I’ve been a fan of Sofilantjes from the very first pattern release, the Summer Surprise.Dress and Tunic. (I actually tested it using Miss V as my model –that’s her back in the Sofilantjes banner I have up).
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. All affiliate links are marked with an asterisk (*). I am an affiliate for Sofilantjes, I love her patterns!
I have since made many more of her patterns. You can see the Otium’s I blogged here and here; The Omni here; the ADVtee here, and the second Summer Surprise I made here. Sofilantjes is by far the one designer I have sewn the most of. All of them have a great fit with some room to grow, in fact the owl Otium I made a year ago Miss V is just now growing out of. (Which is great because she LOVES that shirt, she wears it as soon as it’s been washed). Sofilantjes recently released the Hibernis Cowl top* which has a really Euro feel to it and unfortunately I missed the sale! Wah! I’ll be picking it up soon though! Enough about me though… Read on to learn a little more about Anne and Sofilantjes patterns!
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Tell us a little about yourself and where you live.
My name is Anne and I live in the Netherlands with my family. I am married and we have two children together, a son and a daugther. We live in a house we bought about 4 years a go and love where we live. School is in walking distance and my best friend lives right behind me. In the Netherlands houses aren’t that big so we have a small house. We also are a two income family so aside from being creative I also work outside of the house for three days a week.
Is there one place (landmark, shop, restaurant, etc) or activity in your town/city that you always recommend to new visitors?
There are lots of places that are worth visiting in the Netherlands. Think about Amsterdam, that is not a far drive from us. The Netherlands is a very small country so when you book a hotel in the middle you can drive to anything. The longest drive you will make will be about two hours. If you go further you will be in Belgium or Germany 🙂
Do you think that being from the Netherlands has an influence on what or how you create?
I do. I think everything that we make is influenced by our culture. I look at what people around me wear and have my own ideas about what I think is beautifull. I noticed that something that is trending inthe Netherlands in (not yet) in America or something that is trending in Germany isn’t trending here at all.
Where do you find your inspiration? Who or what inspires you?
My children are my biggest inspiration. But I also love to create new things. Functional things. I find inspiration in magazines, online, in the shops, at the playground or just on the streets.
Do you remember the first thing you ever created? Any pictures to share?
The first thing I remember is the cradle curtain for my unborn. After that I made a quilted blanket. I have pictures of it. It is so beautiful and I still love the pictures. The curtain later became a cover for a larger blanket that we use downstairs and we cuddle under during movie nights.
Describe your workspace.
My workspace now is my daugthers old room. It is a little space with a lot off stuff. And a lot of fabric. I try to keep it organized as far as I can. It is also used as a storage room so there is very little space to walk, but I have my own room now so I am very happy!
What made you decide to start your business? Was there any one pivotal moment that made you finally take that leap?
I have written about this before. I started my buisiness during a burn out. I decided it was time to take a step towards me time…………..
Have you needed to overcome any challenges while running your business?
A lot to be honest. I have been scared of not being good enough. All the finance and tax things are overwhelming. And I really want everything to be perfect. It is still hard for me to put so much off myself out there. But at the same time I love it. I love showing how beautiful my children are and I love sharing my sewing and designing with people who love the same thing I do.
Why did you decide to start a blog?
I really wanted to share what I made and have some nice contacts. I am really very proud of my family and showing through my blog is a way to vent that. Also it feels like a journal of a huge part of my life….sewing.
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You can find Anne at her website, her Facebook page or in her Facebook sewing group where you can get help or tips for sewing her patterns!
Anne recently posted a sneak preview of the next pattern that will be going into testing. Keep an eye out on her page or in the sewing group if you’d like to apply to test it!
P.S. Check out my ‘Featured Interviews‘ page to find even more interviews with some of my favourite bloggers and pattern designers!
