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Wednesday, April 19, 2017

A solution to my health problem

** Deze post lezen in het Nederlands? Klik hier **

On my Dutch blog, I have been writing about my health problems quite a lot. I love writing and for me it's a way to be creative and to reflect on myself. A few months ago I started this English spin-off of my blog because I noticed an increase in international visitors. However, I'm not super comfortable in writing in English and my writings here are definitely no pieces of art. But since some of you have been so supportive about my health problems, both here and on Instagram, I feel that I owe you some more explanation about how they finally came to an end. But please forgive me the non-poetic language ;)

For two years, I have been suffering from an unknown disease, taking away my energy and giving me pain and nausea in return. Every single day I threw up all I ate. The pain was all over me and often I couldn't do anything else than lay in bed and wait for the day to pass. I had to diminish my study load, I put my social life on hold. Although it went with ups and downs, it was a very tough time. And the hardest part was not knowing what caused it, not knowing if it would ever leave again. I feared that this would stay with me for the rest of my life, I even feared I wouldn't survive it. I saw so many doctors and no one seemed to know what was happening to me.

Until suddenly... a test revealed that all my misery was caused by a stomach problem. Not even a rare nor a dangerous problem, just something they had somehow overlooked. With the right medication, I'm finally recovering.  I was undernourished and my body was tired of all the fighting, but now I start to gain weight again, and with extra food comes extra energy. I am so grateful for every day I wake up without pain. For everything I can do without feeling totally exhausted.

Step by step, I slowly start feeling Eva again. 
Picture taken in Bokrijk last February

Friday, April 14, 2017

Easter bunnies (Coffee+Thread tour 2017)

** Om deze blogpost in het Nederlands te lezen, klik hier **

"Things are finally sorting out healthwise". I was so happy to write these words under an Instagram picture I posted a few weeks ago. After two years of constant pain and illness, the doctors finally found what went wrong in my body and with the right medication, I'm slowly recovering. I'll dedicate a blog post to this happy news later on, but now, let's focus on sewing! Being ill I often didn't have the energy to sew (I wrote a post about that here) and I am incredibly grateful that my love for sewing returns together with my health. 

So when Olga (you know: the amazingly talented seamstress and pattern designer behind Coffee+Thread) asked me to participate in her tour, I was happy to say yes!

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Olga tested the Tulip dress and top pattern for me and her feedback was super helpful. Missing marks, unclear instructions, non-matching notches: Olga was the one to discover them. I thus expected her patterns to be very detailed and they didn't disappoint me at all! All pattern pieces matched up perfectly (something pdf-patterns don't always do with me, or maybe that's just my pattern glueing skills, haha).

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I made two pieces for Mona, the youngest daughter of the Belgian textile designer Lotte Martens. (you should take a look at her handprinted fabrics, they're just amazing!) All fabrics I used here are designed and printed by Lotte herself. How cool is that?!

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First I made a pair of Wild & Free lounge pants  Mona and her sister have two rabbits whom they love, so these rabbit eared pants were just meant to be! I chose for the Sparkle Corax 02, a red and brown jersey fabric with a golden print. 

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As I had some energy left I also made an Ila dress using the Spacer Limonium Silver, a heavy knit fabric that feels somewhat like scuba. The color is so special: it changes from very light grey to bright silver depending on the light. For the yoke I used the wrong side of the fabric, which is actually just as beautiful as the silver side and incredibly soft. 

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I used some leather trim to accentuate the yoke. For the pockets and the collar lining I used some leftovers from the leggings.

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Both items were actually sewn for five-year-old Mona and are meant to be paired with each other.  Based on her measurements I made her a size 6 and the fit is spot on. However, when her bigger sister saw Mona's outfit, she was a little jealous and insisted on trying on the Ila dress too. Suse is 7 years old but rather skinny, and although it's a rather tight fit, it actually still fits her. So we compromised: for the photoshoot Mona would wear the rabbit leggings and Suse would wear the dress.

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Not at all a traditional Easter outfit, but I love it! Thank you so much Olga for these great patterns!

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Would you like to win some of them, together with an amazing selection of fabrics? Enter the give away! a Rafflecopter giveaway


By the way, have you seen what the other participants made? If not, sure do check their blogs, since every single creation is stunning! 
April 3
Enjoyful Makes || Idle Sunshine || ZowieZo Handmade || Angie Burgett

April 4
Handmade Frenzy || Replicate Then Deviate || Fairies, Bubbles & Co || Coral + Co

April 5
Made By Sara || Naeh-Connection || The Bag of Unexpected || Circle Meets Line

April 6
Skirt Fixation || Sewing Like Mad || Hello Holli || Buzzmills ||

April 7
Little Cumquat || Thread Bear Garments || Pearl Berry Lane || Plus 2 is 5 || Sew Chibi 

April 10
Stahlarbeit || Knee Socks and Goldilocks || Bonnie and Lottie || Sew Sophielynn 

April 11
Mouse House Creations || While She was Sleeping || Mix it Make it || By Dagbjort 

April 12
Gaafmachine || Beletoile || LBG Studio || My Cozy Co  || As It Seams

April 13
Moineau & Petit Pois || Just Add Fabric || Sweeter Than Cupcakes || Frances Suzanne || Stitched Together || Sew Liberated 

April 14
S is for Sewing || Boevenbende || Lafolie Sewing Booth || Sew Pony || With Love By Eva 
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