Tine Travels And Sews: Annäherung 2016

It's become a tradition. Every January on the third weekend of the month, it's AnNÄHerung - THE sewing weekend for sewing enthusiasts and sewing bloggers in Bielefeld. As tradition dictates, it's also a necessary component of the weekend for me to miss the welcome dinner and arrive late to the introduction.

In the introduction on Friday evening everyone tells a bit about herself and the plans for the weekend. From skirts, to trenchcoats, childrens clothing and coat projects, everyone has their own goal for two days of sewing that is only interrupted by the occasioal lunch and dinner break.

For the first time I brought two projects, as I thought that both would be quick. If I hadn't done some things wrong on the first try, they would have both been finished, but since I hadn't marked some things on my fabric and got confused when inserting the zipper on my utility jacket, it took longer than expected.

So what did I want to sew? I had cut and prepared a utility jacket in black water repellent twill, that I made from a pattern in Burda 07/2000. It's the issue that started my passion for sewing and the issue that I made the most garments of yet. I still have some patterns from the issue, that I'd like to make - maybe even my wedding dress will be from the issue.

I also brought the Rosari skirt pattern pieces, which I blogged about at the end of last year. I found some suede imitate at a closeby fabric store and had a clear image of the finished skirt in my mind.

On Friday night I started the jacket, stopped sewing at around midnight because I was a bit tired and on Saturday afternoon I finished it. With some minor problems though, but the great thing about sewing in a group that everytime you sigh someone asks what's wrong and offers you help. Thank you Heidy! I hadn't marked the proper position of the zipper on the jacket front pieces, so I sewed the zipper in at the wrong place first, but then, we found the mistake and I could correct it after some seam ripping.

Basting by hand - that's what I do, when sewing people are around

I also had to adjust the front when I was at home, because the neckline on the left side was higher than on the right side. I don't like seam ripping and usually I tell myself no one will notice the mistakes, but for this project I was really motivated to make it as perfect as possible.

The finished utility jacket has four pockets in the front and elastic casings on the neckline, waist and hem. It has raglan sleeves.

This is one corner of our sewing room. We also had various ironing boards, but only one mirror, so that's where the chatting took place. I've been to Bielefeld since the sewing weekend started, so it's been my third time and this year I promsed myself to spend more time chatting and not rush through my project. So I tried to chat with the others and get the occasionaly snack after every third seam, which almost worked out.

I love the atmosphere that the working sewing machines create and the chatter of happy sewing people. It's amazing how this little hobby brings together people and also how much impact the blogosphere has and how it brings together women from all over Germany. Every year I'm so inspired after the weekend that I can't wait to get back to Bielefeld in the next year. Already thinking about ideas for next years project gets my head spinning.
One weekend is not enough so I plan to have some "private" sewing weekends with friends this year too.

I have to thank the ladys who had the original idea for the weekend and organising the event three years in a row so much. You're great and I hope that we can continue our annual meet up for years to come! Their blogs are in German, but if you want to see what they are up to, check out Mamamachtsachen, Drehumdiebolzeningenieur and Alle Wünsche werden wahr. Google Translate can help!

PS: The Rosari skirt deserves an own post and of course I will also blog about the utility jacket. Both should be wardrobe staples in the spring.

A weekend full of sewing, laughter and amazing women

This weekend I have been in Bielefeld and can therefore state that this city exists! For all of my international readers: In Germanby there is a saying that Bielefeld doesn't exist, that it's just an imaginary city. Where that comes from? I have no idea, so whoever knows it, please share!

Bielefeld is also called the Leineweberstadt because it's the city where in the 19th century many flax fields were agricultured and then there were many textile factorys in the area. Still many fashion companys have their headquarters in the surroundings in Bielefeld.

Why I was in Bielefeld? It was the first organized sewing meet up for people from all over Germany who like to sew. And of course I had to be there to see what the sewing community is up to. And of course to finish my own project.

For a long time I dreamed about sewing my own biker jacket in a material mix, which will be great for all kinds of outfits. So for this weekend I prepared very well, cut all the pieces in December and got the supplies that were necessary.

On the weekend I sewed and ate, sewed and ate, sewed and ate and sewed some more. In the end the jacket was finished on Saturday evening and all I had to do on Sunday was to put in the push buttons. The jacket is still missing one button, because I messed up to many of the push buttons. But it's wearable and no one notices this mistake until I point it out.

Sorry for the bad picture quality, but my camera is pretty old and this was the only picture which wasn't blurry. A lovely new sewing friend made some better pictures, but I still have to get them.

 More about the sewing meet-up: It was organized by three very charming sewists, who proposed the meet up some months ago on their blogs. The community could then decide between two places in Germany and in a very democratic way Bielefeld was chosen as the place to be.
For two nights most of us, except for the locals, stayed in the youth hostel, which only mistake was the low- key supply in the rooms with plugs for IPhone and camera charger. But of course, in a youth hostel you are meant to communciate with each other and not the world.
Right after dinner and a short introduction of everybody in the sewing room, we already got to work and chat. Yes, we chatted a lot and shared our experiences, highs and lows, funny stories, memories and everything in between. Time flew by quickly and soon it was 11 pm and slowly the concentration began to drop. That's where the beer, wine and prosecco came in handy and on we chatted. I got around to bed at 2 am and got up at 7:30 am the day, which was a bit hard, but the thought of finishing the jacket kept me moving.
On Saturday we sewed and ate a lot, I finished the jacket and on Sunday I started a bag and finished the jacket with push button, that I bought on Saturday in a supermarket.

What will I remember about the weekend? There are more women out there, who are crazy about fabrics and patterns like me. Though I have to think that I'm not quite nerdy enough, because I mainly sew Burda  (the jacket is from 09/2004 so nearly a decade old) and don't know all the Vogue pattern numbers by heart, like some bloggers do.
We all have similar experiences about our hobby and most of us can not share our passion with the "normal" friends, so that's where the blogging is really filling a gap. You learn a lot of the experiences from others and blogging enables you to read about the problems that others had with a certain pattern and how they solved the problem. I know that I often don't share the full experience of finishing a project, so that's what I really want to improve.
I don't have all of the skills yet that are necessary to finsih all the projects, like I want them to be finished, so 2014 will be the year where I really want to improve my skills.

Blogging friends can also become real friends and I heard about lots of small groups in different cities where they chat about there experiences once or twice a month. I'd really like to do something similar in Hamburg, so Hamburg bloggers beware as I reach out to you!

The weekend ended with very exciting news! There will be another blogger meet up in Bielefeld and next year there will be another sewing meet-up weekend. I'll be there! Maybe one of you too?

Lastly I have to say thank you to the amazing women who organized the meet-up. Alex, Miriam and Susi, you are awesome!