Continued where I left off from my sewing after getting home from work today. Had a quick dinner, browsed through my patternmaking book to get ideas and visualize how the rest of the garment should look like. Added on a 6cm width waist band today (not pictured yet) to prepare it for the lower part of the garment. Already decided on the design for the bottom. It'll have to be lined.

It's a great to be able to focus on something else. "Never sew when you are tired," they say and surprisingly I was pretty stoked to get home to work on this even though most of other days I'll be totally worn out already. It's something I really looked forward to.

Undercurrents of other issues still affects me but doing this let me reprioritise what deserves my attention and what doesn't. In a way, it helps me to stop myself from adding fuel to a flame, which I really could do without right now.

Good night, sweet dreams.

Love,

Sarah Zainal

It feels like a fight - against time, against the past, against my emotions to get back up again.

It's what I've been wanting to do again for a long time. Why has it been so difficult to start again and why haven't I been doing it? If you'd been in my shoes, you'd know.

It's still a struggle.

One day at a time. It's something I've been looking forward to now and the thought of it keeps me going.

It still hurts when I think back, but you know, what doesn't kill you...

I feel like I'm a weed. The annoying creepers that they try to keep uprooting but it's relentless and still grows back nevertheless.

Alright this post is just about how I feel starting back again. Hope I didn't offend anyone.

Keeping in mind who has been genuinely supportive of me through my toughest times. Thank you.

And those opportunists, I'm wary of, and I know. Only coming around when they have something to gain. That's reality though. Just don't confuse them as something else.

Pardon me if I'd been blunt.

Love,

Sarah Zainal

I've always wondered how those faux floral decor were made especial in materials like satin, organza or tulle which frays tremendously along the edges when cut. Always loved wedding dresses that had these soft floral details.

These YouTube tutorials that teaches how to make similar flowers. Pretty easy to make and does not require much materials.

Basically the items needed are:

• satin ribbon/organza/satin/tulle. Any synthetic fabric that melts with heat.
• candle, water on standby
• needle and thread
• stamens/beads/decorative buttons for the center of the flower.

It's also a great way to up-cycle pieces of leftover fabric swatches and turn them into something beautiful.

I'd prefer the flowers to be in the same colours as the outfit itself as it adds texture to the garment.

I recently came across this sewing blog which gave tips on using horse hair braids to help support and structure necklines and hems.

So far I've only used the horsehair braids to structure bows for belts like the below: