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

It's wonderful to be able to introduce Lia, our 7th Wollyonline Team Member : )

Can you tell us a little about yourself?
My name is Lia Borsje, I am 65 years old and live with my husband near The Hague in The Netherlands. Since 2008 we are pensioners. Because of my husbands work we have lived for 42 years all over the world. And we have had 5 children and now have 8 grandchildren.

How old were you when you started sewing?
I started sewing when a little girl with my grandmother

What started your sewing career?
As soon as our daughters were born I started sewing seriously

What was the first thing you made?
Living in Saudi Arabia I made a baby dress for my newborn

What are your favorite things to sew?
I have no favorite, as soon as I fall in love with a pattern I sew

What would you love to never ever sew again?
A baby sleeping bag

Who is/are the main recipient(s) of your sewn items?
My granddaughters

What is something that you always wanted to make but haven’t yet?
Nothing

What was your biggest sewing project to date?
Carnival outfit

What was the last thing you finished?
Denim dress

Were you happy with the result?
No not really, did not like the instructions that came with the pattern, I altered them and that was a lot of work

What was the last thing you had to throw out because it failed desperately?
Nothing

What was your first sewing machine?
1971 a Brother

What machines(s) do you use these days?
Pfaff

Which on is your favourite?
The Brother😊

What other crafts do you do?
Knitting, crochet, embroidery

Have a nice day,
Lia

Oh what joy! Here is the introduction of our 6th Wollyonline Team Member Liane : )

Can you tell us a little about yourself?
Liane is my name, almost 51 (1966) and mother of 1 daughter and 1 son and stepmother of  1 son and daughter. All kids are above doll age, but I always loved dolls.

How old were you when you started sewing?
I was 12.

What started your sewing career?
Sewing at school

What was the first thing you made?
A tapestry

What are your favorite things to sew?
All kind of things, clothes, gifts and small things like doll clothes.

What would you love to never ever sew again?
Curtains

Who is/are the main recipient(s) of your sewn items?
Family and friends

What is something that you always wanted to make but haven’t yet?
A nice dress for me…..

What was your biggest sewing project to date?
A spring jacket with embroidery, it’s almost finished after 5 years now.

What was the most important sewing project to date?
The spring jacket.

What was the last thing you finished?
potholders (you can see it all on my blog Steekje voor Steekje)

Were you happy with the result?
Yes I was and I am.

What was the last thing you had to throw out because it failed desperately?
I’ve never done that!

Could it have been saved?
_

What was your first sewing machine?
An old Elna

What machines(s) do you use these days?
Husqvarna Designer Diamond for embroidery, Husqvarna Opal for sewing and A Brother lock machine.

Which on is your favourite?
Both Husqvarna’s

What other crafts do you do?
Digitizing embroidery patterns and embroidering them,
Knitting,
Sewing of course ;-)

Groetjes,
Liane
Steekje voor Steekje

Since a few months I've been using debris bags to copy sewing patterns,

Pinafore, pants and T-shirt from pattern BD1302

All parts

Make a mark on both sides

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Met de prikpen maak je een klein gaatje in beide delen van de overgooier, om zo de plek te markeren waar de beide onderdelen van de drukker moeten komen.

Place the first parts

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Use the pliers to affix both parts

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Nu moet je de bevestigingstang gebruiken om het eerste onderdeel (met het puntige staafje) en de boven- of onderkant aan elkaar vast te maken. Hopelijk is de foto duidelijk genoeg om te zien hoe dat moet....

Finished!

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Zo kun je bijna alle sluitingen aan de poppenkleertjes maken. Aan de achterkant van een T-shirt en op de sluiting aan de zijkanten van deze overgooier bijvoorbeeld...
Volgens mij zijn ze wat duurzamer en gaan ze langer mee dan klittenband

Patterns without seam allowance were the norm in Holland when I grew up and for me it's very easy to add my own seam allowance. I don't even think about it, however for many international customers 'adding your own seam allowance' needs a bit more explaining. So here we go.
There are 4 different edges that a Wollyonline pattern piece can have:
1) The pattern edge needs to be placed on the fold
2) The pattern edge is a hem, this is something you will need to know and recognize
3) The pattern edge has a dotted line
4) The pattern edge is a regular seam

For this explanation I created a faux pattern piece with all 4 options. When I pin the pattern piece down, I need to place edge no.1 on fold as indicated on the pattern piece.
And hooray, the first edge is done : ). Edge no. 2 is a hem so I need to cut 1,5cm hem allowance along that edge.
Et voilà edge no. 2 is cut at 1,5cm from the paper edge. (Yes, it looks crooked, it's not me, it's the paper that pulls up the fabric some... that is my excuse and I'm sticking to it!)

Now onto edge 3, this edge has a dotted line so the seam allowance is already included. I need to cut straight along the paper edge.
I use dotted lines when the seam allowance is not all that important, usually these are square pieces.

Pattern edge no. 4 is next, this is a regular seam and so I will need to cut 6mm allowance.
That's it, done, all edges are cut with the appropriate seam allowance.

This means that with most Wollyonline pattern pieces you will need to cut a fabric edge all around them, a fabric offset if you like. That is because edges with dotted lines are not all that common.

The 6mm seam allowance and 1,5cm hem allowance that I recommend in the pattern description are the industry standards and that is why I use these in my patterns but, this is a secret, I do not use those measurements at all myself... I'm quietly walking out the door...

The 6mm allowance for seams is not my buddy because it's some random place under my favorite sewing foot, oh no! I prefer to line my fabric up right along the outside of my foot and that is about 8mm, so that is what I cut.

Cheers & Happy Cutting,
Christel

Look how happy she is!!

Of course I would like to be a Team Member of the Wollyonline Blog.

But then... what to make?
I asked my daughter what she wanted to have for her doll. A bathrobe.
Christel sent me the pattern very quickly. So I could get started.
The pattern is called Flower Baby, it's for 43cm baby dolls and is sold in the Wollyonline Store.

I only have to keep in mind to take pictures during the steps.
And to read better before I start sewing...
Sometimes I feel like a man, doing first and then reading the instructions.
But I got it finished.

My daughter chose the cotton fabric, purple with dots.
I purchased softest fabric I could find in the cutest store here in the neighbourhood. 

I live in the Northern part of the Netherlands, Friesland, and in the beautiful city Workum there is a cute little store selling a lot of different fabric and more handcraft stuff.

First I pinned the pattern on the fabric, basted the pattern onto the fabric and cut all the pieces.

 Here you see the back placed on the front and I'm sewing the pieces together.

Yes, I can see it already, it's going to be a nice bathrobe. This is the first fitting and everything is looking good!

And here we have the finished bathrobe for a happy doll and a happy daughter : )

I'm happy to introduce our 5th Wollyonline Team member Marij : )

Can you tell us a little about yourself?
My name is Marij, I'm 57 years old and I live in Uden.

How old were you when you started sewing?
I think I was about 12 years old.

What started your sewing career?
The Pfaff treadle machine from my mother. At first I followed the lines on a newspaper, sewing without thread and after that I knew how the machine worked!!

What was the first thing you made?
A dusting cloth from a old sheet.

What are your favorite things to sew?
Now clothes for dolls. Years ago I made clothes for my children en myself.

What would you love to never ever sew again?
Curtains. And clothes for adults. For children it's so much fun to make clothes.

Who is/are the main recipient(s) of your sewn items?
The little children in the family love my doll clothes.

What is something that you always wanted to make but haven’t yet?
I would love to work a couple of days in the studio of a great fashion designer!!!!!

What was your biggest sewing project to date?
My curtains.

What was the most important sewing project to date?
The clothes for my children. And most the dresses for my daughter.

What was the last thing you finished?
Pillowcases for the sofa in the living room.

Were you happy with the result?
Yes, they look lovely.

What was the last thing you had to throw out because it failed desperately?
A dress for myself.

Could it have been saved?
Ooh no

What was your first sewing machine?
For myself a Singer.

What machines(s) do you use these days?
A Singer

Which on is your favourite?
It's my second machine in 35 years, there is not a real difference.

What other crafts do you do?
I love to knit and crochet also for dolls. I also enjoy walking and going for a ride on my bicycle.

Groetjes,
Marij

How wonderful, it's time to meet our 4th Wollyonline Team Member, Kirsten.

Can you tell us a little about yourself?
I am Kirsten, 43 years old, married with Kees and mother of 4 kids: 3 boys and 1 girl in the ages between 8 an 17. I am always busy when my work here at home is ready. Then I am sewing at my dining table or I crochet or knit at the couch in the evening. Since 2006 I sell doll clothing at my website Vera Poppenmode. During all these years I have sold about 1350 complete sets! All made with the patterns of Wollyonline!

How old were you when you started sewing?
I think I was about 10 years old.

What started your sewing career?
My mother sewed a lot of clothes for my sister and me. I always thought: "I would like to do that too!"

What was the first thing you made?
I first sewed a little dress or skirt for my Barbie doll. First by hand, later on with the sewing machine of my mother

What are your favorite things to sew?
When my 4 children were under 4 years old, I sewed clothes for them. When my daughter got her first doll I started making doll clothes … they are my favorite things to sew since then. Later on I started to make home decorations like cushions or buntings and bags/shoppers

What would you love to never ever sew again?
I really don’t love to repair clothes.

Who is/are the main recipient(s) of your sewn items?
I sell my creations at my doll clothing website or homemade website. Or I give them away as presents at (birthday) party’s.

What is something that you always wanted to make but haven’t yet?
I would like to make a (genuine of fake) leather bag someday

What was your biggest sewing project to date?
I am not sure it was the biggest, but I was really proud of the 3 dolls with clothes I sewed last spring.


What was the most important sewing project to date?
The most important projects are always those I make for my family and friends for their birthdays or other occasions.

What was the last thing you finished?
My last finished project was a linen shopper (with zipper) with a piping edge. I decorated it with a large crochet mandala, which I made in France during our summer holidays.

Were you happy with the result?
Yes, very happy! The colors of the mandala are so bright and look fantastic on the dark blue shopper. The handles, which I made from fabric and rope, have really succeeded as well.

What was the last thing you had to throw out because it failed desperately?
I wanted to make a cover for a book from oilcloth but my sewing machine made a really big mess of the seams.

Could it have been saved?
I removed the ugly seams and when I tried again it looked a little better, so I saved it ... I will make a new one sometime and hope it will succeed.

What was your first sewing machine?
My first machine was a Toyota. It was a gift from my parents when I was graduated as a teacher.

What machines(s) do you use these days?
I use my Singer 7422 sewing machine and my Happylock 2000DSA lock machine.

What other crafts do you do?
If I could, I would do them all but my favorites are crochet, knitting and of course sewing. My crochet cuddle toys, bags, buntings, etc, creations are being sold on my other website: Hip Homemade

And I love to do my sports: cycling/spinning, ice-speed skating and inline skating. So never a dull moment for me….

Groetjes,
Kirsten
Vera Poppenmode
Hip Homemade