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Eleni Pappa

@eleni_sews

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Mother, teacher, sewist 🧑🏻‍🦱🧑🏻‍🦱🧑🏼‍🏫🪡🧵
Athens, Greece 🇬🇷

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Finally, the long-awaited event arrived. Thank you to @londonfrocktails for all their hard work organising a fun event where we got to catch up with like-minded people, meet fellow Instagrammers IRL, show off months of hard work and bop the night away.
How amazing is this- on a trip to Athens last December, I met up with @eleni_sews to go fabric shopping. I saw some lovely liquid satin but managed to resist it- she only went and gave me some last night! I’m so so touched and grateful. Thank you again Eleni. Then, in an embarrassment of riches, I won a raffle prize which I’d been thinking of buying! Thank you to @sew.alison for the 6 month membership.
It’s no secret I’m a huge fan of Elsa Schiaparelli so I wanted to make an outfit in homage to her. I tried to incorporate a blend of original and modern touches from the House.
My initial inspiration is from @danielroseberry, @schiaparelli - see photo. Elsa ‘invented’ shocking pink so I was very happy to find this cheap upholstery fabric on a trip to París, where I also bought the navy silk cady. She was an early adopter of the zip - preferably chunky plastic ones, hence mine in the back.
Beading is a big feature in Schiaparelli so this was my first attempt- each of these was individually sewn on- thanks to @zestandlavender for encouraging me.
Schiaparelli worked with many surrealists for whom body parts were important symbols. Thanks to @marianguillenp_ for drawing the hands. I was totally over the moon to find the earrings in a charity shop which I then sprayed. I thought I’d finished there but another visit to the exhibition inspired me to embark on what turned out to be a challenging, lengthy sew to make a turban. I wasn’t convinced about it but was persuaded to stick with it.
It’s been a fabulous few days with my sewing buddies
@sandra.stitched, @fionio1 and @i_still_have_nothing_to_wear
Sewing brings me such joy, so many friends and fun opportunities.
This is my longest post ever, thanks for reading and …. Happy Sewing!
#londonfrocktails#iwearwhatiwant#schiaparelli #vintagepatterns #surrealism by @eleni_sews

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6 days ago

Happy birthday @sewover50!!! 🎂🥂💝🥳🥳🥳

Too difficult task for me! Only one colour?
I love all colours and I was keeping my favourite as a secret…😂
Anyway! For your birthday! My favourite is the one I look for first when entering the fabric store… by @eleni_sews

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2 months ago

Balloon pants energy… 🎈🎈🎈
I interrupt my series of beloved recycled no pattern makes for a trend I didn’t know I would love so much: harem pants by @vikisews
It is the #vikisews_dilara #vikisews_дилара that I saw sewn and styled by Julie @sur_le_portant and I was convinced to give them a try. I love them! ❤️
Easy to make (one pattern piece), amazing pockets. The only part that needs patience is the elastic…
And bonus: I used this polyester fabric I had in my stash before 2019 and I didn’t know why I purchased it (apart from the fact that the colour is beautiful)! 🤔🤨
This fabric gave me hard time: slippery, no ideal to iron neither to make notches nor marks…
It is a very 😉 wearable toile before cutting the good stuff… the weather is not so hot in Greece this summer 😄 and it was windy when taking the pictures.
It is of course #2fromstashamonth by the lovelies Nic and Helga @septemberfaden and @salixsews
#so50visible #sewagainstageism by @eleni_sews

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2 months ago

Dad’s shirt…
I kept this old shirt because I like how lightweight the fabric is… perfect for summer.

Judging by the shape of the original pocket and how fitted the shirt is, it is quite old. I can’t tell by the collar as dad gave all his 70’s shirts to a tailor so as to cut and change the shape of the collars. It is a made in Greece shirt according to the label. This shore/ craft industry doesn’t exist anymore and I couldn’t find more info about it.

I made the embroidery by copying an old tablecloth damaged by the earthquake of 1953 in Zante and kept (who knows why- I vaguely remember she wanted to remake it) by mom… I used embroidery threads from mom’s huge stash. Swipe to see the original embroidery ➡️➡️➡️

I covered the original pocket by a crocheted square I found in mom’s house as a toile for a future project…
And I cropped by 12 cm and re hemmed the shirt… ta-da!
Worn with my favourite #rtshadid trousers by @ready_to_sew ❤️

#sustainablefashion #upcycledfashion #so50visible #sewagainstageism taken in Métsovo, Ioannina, Greece by @eleni_sews

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3 months ago

A hand embroidered curtain became a skirt…

Not much to say about the construction of this project. I found a hand embroidered pair of curtains in a cupboard at our village house… Mom had surely made the hemstitch as she was making this kind of hem everywhere! Swipe for close ups ➡️➡️➡️
I don’t know if she was the one who had embroidered the curtains or my grandma… anyway. This specific piece was seriously damaged and after bleaching it I was able to save the upper part and turning it into this skirt. I kept the hems (the upper part of the curtain as it is upside down) and I used an old also damaged nightgown as a lining. ➡️➡️➡️
I cut a waistband out of a white sheet and inserted elastic!
A summer skirt was made in a few hours…
At the back you will see that the embroidery is not aligned but it is a handmade embroidery so… 🤷🏼
#refashion #so50visible #iwearwhatiwant #sewover50 #upcycledfashion sustainablefashion taken in Τοξωτό Γεφύρι Κόκκορη by @eleni_sews

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3 months ago

Freedom is
…when summer comes and you are away from a toxic workplace at least for 2 months
… when you sew
… when you finish a last year’s WIP
A vision that became a dress using linen scraps by previous projects (4 trousers, 2 dresses) and cutting small pieces from your stash (4 linens waiting in the cupboard).
This is #103burda102023 by @burda_style in my usual size 40.
Mods:
* I omitted the lining, I cut a facing.
* I shortened the sleeves
It is a time consuming project: a lot of pieces that form the corset part, interfacing, basting, sewing, ironing and the whole process made for 32 pieces and then topstitching. 🙄
I preferred a natural linen for the rest of the dress. Photographed on different days, hour, background and shoes… and by different photographers 😂

#2fromstashamonth by Nic and Helga @septemberfaden and @salixsews I think it ticks all the boxes

And of course #sewover50 #sewistsofinstagram #sewoverageism by @eleni_sews

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3 months ago

#memademay2026 by the amazing @sozoblog Day 12
A relatively new grey #sabobpants by @stylearc (my 4th) which hasn’t made it to the grid for unknown reasons 😂 and the #minimalistshirt by @tobiaskonrath maybe the coolest shirt I ve sewn!
I was wearing these to speak to a live radio show! I loved it!
#sewover50 #sewoverageism taken in Technopolis by @eleni_sews

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5 months ago

#memademay2026
Thanks @sozoblog for hosting again one of my favourite challenges. Not much sewing lately… fighting against meanness for this school year…that’s life I guess!
Visiting the Bordeaux area with students and escaping the poisoned work environment for a while!
#sewover50 #memademay2026 #memadeeveryday #sewoverageism taken in DARWIN, l’Eco-Système de la caserne niel by @eleni_sews

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5 months ago

Arvo blouse!

This is my entry for #SewAprilBlouse26 by @cloth_edit and @sewn_on_the_Tyne
First time I take part … 🥰

I used the #arvoshirt #arvoblouse by @ose_patterns but this time in the blouse version.

I had some serious restrictions due to the fabric. My nude-peachy lace was extremely narrow (swipe to see) and I couldn’t cut horizontally without making a seam but then I wouldn’t have enough lace for the sleeves… 🫣😞So, the blouse is shorter than designed by Monty. It is a bit under my waist and I didn’t have to hem anything so it was significantly easier to make. 😉

This lace was in my mom’s staff (not her colour, nor mine…) and another mystery about it. My sister doesn’t sew, so I take all mom’s fabrics.
The floral fabrics are two Liberty tana lawn pieces remnants from another old make. I used one for the bib and one for yoke and collar.
The bias binding is sateen and I used black instead of pink because I wanted to make it more edgy… 🫣

I had to be adventurous to make all these work. So it is also an entry for #sagamadventurousapril by @suestoney @sewing_in_spain and @sueleighatkins …
And of course it is #2fromstashamonth by @salixsews and @septemberfaden because all the fabrics are from deep stash.

Location: Greece 🇬🇷 by @eleni_sews

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6 months ago

Circle full skirt by @burda_style (I traced the #110burda022026 pattern 2 sizes bigger) in a fabulous floral chambray purchased during my last trip to Barcelona… 🥰❤️
I fell in love with this fabric as soon as I saw it and I imagined a big skirt… I was so excited I shared my plans with the kind sales assistant!
This fabric skipped the line, left behind an unfinished pair of trousers and here it is!
But how could I showcase this skirt in all its glory?
I tried to make a pose à la Gabriele aka @kissntuss … and here it is! I am happy that I didn’t end up with a broken leg 😂😂😂
I think that for posing in our neglected garden this skirt qualifies for #sagamadventurousapril by the sweet ladies @suestoney @sewing_in_spain and @sueleighatkins

The shirt is RTW, belonged to my sister and it is mine for the last 10 years or more…

#sewagainstageism #burdalovers #bigskirt by @eleni_sews

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6 months ago

A special shirt … not ironed though… 🫣

Monty @ose__patterns is one of the pattern designers I admire the most… ❤️
I had #arvoshirt in my sewing plans for quite some time. I was so impressed by Monty’s striped version that I wanted to copy it! And I did! All the details are excellent and the inside is clean with French seams! The sewing machine didn’t want to collaborate 100% , so I ended up using two snaps sewn in the collar and in the middle… 2 buttonholes less! And the collar which is well made wasn’t as white I would like to be… so, I used white shiny beads! Swipe for a close up ➡️➡️➡️
And all these required mindfulness! So, #sagammindfulmarch again by the lovelies @sewing_in_spain , @suestoney and @hportemanteau

Fabric (3 remnants shirt fabrics) is purchased in Milan with the best company : Antigoni, Monika and Suzy aka @antigoni_makes , @sewing_in_spain and @sewing_slovak Sewing friends are the best! Buttons are Suzy’s gift! I love them.

I already dream of a second version… maybe the blouse…

#osepatterns #sewoverageism taken in Park Güell by @eleni_sews

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7 months ago

Α yellow jumper sewn for Barcelona! 🟡
I was inspired by a post full of colours made by @sewover50. 🔵🔴🟡🟢

This amazing community will be even more united now under the umbrella of @sharesewover50

This is #103burda012026 by @burda_style in size 40 made by a bright (maybe too much?) yellow interlock fabric purchased many years ago by @metermeterdk
Worn with my #sabarrywovenpants by @stylearc
So #2fromstashamonth by @salixsews and @septemberfaden
Yellow is the colour of awareness for endometriosis #SewYellowForEndo2026 a challenge held by @sowhatifisew
And all the above aren’t just #sagammindfulmarch by @suestoney @sewing_in_spain and @hportemanteau ? taken in Barcelona, Spain by @eleni_sews

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7 months ago