Lately I've been contemplating the idea of change. It feels like I exist on a perpetual see-saw of relishing in the safety of same-ness, while also craving the excitement of change. My twenties contained a lot of action and excitement, but along with that came turbulence and stress. For the last 4 years I've slowed down a lot, and although it's felt healing in many ways, I'm itching for something a little different. 

 

Spring feels like the perfect time to think of new beginnings, as the natural world comes to life again. But for many of us, this winter has felt extra long, as if the grip of everything we've endured since 2020 hasn't entirely loosened, like things have never quite returned to “normal," whatever that means.

 

In my life, a massive change has been slowly simmering: a move to Sweden, a belated wedding, and starting an indie pattern business. In many ways, this has all been in the works since that first lockdown, and it feels very symbolic for me. It feels like I've been in a long wintering period of developing and exploring, and I'm finally so ready to enter into the next phase. 

 

Where in your own life do you sense glimmers of change? 

I'm currently planning our extremely belated wedding, so I thought it would be fun to share some of my inspiration. I designed and printed my own invitations on handmade paper (which is proving to be more complicated than I expected) and I'm sourcing a lot of the decorations from secondhand stores or making them myself. The wedding will be in Sweden this July, so I chose a color palette that feels like golden sunshine and the shade beneath trees, earthy yet luminous. There will also be an element of the Midsummer holiday and I envision creating a “build your own flower crown” station as a fun activity. Since this will be the first time my family will visit Sweden, I want it to be not only a party, but also an abundant experience that they'll remember for a long time.

Lately I've been drawn to slightly more complex, architectural, or asymmetrical designs. I really want to challenge myself in the future to create a sewing pattern inspired by these concepts. 

 

I'm imagining a design that doesn't rely on the typical seam placements - sides, waist, shoulder - but reorients the pieces entirely. I have no idea how that will play out, and maybe I need to get myself a dress form and learn how to drape! 

 

I also would love to create a funky button-up shirt - something that takes classically tailored details and alters them to be a little unexpected.

 

Whatever I come up with, it's exciting to know that there is always more to uncover with any creative genre, that I still have areas to explore, and that I can keep finding new things to explore for the rest of my life. I hope you also find the things that keep you exploring!