My four years of creating - how it all began

Some people are the self-taught kinda folks.

Others need someone else in order to move forward.

People often ask me where and how I learnt the things I'm dedicating most of my free time to. Sewing, knitting, the rest. I'm always emphasizing that I'm still learning and my creations are works of a beginner. Of a very enthusiastic, focused and prioritizing-these-things-over-other-activities person. But still a beginner.

Thanks to the great teachers in my life I came to realize that my hands are not as clumsy as I thought they were. My Mom provided the basics, but back in the days when I was a kid and later a teen living at home, it was not really times like now when handcrafting was a Thing. And anyways, I had my two flannel shirts, what else should I have needed?

Sitting outside at our goodbye-party in Berlin a few years later and talking to one lovely girl from the Ukraine, I was asked by her what I wanted to do with my life now. Without any hesitation I came up with the answer - I want to learn how to make clothes. 

When I came to live in Prague, things somehow kicked off. I found my first sewing machine under the Christmas tree, I cried in despair when I could not thread the needles properly and then acknowledged that I might not be a self-taught genius able to command sophisticated machines without any prior experience.

It was time to find the right teacher.


Today marks four years from the day I wrote the first shy (and when I read it today, also pretty embarrassing) message to Zuzka. I found her on the "Czech Etsy" website called Fler, where she smiled on her profile photo, had orange hair and had just the most straightforward description of her classes you could sign up for.  

In reality, Zuzka's had pink hair since I first met her. She's the kind of teacher who could teach you how to construct a rocket and crochet a lace-scarf while flying to the moon. She is also one of those people who - even if they know so much and can do so much - still remain kind, humble and encouraging towards those who are just learning. And she is strict in the best way possible. Because you don't want a teacher who would praise you for any shapeless cloth you'd create.

I would like to show you what I accomplished during the last for years with a special focus on my handmade creations. It's not really something to brag about, it's not many items indeed. I created all of them while being full-time employed, traveling quite a lot and maintaining interpersonal relationships ideally face to face (and with some wine involved). Balancing all this can be pretty tiring, especially when that little voice inside whispers: Just one more row, Margita... It's only 2 p.m., you can sew two more pieces together... Hey, why not spend your Saturday indoors sewing on buttons and looking for inspirational dress-cuts on Pinterest?

So, what have I made so far?

I sew some flower-y pieces for myself and people dear to me,

I had many knitting-sessions resulting in warm pieces,

there were colorful and also simple items created,

and I also made little friends for people I love.

In case you are wondering if you are good enough or if you are thinking you are too old... Don't. Yes, there is plenty of 20-year-olds who have already built a business or a career and earned money and fame on what you want to learn, but who cares? Imagine, one day... sooner than you'd think... there will come a day four years from now. If you want to be the Future You you've always dreamed of, you need to start working on it.

NOW.