chain-stitched initial

Dress from a vintage bedsheet

Sketch

I used a bodice pattern, changed the sleeve design
and added a gathered skirt piece.

Lined paneled fleece and sherpa jacket with gathered sleeves, welt pockets, zip and a hood.

Silk crepe blouse with french seams
and sleeves gathered on elastic

Sketch

I had an idea for a pair of pants sketched out on the left.
Initially I was thinking of embroidering the pattern with a tight zigzag stitch, but I wasn’t happy with the test patch.

After finishing sewing the pants out of stretch denim, I used opaque fabric markers to cover the whole garment with the pattern.

I ended up drawing a vector stencil and got it laser cut on a piece of polysheet.

Chiffon party dress with holographic
spandex underdress

Inspiration - Wesley Snipes’ gown in
“ To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar “

Experiments with 4-way stretch fabrics and layering panels.

Printed organza dress with bodice and skirt lining. I started with a bustier bodice and added puff sleeves with ruffles and a gathered skirt.

Fleece with curved panels, gathered sleeves and scalloped edges - sketch

Purses

I like experimenting with purse and bag designs. In most cases, I draft the patterns myself.

Quilted bowler bag with sewn-on charms

I gathered old earrings and pins to use as charms

Freeform quilted panel

Sketch

Finished panel

Polyester satin purse with sewn-on applique, 3D heart accent and tied straps going through side channels

I used an IKEA dishcloth for lining

Applique pieces made using
freezer paper technique

I wanted to make a really volumptious puffer purse. First I made a test - sewn a pattern
with open channels and tightly packed
them with poly filler.

Finished panel

I made a puffy strap and added a star charm

I lined it with poly satin and used a plastic zip

Sherpa shoulder pack I freestyled in one day

For this gym bag I initially wanted to have a sewn stripe pattern, but later changed my mind.

For straps and side panels I used piping that I made.
I also changed the pocket design.

Shopper bag made with deadstock heavy cotton fabric

I also made a summer dress
out of this fabric!

Lined with thrifted tablecloth

Quilts

Over the course of a month I made 120 panels for the
optical illusion quilt. I finished it with thick cotton
batting and flannel lining.

For my picnic quilt I used vintage childrens’ bedsheets, fabric of my design, and light cotton batting.

Sewn wedding decor

For satin lettering and shapes I transfer and cut the letters out of interfaced fabric, secure it to background with a glue stick and stitch the edges with a tight zigzag stitch.