How the hack did you do that? @broers_3 and her #Lia

NATHALIE

I'm Nathalie, @broers_3 for Instagram friends, and boy mom of three. Besides sewing, reading, travelling and a recently developed passion for vegetable gardening, I teach my middle son part-time.

My mum and grandma are talented seamstresses, but I didn't start sewing myself until 2016 with the help of  YouTube videos and sewing magazines. Two years later, I was able to make it my profession at LanaLotta in Leuven. This year, I stop teaching sewing classes to focus entirely on home classes and my job as a learning support worker. I already have a number of Fibre Mood sewing projects on my to-do list for the evenings that will become available.  

NATHALIE'S BLOG

I started posting in 2019 under the influence and expert guidance of my colleague Heleen. Instagram is ideal for gathering ideas and sewing tips and posting creations of my own. I was pleasantly surprised by the warmth and positivity of the sewing community and the sweet comments or DMs on new garments.  

My most popular IG post is a shirt dress. In second place, a video of my eldest son sewing tote bags as a teacher's gift. I love that I can pass on my passion to my children. And one of my children actually chose my Instagram name! My first Instagram name was a combo of my 2 eldest sons' names, Gabriel and Elias. However, when Finn was born, Gabriel felt this was absolutely out of the question as there were now 3 brothers. Simple and super cute, I'm still very happy with it. 

FIBRE MOOD

Fibre Mood fits well with contemporary fashion and there are photos of the patterns in different sizes and fabric types, which I think is a big plus. I don't have a favourite pattern myself but the one that garners the most compliments is the Lia hack. 

The Lia hack was a spur of the moment decision. I saw a beautiful cotton lawn from Liberty and decided a floaty summer dress with bare shoulders suited it well. I couldn't find any patterns until I saw the Lia top. It was a simple hack; I lengthened the top by 8cm and then put a gathering strip 35cm high underneath. 

In the near future, I am planning two more Fibre Mood hacks; the Paulette and the Ermine blouse. From both, I am going to make a body. I don't like wearing a belt with my jeans and a body will make me feel more comfortable if I have to bend down. Blouses in body shape are hard to find and I think the Paulette and the Ermine lend themselves perfectly to it.  

I'M MOST PROUD OF...

A jellyfish costume I made for a scout party. I incorporated LED lights in the head and my son won the prize for best costume that year. I found the inspiration partly on the internet and partly in the creative minds of my kids, then it was just trial and error until I had it the way I wanted it.

MY GOLDEN TIP

The tip I would give novice Sewistas is to dare and keep trying. Don't rush if it doesn't go by the book, take a breath of fresh air, and try it your own way.  I rarely follow instructions and don't lose sleep over some unpicking. That, in my opinion, is where you learn the most. I also write down what I did differently, that way I remember it for next time.

Are you totally inspired by Nathalie's hack or feel like hacking a pattern yourself? Then be sure to share your creation on our website or via Instagram with the hashtag #FibreMood + the name of the pattern!