I try to start every year with a list of what I’d like to add to my handmade wardrobe. Last year I joined in the Make Nine fun with a long list of all the things in three different categories. Thorough. It was thorough. This year was no different except I never did blog about any of it. Well, here we are and Me Made May rolled around to inspire me to share my big list of all the things I want to sew. In other words, Me Made May made me do it. That is fun to say. (If you aren’t familiar with Me Made May, check out this post. It’s a great month-long celebration of wearing handmade. )
As an added challenge, I’m re-working and re-thinking my original list so that it works with fabric I already have in my stash. Everything here uses fabric I already have or am hoping to acquire through thrifting or as deadstock. Seems fitting that Me Made May is as eco-friendly as possible for me.
(taken on my studio table today)
I really like my annual “big list of things all the things to sew” because it helps guide my decisions and it helps me benchmark my progress. For example, I use it to help me decide what I want to make as a member of the blogger team at IndieSew. I also use my list to help me in deciding whether or not to buy fabric. I can check in with my list and see if that fabric I suddenly “have to have” could be good for something on the list or if I’m just going all ‘ooh, shiny object’.
That said, I’m not AT ALL strict about it. Over the course of a year, my style might change a little or a fabulous fabric might inspire me and bring alive a whole new idea for something. That’s cool. More often than not, some fabulous sewist on Instagram will spark an idea and suddenly I MUST MAKE THAT! Additionally, something I try might not work out. I’m not going to resist inspiration and creativity or get hung up on a misstep. It’s why I do this and all part of the process!
With all the preamble, here is my Make Nine (ish) list for 2019. Some of these I’ve already tackled and others are waiting for me!
Now that I have made zip-up jeans and button-up pants I am a complete pants-making maniac. Jeans and pants are exactly the items I can’t find to fit me in the thrift stores. Hello hips.
I’m not even going to try anymore. I will make them all! I’ve also realized recently that having fun pants, like my green jeans, actually make my wardrobe more versatile. I don’t know why I’ve been living for so long under the impression that bottoms should be the neutral part of a wardrobe? Fun, colorful pants extend the possibilities of my other clothes so much. This is my list of pants/jeans.
+ 2 Pairs of Ginger Jeans from Closet Case Patterns in Black Twill and Indigo Denim. Made out of fabric I already own, purchased from Imagine Gnats.
+ Sky Jumpsuit from Seamwork and/or the Joni Jumpsuit or another Sallie Jumpsuit. Either way, a jumpsuit. You feel me. I have an olive tencil twill from Blackbird Fabrics that is going to be good for this if I end up making the Sky.
+ Golden Rod colored Emerson Pants from True Bias. (Ok. I already made these for my vacation this past month out of awesome IndieSew deadstock fabric! Pictures coming soon. I might have also decided I need another pair because they are so damn comfortable! )
+ 3 Pairs of Lander Pants from True Bias. You already know I love Lander Pants. I’m planning a pair in rust, one in black linen and one in ikat. Ok fine. I added that Ikat thing because I already made those. I also already made the black linen pair. As I mentioned, I made this list in January. I have actually been productive since then. Putting it all here holds me accountable…so I blog about it. Ok? Sheesh. Tough crowd.
Let’s talk about the beauty of coats. You know what I throw on nearly every day in spring? It’s my olive green, hooded jacket from Sewaholic. I get so much wear out of outerwear. That’s why I’m hoping to add more handmade coats and jackets to my closet.
+ The Fulton Sweater Blazer from Alina Designs has taken the sewing world by storm and I am diving into the madness as well. It looks so wearable and cozy and accessible and that is essentially my kyrptonite, there is no use in resisting. I have a grey French Terry in my stash that I’m thinking I will use but I might also keep an eye out for a deadstock fabric in something more lively. Not sure.
+ The same goes for the casual but elegant Wiksten Haori. If the fit is good, I may make a few of these. Right now I have some wonderful pink and navy Jacquard that I think will be perfect for this jacket. I think it got it from La Mercerie?
+ I deeply love a lot of the Waffle Patterns Outerwear options but the Marmalade always speaks to me. Lots of my current outerwear options are longer and I like the sleek, shortened style of the Marmalade. I plan to make a spring Marmalade jacket for myself in Black Twill with Liberty of London lining. Yes indeed, I’m cutting up some liberty fabric to make a special jacket. I’ve got a luscious print that I’ve been hanging on to for years and there really is nothing sillier than not using beautiful fabric!
+ Finally, I’m going to create a Maxi-Length Wrap Top Vondel with the Halfmoon Atelier pattern. I know, it’s not a jacket, but creating a dress is similar in my mind because it’s quite an undertaking. Given my size differences between top and bottom it’s hard to get a good dress to fit. Yet, ever since I made my Vondel Wrap Top I knew I wanted it’s same style as a long maxi-length fabulousa dress. So, I’m going to hack up the pattern and make it for myself. Squee!
Finally, my list for tops and ‘underthings’. I’m planning the following, easy summer tops:
+ Another Matcha Top but long-sleeved this time, in a navy Ikat fabric that I have in my stash. Or I might make a second Tasmyn Top in a quieter print because I really wear this one a lot and love it. I have enough lightweight top fabric to make both and I might just go for it.
+ I recently took a bra-making workshop from the inimitable Maddie Flanagan of Madalynne and fell in love with bra-making. (I really need to post about the workshop soon because it was incredible!) I always felt that making a bra was so intimidating but it’s not that hard. While I was at the workshop I grabbed this kit for a Barett Bralette from the Madalynne shop and my goal is to add lining to the cups and make this adorable bralette to fit me perfectly. Sewing magic is going to happen!
+ The Array Top in an Ikat Black fabric I got from Fibers to Fabrics . This is a pattern by Sonya Phillip that came in the Making Zine issue 6.
+ A linen and lace Alice Top. I have the most amazing vintage lace and a stunning white linen that I dyed with avocado pits to the perfect dusty blush color. It was so much fun! It will take some light engineering but my plan is to figure out how to use the lace for the top bodice with a linen backing while maintaining the natural scallop of the lace. As a result, the project keeps falling to the back of my queue. My goal is to tackle it this summer. I think I also want to take out some of the gathering for a slimmer fit to the top and then pair it with my yet-to-be-made rust colored Lander pants. Love the combo of blush and rust!
So, there it is. The mega-list of hopes and dreams. All of the magic and sparkle that can come from stuff I already have in a drawer in my studio. Pretty incredible. As I mentioned, I’m sure it will get a bit mixed up and moved around and that’s ok. I can roll with it. But, I’ve put it down here. So, I have a reference for where I want to go.
Happy Me Made May everyone! Whether you are just watching or participating, enjoy!
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