this is my first make of the coronavirus induced break from school! i was bored in graphic design monday, and came across a mini embroidery hoop, some needles, and thread in the art room. i found scraps of fabric and decided to try learning appliqué. i’ve been so inspired lately by everything amy bornman of all well workshop makes; especially her quilting and appliqué works of art. she has a tutorial on her instagram, so i followed that until i ran out of time in class. although my original attempt is currently locked at school, i brought the process home and started playing around with pieces from my scrap bin. i put on a movie, some headphones, and hunkered down.

though the process takes forever, it’s oddly soothing to hand-sew again. it brings back memories of the after-school hand sewing classes i loved in elementary school, and makes the craft seem so much more intimate. the process is slow, and that’s why i like it so much.

i couldn’t get enough of hand sewing though, so i added some fun sashiko stitching to jazz up the piece as well. coincidentally, the stitching looks almost continuous when you lay the zipper flat. i love the clean, but interesting detail this stitching adds to an otherwise plain pouch – totally fits with my aesthetic.

i don’t quite know what i’m going to do with this pouch, but i assume that it will come in handy someday. sometimes, i make things just for the act of creating, and i think that’s important as well. that way, there’s no stress to produce a perfect project and the process becomes much more relaxing and enjoyable. for now, i’ll just admire the hand sewn details on this pouch!