FIFTY - ONE

I'm 51 today, wow! And it feels like the perfect time to take a little trip down memory lane.

I'm Svetlana Sotak, and I work from my home studio in Utrecht, Netherlands. This is very much a one-woman operation, and honestly, I love it. I wear many hats daily - from designing patterns and filming tutorials to answering emails, doing bookkeeping (my least favorite part), and keeping everything running behind the scenes. Sometimes it can be a little lonely, and there are certainly days when it all feels a bit overwhelming. But for the most part, I genuinely love being in charge of what I create. I get to follow my own ideas, work at my own pace, and build a business that reflects who I am. The freedom to set my own schedule and spend my days creating is something I never take for granted.

I started sewing about 15 years ago, and it all happened completely on a whim after I spotted a quilting magazine in my local shop. For some reason, I looked at it and thought ‘I could make a quilt’ :).

A quilt! Of all the sewing projects a complete beginner could choose, that's what I decided to tackle. As you can probably imagine, it didn't go quite as smoothly as I'd pictured. I basted the entire quilt using about 20 pins. Yes, twenty! Unsurprisingly, the layers shifted all over the place as I quilted it. But despite my less-than-professional approach, it wasn't a complete disaster. Looking back now, I can't help but smile because that imperfect first quilt was the beginning of everything.

Not long after that, quilting completely took over my life. I quilted like a possessed woman! Every evening, after I'd tucked my children into bed, I'd clear a space at the dining table, switch on my sewing machine, and sew for hours. Those quiet nighttime sessions became my creative escape, a chance to learn, experiment, and make something just for the joy of it.

Eventually, I got quilting out of my system and found myself drawn to bag making. I slowly started designing my own patterns, and what began as an impulse hobby grew into something I never could have imagined.

Watching so many of you make my designs, share your beautiful creations, and become part of this wonderful community has been one of the greatest joys of my life.

To everyone who has sewn one of my patterns, shared your projects, cheered me on, or simply followed along over the years - thank you! Your encouragement and support have meant more than you'll ever know, and I'm so grateful you've been part of this journey with me.

Here's to another year of creating, learning, and making beautiful things together.

Svetlana