What Am I Working on This Week?
This week, I’m starting something a little different on the blog. Instead of my usual tips and advice, this is more like a small backstage peek into what I’m actually working on right now. I’m calling this series What Am I Working on This Week?, and the idea is very simple. I want to show you what I’m making, what I’m planning next, and a few behind-the-scenes moments before I start sewing – and during it too 😉.
Because this is the first article in this format, I’ll be honest with you – I feel a bit confused. When I write tips articles, I already know exactly how it should look. I have a clear structure in my head, I know what goes where, and everything feels quite organised. This… is different 🙈. It feels new, slightly messy, and yes, a little bit frustrating. So if this one feels a bit bumpy, just bear with me. I promise it will get smoother with time 😂.
If you’re new here – hi, I’m Alyona. I’ve been sewing and crafting for as long as I can remember. And if you’re already here with me regularly, welcome back. Same blog, same me… just a slightly different kind of story this time 👋.
The First Job – Organising My Patterns
Today, I needed to decide what I’m going to work on next week. And before I can even pick a project, I have to organise everything first. You honestly wouldn’t believe how many patterns I have sitting there, created about a year ago, and still not made 🙈. Sometimes I draft patterns because customers ask me for something very specific. For example, someone might ask for a French bulldog, and I end up creating a few different versions for them.
Even though I feel very confident in my patterns – I’ve been doing this for years now – I still test everything ✂️. Always!!! Sometimes customers are happy to buy a pattern before I’ve even tested it, which honestly makes me smile a bit. It’s like they trust my patterns more than I do sometimes 😂☝️… But still, testing is part of my process, and I don’t skip it.
So today’s article is really about organisation. The first thing I did was grab all my patterns from my A4 folders. I have already written about this system in my article How to Store Your Sewing Patterns the Best Way. If you are also surrounded by patterns and feeling a bit lost, that article may help you.
Splitting Everything Into Folders
My first step was to separate my patterns into two different folders. In one folder, I put all the patterns I have already made, tested, and listed in my Sewing Patterns Collection. In the other folder, I put all the patterns I have created but never tested properly.
This article is also a bit different, because I’m not writing it all in one go. I’m actually documenting the process as it happens throughout the week. So I stop, do the task, then come back and continue writing. That’s exactly what I do right now 🙈. First, I spread all the patterns between the two folders, and then I came back to tell you what happened next.
Once that part was done, I parked the finished folder to one side and just left it there. I’m not touching it now. Instead, I’m focusing on the folder with all the patterns I’ve never made yet. That’s where the fun is… and also where the chaos lives a little bit 😄
How I Prepare Projects Before Sewing
After that, I start separating the unfinished patterns again 🙈. This time, I sort them by excitement level. Some patterns I’m really excited to work on right now, and others can wait a bit longer. I also have my own little system for preparing projects in advance, because I like everything to be ready before I start.
For sewing projects, I usually use plastic bags because fabric takes more space, and I often need zips, elastics, and other supplies. I put everything together and label the bag with the pattern name. For felt projects, it’s much simpler. I keep the project inside the file with the pattern itself, and I add the Soft Felt. That is usually enough to get started.
I don’t normally add thread to each file because it’s easy to grab later, and I often use the same colours across many projects. I use a lot of skin tone shades in felt, so it would be a bit silly to buy twenty bobbins just to give every project its own thread set. So I keep my thread separately and only prepare the felt pieces in advance. I also like to pre-cut the felt, so I don’t keep full sheets inside the file. I cut the elements first and drop them inside. That’s just how I organise things. It works for me and keeps everything tidy enough to save my nerves.
A Small Problem – Supplies
While I’m separating the patterns, I keep going back to my website to check whether I have already made some of them or not 😂. That already tells you how long ago some of these patterns were created. I honestly forget a few of them. After checking everything, I end up with what can only be described as a mountain of new patterns.
At the moment, I have 43 patterns that are not listed online yet and still need to be made. I also have 4 patterns that are in the drafting and testing stage, because I already made a first attempt and now need to correct a few things. Then I have 112 patterns that are already done and waiting for you on my website.
While doing this sorting, I also realise that some of the projects do not have enough felt left. My stock of soft felt is running down, so that changes the system again 🤦♀️. Suddenly, I don’t have just two categories anymore. I have three. The first category is patterns I want to make right now and already have supplies for. The second is patterns I can schedule for later. The third is patterns I want to make, but cannot start yet because they need extra supplies 😂.
Choosing the Winner
Once everything went back into the folders with the proper sticker categories, I finally had a clearer view. It felt a bit like restoring order after chaos. One folder for patterns I want to make right now, one for patterns I can schedule for later, and one for patterns that need extra supplies first. Simple… in theory.
Of course, there were plenty of patterns I really wanted to start immediately 🙈. Naturally, the weather decided not to cooperate this week. Going shopping did not feel like a great plan 💦. Waiting for delivery was not really an option either 😂. I want to create something now, not sit there dramatically staring at the wall while the postman casually holds my entire creative future in his hands.
So I had to pick a winner from the patterns I could already make with what I have at home. And honestly, delivery is not even the main issue here. The real struggle is choosing. I like taking my time browsing supplies online, even though I usually buy from the same supplier. I still compare everything. And I am not a fan of surprises, especially when I am excited about a project and the supplies arrive looking nothing like what I had in mind. That is a very specific kind of disappointment.
For this article, my main goal was simply to show you the process. It is a little bumpy because I have never written anything like this before. But I really wanted to finish this first one properly. Not just talking, but actually ending with a clear result – one selected pattern that will officially become my project of the week.
What These Articles Will Be About
The plan is that next week I will tell you all about the chosen project. I want this little series to show the full process from beginning to end, not just the nice finished result. That does not mean the pattern itself takes a full week to make. Usually, it does not at all ✂️.
What actually takes the most time is everything around it. Preparing, filming, taking photos, editing, and then all the post-production that quietly sits behind the scenes. That is the part people do not always see, but it is where most of the time disappears.
That is also why I wanted to turn this into both articles and newsletters. A newsletter gets sent once, and if someone is not on the list yet, they simply miss it. An article stays on the blog. So even if you arrive later, you can still see how I organise everything and what really happens behind the scenes.
I do not want this to be just “here is the pattern of the week” and that is it. That would be far too simple. I want to show what happens after the sewing as well, because that part is just as important.
So these posts will include things like how I create the project, how I record the process, how I take the product photos myself, and how I edit everything afterwards. I also record videos for my YouTube channel, so if you want to see the step-by-step creation, that is where you can watch it. These articles will be more like a proper A to Z diary of my creative week, with all the little bits in between that usually stay hidden.
Newsletter Plans and What You Can Subscribe To
Because I now have different newsletters, I also want these weekly updates to match that. I have one newsletter for people who are interested in craft and do not really want sewing content. And I have a separate one just for sewing people. So each week, the idea is simple – one project for the craft side and one for the sewing side 🧵☝️.
It also will not always be only felt or only underwear sewing. You probably already know this about me – I like trying things. I like starting new projects. So these updates can include felt, general craft, beads, sewing, and anything else I get myself into that week. Basically, if I am making it, preparing it, filming it, photographing it, or slightly struggling with it… it can end up in this series 😉.
If you want to get those updates, you can subscribe on My website. And If you are mostly interested in craft, felt, or maybe some bead projects, then the craft list is the one for you. If you are more into sewing, underwear making, clothing, supplies, and everything that involves a sewing machine, then the sewing list will suit you better. And if you are my Fan 🫶 and want everything and do not mind a bit of creative chaos in all directions, then just go for both.
My Pattern of the Week
So, after all that sorting, checking, dividing, and a bit of confusion, I finally select the pattern I’m going to work on next week 🎉. And yes… the winner is a Frenchie pattern. Why this one? Very simple – I have a Frenchie, and I love making my Frenchie little Frenchie friends 😂. Honestly, that reason is more than enough for me.
That means next week’s article will be all about this project. I’ll show you how I organise it, how I prepare everything, and how the whole process goes from the very beginning to the final result. That’s really what I want this series to become – a small weekly window into what I’m actually doing, not just the polished version you usually see at the end.
And while the next article is not out yet, I think you may enjoy reading The Ultimate Felt-Craft Supplies Checklist You Need Right Now!. It is a nice one if you want something useful to read while staying with me through this first slightly wobbly article.
Thank You for Reading This First One
This article honestly feels a bit like me writing and not always knowing what to say next. There is no perfect structure in my head yet, and yes, that can feel a little bit frustrating. So thank you for staying with me through all this little blah blah blah. Truly, I appreciate it 🫶.
As a small thank you, you can grab my Free Sewing Pattern and test it completely free. I hope you enjoy the process.
That is it for this first What Am I Working on This Week? article. Thank you so much for being here, and I will see you in the next one, Bye 👋.
