Sewing mends the soul

They say that sewing mends the soul. 

They are right. 

Late last year there was a period of time when I felt like my calm little world came crushing down and I had no control over what was happening. One of the things that helped me get through that challenging time was sewing. 

The best way I could think of achieving the sense of having control was to tackle a challenging task. Make something new. Something I have not tried before. 

So, While she was sleeping...


... I made something new for my daughter. Something I have not made before because I was too scared I would not be able to manage it.


How cool is this dino top? Little Monkey absolutely loved it! BUT... this top was made almost a year earlier. You can read about it here

So if it was not the top, could it be...


Yes. The jeans. I made my daughter a pair of cropped jeans. True story. I guess the feeling of frustration gave me the drive I needed to finally do it.


I used the Piper capis skinny jeans pattern by Blaverry. These jeans already appeared on the blog in this post. I just never drew attention to the fact they were mummy-made also. The Piper pattern is no longer available. Christie (the designer) has kindly sent me her new Koko jeans pattern, and it looks great. I am really looking forward to sewing it.

OK, shall we get back to the jeans I made... let's not calculate how long ago!

While the jeans did not turn out perfect, I still believe they look pretty awesome. I had a little fun and used jungle animal printed cotton for the pockets. And the zip fly? Friends, this is my first ever zip fly, and it worked from the first try, and it is fully operational! Did I feel like a legend after I sewed it? Heck yes!


I wonder what May and Patrick from the Great British Sewing Bee would have said about my seam matching...


My daughter has already outgrown these jeans, however at the time I was sewing them I had to add adjustable elastic to the waistband to make sure my skinny mini was comfortable monkeying around.


And comfortable she was! Funny enough, even when she decided pants and shorts were not for her, she still gladly wore these jeans!


Oh how I love her cheeky grin :)


So this is a project that helped me feel better, along with the support from my family and friends. I am no longer scared of sewing jeans (well, in kid sizes for now). In fact I am planning to make one or two pairs for winter, provided I have enough energy for sewing once Little Monkey goes to bed.

Thank you Christie for kindly sending me the Koko jeans pattern! I am sure I will have as much fun sewing it as I did with the Piper pattern.

Have you ever turned to sewing as a form of therapy? What did you make?

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18 comments

  1. I feel like sewing is my gauge for my mental health...if I am feeling happy and on top of things, I feel like sewing lots. When I don't feel so great, I don't feel like sewing! So I do see parallels with sewing and my pysche:)

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    1. Thank you for sharing Suz. I find that's how I feel about blogging sometimes. There times I just want to sew and not blog.

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  2. Gorgeous jeans, clever you - I want to make some Gingers for me sometime soonish. Sewing is totally therapy for me, ideally a little bit of daily therapy otherwise I can feel myself building up stress (like today!) A huge project that got me through a tough time was hand stitching the panels of an embroidered quilt - it really did help me so much.

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    1. Oh yes, daily is best! I am really struggling at the moment not being able to sew as much as I otherwise would have... I have seen a few Gingers on the web, and they look great! Good luck!

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  3. I have been so scared to attempt this! Thank you for posting. I have been making myself and my daughter many things lately. I'm just a beginner, so scrounging up the courage for jeans might take a bit. Thank you for giving me a bit more confidence.
    www.mommaarts.blogspot.com

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    1. Thank you for visiting Lisa. I had a quick look at your G+ page, you make beautiful things! I have been admiring all the handmade jeans my sewing friends made, and I seriously believed there was no way I could sew a pair of jeans too! Eventually I just had to give it a try. When I tackle something intimidating I break up the project into manageable blocks and sew a little bit at a time. I made the zip fly one day, pockets the next, the back yoke after than etc. I find if I try to push something that I consider scary I get frustrated and mess things up. Slow and steady works wonders for me :)

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  4. Those jeans look great, they look like store-bought!
    I love sewing, but I am not sure if I can call it therapy...I like the satisfying feelings I get after completing a successful project, I love the thanks and love I get from my daughter... but when the project fails, it could get upsetting. I immediately have to start a new project, hoping to make myself feel better!

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    1. Oh I agree there is nothing more frustrating that putting time and effort into something (as well as out precious fabric) and it doesn't work out! Grrr! I recently took too long to finish a blouse for LM, and by the time I finished it the blouse was too tight on her... I am the same as you, I need to start a new project to overcome the feeling of frustration caused by a failed one :)

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  5. What? Jenya! Did you make those yourself? Including the zip and everything? Wow, they do look storebought! Way to go! And as for the rest of your story, yup, totally relating!

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  6. Jeans look great. I must try a capri length. I'm inspired.

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    1. Thanks Olu. Capris are great doe warmer months! I need to save up enough energy to make a winter edition :)

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  7. Perfectly matching seams, Jenya!!! You've done an awesome job on the jeans. They look so professionally sewn!!! I have the Piper pattern, but haven't made it up yet. I'll know who to ask for advice when I do. My garden is my therapy. It's very physical and more forgiving than sewing.

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    1. I enjoy your gardening stories. Sewing does not involve dealing with spiders though ;)

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  8. Absolutely the cutest! I am visiting from Sew Country Chick's Sew & Tell Linky Party. Nice to discover your blog.

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  9. Wow, you made JEANS! That is just crazy impressive! And they look super professional too! Way to go!

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    1. Thank you Rachel :) A much better form of therapy than scrubbing floors hehe

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