Finally Sewing Again?

Ankara pants, adire crop tops, 360 skirts, and mini bubus. These are all styles I had saved on Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok. Did any of these styles come to fruition? No. This summer, I believe I only sewed Ankara shorts, a flared spaghetti-strap top (that has two different fabrics for its front and back), scent pouches (that I am now using as fabric weights because essential oils are trash), and two flared Ankara dresses that I wear on quick store runs.While I did not build my dream summer wardrobe this year, I hope to build something for fall. Does anyone want to hold me accountable? Lol.

I finally picked up my sewing machine on 9/19... three days before my birthday. I’m not sure why I do this to myself every year. I know in advance that my birthday is around the corner, so I will need to sew my outfit, but of course, I wait until the last minute and end up crying myself to sleep those nights.

This year's outfit did not completely come to pass (as is the case with every other year). I intended to make a two-piece outfit: a knotted Ankara skirt and a matching flare-strapped Ankara top. When I completed my skirt, I was hesitant; I did not know if I liked it or not. I decided to keep moving forward and attempt to finish the top. Halfway through the shirt-making process, I decided to stop before the final steps and drape the shirt on myself to get a hint of what the final product might look like. All I have to say is I looked like "who done it and why?" The top and skirt did not go together and looked horrible on my body. In the end, I decided to scrap the top and just wear the skirt with a basic tee. Can I attribute this level of maturity to my new age? Because the old me would have most definitely felt like a failure since I could not sew a complete set for my birthday, lol.

I'm hoping this birthday outfit jump-started my love for sewing again, but it's been two days since I last picked up my machine, and the only thing I’ve done is make a mental plan of what I intend to sew in the future.

Wish me luck!

-Arami