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The first time I virtually 'met' Sanae was when I accidentally stumbled upon her blog. I don't even remember how I got there, it might be through Pinterest or Bloglovin' of even just through Google, but I do remember my first visit to her blog. Everything, from her pictures to the text and lay-out, made me feel so relaxed and happy. I immediately read about a hundred posts, just because I couldn't stop.
The first time I virtually 'met' Sanae was when I accidentally stumbled upon her blog. I don't even remember how I got there, it might be through Pinterest or Bloglovin' of even just through Google, but I do remember my first visit to her blog. Everything, from her pictures to the text and lay-out, made me feel so relaxed and happy. I immediately read about a hundred posts, just because I couldn't stop.
A few months later I received an e-mail from her, telling me that I had won a sashiko art print she had given away on her blog. I'm still waiting for the perfect frame and spot to hang it, again because it's so tiny and beautiful! I was very grateful for this little gift and kept reading her blog with pleasure.
That was until I received another mail from Sanae. "Do you want to be part of the Sewing Happiness world tour?" Uhm, yes?! What an honor! Especially when I saw the names of the other participants! I have to admit I was a little starstruck ;)
The book travelled all the way from the US to Belgium and unpacking it felt like opening a treasure box. Beautiful pictures and a beautiful lay-out, just like her blog. From the fabric choices to the illustrations, everything emits a zen-feeling.
If you're a beginner, you'd buy this book because it contains some simple and rather fast projects. If you're a more experienced seamstress, this book is just a treat for the eye and for the soul, remembering you that sewing should not always be difficult. The book is divided into four seasons, each with their own beautiful and timeless projects.
Those of you following me on Instagram might have noticed that I'm going through a tough period with lots of health issues. For the last two years I've been plagued by nausea, pain and an extreme lack of energy, but the cause is still unknown. Often I am not been physically able to sew, which kind of drives me crazy because the ideas and plans keep popping up in my head ;) And when I force myself to realize some of them, the pain withholds me from concentrating and I end up disappointed because I made stupid mistakes. In the end, even looking at my sewing machine made me sad because it reminded me of what I wasn't capable of any more. Needless to say that the simple projects in this book came just in time, right?
I started with two zip pouches as a present for a friend's birthday. The outer fabric is Wandering Lands by April Rhodes for Art Gallery, a leftover I bought from Mieke. On the inside I used a striped jeans and the leather pieces used to be a thrifted handbag before.
I based the sizes on the length of the zippers I had in my stash. I wasn't entirely satisfied with them since the corners are not perfect, but then I remembered that that's exactly what Sewing Happiness is trying to teach us: it isn't about creating the perfect object, but rather about enjoying the process.
After finishing the pouches I felt so happy and relieved because I had finally managed to create something again. So it didn't take long before I cut fabric for my next project!
I use my Nikon almost every day, but actually I had never thought about the ugliness of the original camera strap. Until I saw the book included a tutorial for a custom-made strap, of course. From that moment on I started hating the standard Nikon strap so much that I just had to make my own.
(While sewing, I envisioned blog pictures of myself wearing the blouse and the matching camera strap. That would be so perfect! Of course I hadn't thought about how I would do this, being that we only own one decent camera. Happy the old Lumix was willing to act as a stand-in model 😉)
The fabric is Nani Iro Ori Some double gauze, a leftover from this blouse. To make it soft enough I added batting on the inside and topstitched with a silver thread. Not very visible on the pictures, which is a pity because it's beautiful! The double gauze has a silver sparkle in it too and combined with the leather it gives the strap a luxurious look.
The Origami pillow and the Everything Bucket are still on my sewing list!
It might sound a little cheap, but this book really changed my life in a positive way. It gave me back my love for sewing and I am so so thankful for that! Thank you so much, Sanae, for sharing your inspiring story with the world!
And you know what's best? I may share this happiness with one of you! Sanae let's me give away a signed copy of Sewing Happiness plus a 45 $ gift voucher at 1000Stoff. To enter, follow withlovebyeva via Bloglovin' and leave a comment here, telling me if and how sewing has helped you through a difficult period. On February 12, I will choose the funniest/most special/... reaction! Make sure to leave your e-mail address if you place an anonymous reaction so I can contact you if you win.
I bet you have already seen all the posts on this tour, since the other bloggers are all such famous and talented ladies! But if you haven't, make sure to pay them a visit. I bet you'll be just as excited as I was to see their wonderful creations.
January 24 - An of StraightGrain // Instagram
January 25 - Trine of Groovy Baby and Mama // Instagram
January 26 - Shelley of Bartacks and Singletrack // Instagram
January 30 - Annika of Näh Connection // Instagram
January 31 - Olu of Needle and Ted // Instagram
February 1 - Emi of Just Add Fabric // Instagram
February 2 - Eva of With Love - by Eva // Instagram
