Yes it’s March 1. Yes I’m just now coming up with my sewing goals for the year. I went back and forth on the idea of participating in a year long sewing challenge, but honestly just couldn’t get life together to figure out which one. I was this close to doing the Make 9…and well, I kept forgetting to find a 9th thing, and then realized we were two months into the year anyway, so meh. That being said, I decided to make some sewing plans for the year, instead of following any social media challenge that I’ll probably not fully commit to lol. In order for me to succeed at anything, I have to really want to do it. Hype trains aren’t a fun ride to me, and being obligated to do something stresses me out so much, it sucks the fun right out. Both of those routes have the tendency for me to do things halfheartedly, and I don’t like that. I had to think to myself “do I really want to do these things, and if so, what are my motivations to complete them this year?” The answer to the first question is “yes!” I only chose projects that seem exciting, and ones with reasons to encourage me to sew them. The motivations–well that will vary from project to project. Before jumping in, I will say that these are in no particular order….but I hope you’ll be excited with me for them!
Pencil Skirt with Circle Flounce
I found this skirt on Pinterest a couple years ago and fell in love! I spent soooo long looking for a pattern, until finally realizing this year that I could draft it myself. I have a few different Ankara prints that I purchased as well that have been begging to be used. This is one of the projects I’ve been holding out for!
Boylston Bra from Orange Lingerie
I want to make my own bra. In one of my classes, someone had mentioned Orange Lingerie one day and I looked it up. The site sells some gorgeous patterns, and I am so interested in the process to make a bra that fits me well, not just good enough, like most do off the rack. I also have a class I purchased on Craftsy a while ago by Beverly Johnson (who was also mentioned in the convo in class). I hope to use it to help me through the process. I still need to source the fabric and notions I want for this one!
Rose Cafe Bustier Dress
Okay, so with this one, I did find it because others had sewn it and posted about it on Instagram (one I remember specifically is Monde of Monde’s Threads), but I fell in love because everyone who made one looked amazing in it! The shape of this dress is beautiful and I don’t have anything in my closet even remotely similar. This will also force me to keep working on my woven sewing skills (which you’ll see most of my projects in this post will be woven). I am currently taking a fashion draping course and we will be draping a bustier later in the semester. I will likely save this dress until after then, just in case there are any fitting tips or trips I pick up that I can apply to this pattern.
Daydreamer Gown
The maxi length Daydreamer Gown from Socialite Patterns joined my prospective to-sew list in the fall sometime last year. My family had a mini session with a local photographer, and after following her for a while on Instagram, I kept falling more and more in love with her vibe and the beauty she captures in her clients. I have been wanting to have a solo shoot and spend more time behind the camera to grow in confidence. I keep envisioning myself in a long, flowy gown for the shoot. Of course, I’ve gotta make this happen!
Ash Jeans
I purchased the Ash Jeans pattern from Megan Neilson like 2-3 years ago. I have never sewn them! I’ve complained a lot about jeans lately (my husband can attest to that) and keep repeating “if you want something done right, sometimes you gotta do it yourself.” Y’all…the task of sewing properly fitting jeans sounds incredibly daunting. Like I almost want to just delete this from the list lol! Alas, I really, really would love to learn how to fit jeans and then just make all my own from now one, or at least 2-3 pairs. The last pair of jeans that fit me well was from the Levi’s Curve ID line that I purchased in 2013…and they have runs and the fabric is shredding because I have washed and worn them so much in the past decade. They also discontinued said line since then. Every pair I’ve purchased since won’t stay on my waist, but I can’t size down anymore or they won’t fit my thighs/hips. So yeah…stay tuned for all this fun stuff!
Jessica Dress
I last made a Jessica from Mimi G Style back in May 2019. I wanted to love it so much, but at the time, I’d barely been sewing clothing, let alone for myself, and didn’t know as much then as I know now about sewing. I didn’t grade or do anything to make it fit me well. Now that I do, I’m heading back in to make a new one, this time armed with the tools and skills to fit it where needed, and make the mods I wanted to on the first one. I have some gorgeous tropical purple/pink rayon set aside for this and can’t wait to sew this one up!
Valentino Dress Knock-off
Another class I’m taking this semester is Italian Fashion. I’ve never been a fashion head, I don’t know a lot about designers, but have been spending a little more time checking them out, as well as their products, social media, etc. I fell in love with this dress on the Valentino site and gawked at the $3,800 price tag! I plan to recreate this dress, with my own twists, and it’ll likely be red or black. I haven’t decided on details yet…..but I know I can probably make it for under $100!
Tent Coat
This is yet another project influenced by my Italian Fashion class. While studying Alberto Fabiani, I fell in love with the tent coats and dresses that were shown in the slideshow from the 60s. I don’t typically like dresses in this style, but I could do a lightweight jacket or coat. I found this pattern on Etsy and plan to use it for my project. I’m excited to explore a vintage style, as I tend make things that are more on trend or just super simple like tees or basic peplums. I’ll likely look at thrift stores for something I can upcycle to make this project.
Well that’s it….these are the things I want to squeeze in throughout the year. I’m really hopeful that I’ll be able to complete each one, and of course I will update my blog and instagram with my progress.
Anything neat you want to make this year?
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