Creative Dreams 2024?

Dear readers,

At the end of the year, we tend to look back in many ways.

Inspired by Josefa’s thread, I checked my computer to see what crafts I’d made in 2023. And I realized that last year I crocheted and knitted much less, but sewed and did more crafts instead.


It seems an inner transformation has taken place within me over the last two years, almost without my noticing it. I started sewing when my youngest granddaughter was born just under two years ago. Since then, sewing has been winning an ever-greater place in my heart. There are so many beautiful fabrics and patterns and cuts—endless possibilities for creative expression.

Today, I could spend hours looking at fabrics online or wandering around a fabric store, touching and feeling everything and imagining what could be made from them. I used to be able to do that in a yarn shop, too. But if I had to choose today between visiting a yarn shop OR a fabric store, the fabrics would win out. Everything changes, after all—even our crafting preferences. 

Now my questions for you:
Is it the same for you? Are your crafting preferences changing, or do you stay true to your favorite craft? Who switches between different crafts? Do you want to try something new in 2024? Or do you want to revive an old craft technique that you may have mastered in the past? The creative world is so colorful with its many possibilities. What else appeals to you?

I’d love to get a glimpse into your creative dreams.

Warm regards, Ina

Dear Ina,
you’ve conjured up some truly beautiful things here. One of your greatest talents is definitely combining patterns, shapes, and colors. You always do it SOOOO well.

I started sewing almost three years ago and had a lot of fun with it. But I love knitting and crocheting just as much. There just isn’t enough time. For this year, I’ve made a firm resolution to finish the knitting projects I’ve started and to write up patterns. I’m already well on my way with that. But my head is already full of new ideas for crocheting, knitting, and crafting again. It’s going to be another battle with myself. Due to personal circumstances, I don’t have as much time for my hobby as I used to. On top of that, I often have to look after my grandnephew because the daycare is closed quite often. But I wouldn’t want to miss this time for anything. Right now, that’s my greatest joy. Little Carl is now 3 years old, and I love it when we cuddle on the couch and I read to him.

I wish everyone a creative year and send my warmest
regards, Petra

Ina, what you describe with the fabrics—I experience that every time I walk into a fabric store :-) Sewing will always be my passion; when I knit something, I go to the yarn shop and buy only the yarn I need for it. But it looks like that’s going to become less and less of a thing, because my fingers are so arthritic that I can barely hold a knitting needle anymore.
As you so beautifully describe, with fabric you can be sooooooooooooooo versatile and creative—like I am today, for example, because I designed a wallet; I’ll show you the prototype later.

Love, Inge

@ursulapetra
Dear Petra, I'm glad you like my style. Everyone has their own personal signature, and they will always stay true to it. It's exactly the same with you. When I look in your shop, I can tell right away, yes, that's Petra. She makes exactly those colorful, cheerful children's things that warm the heart and make children's eyes light up.

I'm very happy that little 3-year-old Carl is now your No. 1. When he comes, everything else takes a back seat. You forget your worries and even your own plans and crafts—and during your time together, you devote yourself only to the child. They give us so much joy and let us be children again ourselves. Just yesterday I spent a long time drawing pictures with my granddaughter Lisann. I had her little hand in mine and together we drew about 40 faces ... "Dot, dot, comma, dash, that's the moon face finished." Do you still know that?

Yes, you can do everything at the same time. But when there is less time for it, it turns into stress. But I personally have found that when I try to do justice to EVERYTHING, I become dissatisfied. Simply because it just doesn't work. I always need to have a strategic direction in my head. For that I need to pause, look back, and listen to my gut feeling. Doing everything equally well doesn't work for me. I want to give every project I make my full attention. If that can no longer be guaranteed, then I have to cut something. The crafts shouldn't stress me out; I want to enjoy them!

@ Akela
Dear Inge, your great good fortune is that you found your passion for sewing early on. You were able to expand and perfect your knowledge in this field over decades. One might think, yes, she learned it. It's her profession. But a profession and a calling are two different things. You can be able to do things, but still not live them out with such enthusiasm and perseverance. And with you, your love of sewing projects is especially noticeable. I have already learned a lot from you, and today I would simply like to thank you personally and very warmly for it. Your expertise about fabrics and sewing and embroidery is so great and varied. Everyone can always learn something from your posts. You enrich our forum so much!

You will be able to cope with the fact that you can no longer knit (much) because of your hands. As long as you can sew, you are happy. In life we always have to say goodbye to things. The older we get, the more abilities we lose. It's wonderful when the things that are especially important to us are allowed to stay with us. So enjoy sewing your beautiful things, the embroidery, and talking about it. If you can do one thing really well with love, then you can do without the many others that are actually just gap fillers, can't you?

Best wishes, Ina

Ina, wouldn’t it be boring if we spent our whole lives doing just one hobby?
I also started sewing in 2020, back then with masks—that opened up a whole new creative world for me.
I actually have more fabric lying around here than I’d like right now, since I took over the mountains my sister had accumulated—she’s currently going through her long-collected magazines. Let’s see how much that ends up being… she’s clearing out because she has to move and downsize—I’ll haul it all away because she can’t do it anymore. A lot of it ends up staying with me…
Still, I really enjoy crocheting—it doesn’t create as much chaos 🤣.
I also often combine different types of crafts, which I find particularly exciting.
Due to personal circumstances, though, I’m having a hard time focusing on writing patterns—there’s just too much going through my head. That often frustrates me, but whenever I start, I get stuck somewhere and can’t finish it. As a result, there are quite a few half-finished projects lying around here—which I usually don’t like at all. We’ll see when I can find a little more inner peace again.
Oh well, that’s just how it is.
As long as I can be creative in some way…

Dear Ina, once again you’ve brought up a topic that makes us think… and feel. You’ve really become such a pro at sewing—honestly, I admire that so much.

Knitting will always be my favorite pastime. I really miss it when I don’t get to do it for a few days.

What I’d like to take up in 2024 is sewing. Back when my son was little, I even sewed clothes for him that looked really great. That way, I could dress him fashionably without spending much money. Unfortunately, I don’t have a nice, permanent spot where I can keep my sewing machine. It’s always a bit of a hassle to have to move everything back and forth. Maybe I’ll come up with a solution.

There’s one more thing I’d like to start this year. We’ve finally set up our keyboard again—it had been gathering dust for a long time. I’d really like to finally learn all its features, try them out, and play some creative melodies on it.

Warm regards to all of you from Monika

@Fun-Design
Dear Claudia, I understand you completely. When you’re stressed and it feels like it’s dragging on endlessly, you can’t be creative. You only have enough energy for little things to help you relax. But big, ongoing projects just aren’t possible during stressful times. You simply have other things on your plate right now. Your sister needs your support, and you’re there for her. That’s more important. The patterns you’ve started will just have to wait. Things will get back to normal, and then you’ll have more time for yourself and your creative ideas again.

@mowi19
Dear Monika, I’m glad my post got you thinking. Especially at the start of the year, it’s okay to make all kinds of resolutions. The year is still young and waiting for us to fill it with beautiful things that make us happy. These can certainly be tried-and-true favorites, but new things can invigorate us, too.

You’re staying true to knitting. It’s simply your absolute favorite pastime. Isn’t it wonderful that you can say that with such certainty? Knitting will always give you a sense of inner happiness and help you relax. It’s like yoga, only with knitting needles and yarn.

Since your sewing machine doesn’t have a permanent spot and you always have to move it back and forth, it gets difficult. That’s a hindrance in the long run. I think you and your husband should sit down together and think again about where a permanent spot for it might be. Maybe another piece of furniture could be moved so it can have a permanent place. Everything needs to be in its place so we can fully devote ourselves to our creative side.

I also think it’s great that you want to start using your keyboard. We often buy things that we don’t explore thoroughly enough. They all just wait until we bring them out into the light and give them our full attention.

Best regards, Ina