And here is the glorious introduction of Marieke, our 8th Wollyonline Team Member : )

Can you tell us a little about yourself?
My name is Marieke, I’m 40 years old (41 in March). I’m the proud mother of a 12-year old son and a 10-year old daughter. We live in Noord-Brabant.

How old were you when you started sewing?
I started sewing as a kid, using scraps from my mother’s sewing projects. Back then, I didn’t use the sewing machine but thick cotton thread and a big needle. I got my first sewing machine about 11 years ago, when my son was about one year old.

What started your sewing career?
My mother made lots of clothes for me and my sister and also for herself. I sat with her at the table, playing with buttons and making doll clothes out of scraps of fabric. My children did the same: playing with buttons, sorting them, counting them, choosing favorite colors…history repeats itself.

What was the first thing you made?
The first thing I made with my own sewing machine were black ribcord pants for my baby son.

What are your favorite things to sew?
I really like making skirts for my daughter and blouses for me. And doll clothing of course, that is for sale in my Etsy shop “MariekeMadeThis”

What would you love to never ever sew again?
I dislike making things out of velours, because the fibers flying around irritate my eyes.

Who is/are the main recipient(s) of your sewn items?
At the moment, the baby doll gets most of my items. My daughter also has a wish list with summer clothes like short-sleeved blouses, and I plan to make summer clothes for myself.

What is something that you always wanted to make but haven’t yet?
A jacket would be nice, denim or jogging, or a really nice costume-like one.

What was your biggest sewing project to date?
Curtains for my living room were my biggest project

What was the most important sewing project to date?
When my sister got married, I made dresses for me and my daughter and for my son a matching set of pants, shirt and vest. The vest was lined with the fabric I used for the shirt.

What was the last thing you finished?
I am about to finish a blouse, only the collar has to be added.

Were you happy with the result?
The length could have been a bit longer and I had to redo the collar because it was skew, and since I used checkered fabric it looked really nasty.

What was the last thing you had to throw out because it failed desperately?
I made myself a pair of pants that didn’t fit because the pant legs were too narrow for me.

Could it have been saved?
Maybe I can cut the legs of and make shorts out of it.

What was your first sewing machine?
I am still using my first sewing machine, a Husqvarna Viking Scandinavia 100 that I have since 2005.

What other crafts do you do?
I do crochet and knitting, and I also like to make pocketletters and greeting cards out of paper. Crochet and knitting is finally into fashion. I learned it over 30 years ago and did it ever since, but now it is something to be proud of, instead of an old-fashioned skill for grandmas.

Groetjes
Marieke
Etsy Shop MariekeMadeThis