Favourite Makes of 2024

I thought I would pop back in and reflect on the top ten list for twenty twenty-four.  

Oh my goodness, Vogue 8909 is such a great pattern!  I made these back in May.  This is the second pair I've made from this pattern.  And I wear these a lot.  It's comfortable to kick around in and I can even dress them up a bit with a nice top to go out and run errands.  They are made with a navy cotton French terry.  

This top has saved me from abrasion wounds in the underarm region while wearing a scoliosis back brace.  It has extra padding in the underarm region.  It was made with out-of-print (OOP) Kwik Sew 2899 and a yellow cotton French terry.  It will have to go down as my favourite makes just on comfort level.  It entered the wardrobe rotation in the end of October and even though I have had this for a short time it quickly became one of the most important pieces in the 2024 wardrobe.  

Is there anything better than wool pieces for survival during a prairie winter?  I do tend to live in ski-pants while outdoors in the winter but sometimes you want to show up at church in something that doesn't make noise when you walk.  I am saving this outfit for such occasions.  The top was made with Sew House Seven's Toaster sweater pattern.  The pull-on skirt is OOP Butterick 5790.  Both pieces were made in October.  

Here is another October make and another Sew House Seven Toaster sweater in merino wool.  It ended up being a wearable toile as I was playing around with an oversized version.  It has since shrunk a bit--an intentional shrinkage and fits much better.   

Oh my goodness, I wish I kept this top!  I made this cotton French terry top with OOP Butterick 5790 back in October when I was much heavier.  Since then I lost quite a bit of weight, although there is more to lose, I am sure that this would fit me today.  This top made it to the favourite list because this was nostalgic sewing.  Back in the day, when I first had a copy of OOP Butterick 5790, this was a favourite pattern and item to wear.  Even though I never got to wear this version of the top, it was fun to revisit this pattern at the time.  

This is a lovely Katherine Tilton design, Butterick 6784.  I made this dress back in April after dreaming of a second version in a cotton for the hot summer that promised to come.  I did wear this dress often during the warmer months, it's comfortable and I adored the print.  It reminds me of the decorative tiles I saw many moons ago in the Azores.  

This wool jacket was a labour of love.  It was made with OOP Vogue 2571.  If you come across this pattern, it is one that I would recommend.  I love that I found some beautiful vintage real wool fabrics at Winnipeg Sews that was unmatched to the wool blend or polyester faux-wool fabrics found in today's retail landscape.  This jacket is unbelievably warm and kept me warm on days that the wind chill hit minus forty-two. I was thrilled that I found leather toggles online before the postal strike.  There is nothing close to the quality of these toggles in the local retail stores here.  I completed this project during the summer before the cold weather arrived.  Just one sad note about this project, Winnipeg Sews, the business that I found this lovely fabric, closed this month.  It is sad to see another resource disappear.  

This butterfly print top was made back in June shortly after I received the scoliosis back brace and was searching for tops that could be worn over the brace.  There was some extra ease added to the back to help it fit over the additional bulk.  The pattern is a much-cherished Katherine Tilton design, OOP Butterick 5891.  

This is another gifted make, a wool winter coat made back in April.  My heart wasn't into making this at the time and it was a real struggle to get it done.  I guess it made the favourite list because of the fabric.  It's made with a beautiful wool find from Winnipeg Sews.  It turned out well , maybe because I've made so many coats (this is the fifth version) using OOP Vogue 8934.  Previous practice helped in getting it done.  

Well, there are my top ten makes of 2024.  Happy New Year! and wishing you joyful sewing in the upcoming year!  

What Was I Thinking in 2024?

Hello, it's been awhile.  

Boas Festas (Happy Holidays) to those celebrating the season.  I haven't been sewing, still taking a break.  I thought I would pop in with a look back at some of 2024's sewing bloopers.  

I started off 2024 with this top which ended up being gifted.  It was way, way too roomy in the bust and arms.  I have hips so I was okay in that region.  I don't know what I was thinking after all the reading all the reviews that recommended going down a size or two with Vogue 9330.

What was I thinking when I drafted this foam cover?  Good grief!  The first sewing blooper of the season was this self-drafted foam cover.  

Another project, Vogue 2000, that I started out making for myself but ended up gifting because it didn't fit.  What was I thinking when I decided to cut my good fabric without sewing a toile first?  

What was thinking when I made this denim gardening apron without pockets?  And why did I make it so long?  Maybe if I remove some of the length and make a pocket I might get more use from this next gardening season.  The pattern was from Tessuti patterns.  

What was I thinking when I made these sleeves so short?  I tried to use this make as a pajama top but I found that my arms were always cold.  And then I just stopped reaching for this top.  And this cotton knit fabric was too heavy for this Closet Core pattern.    

What was I thinking when I made these barrel leg pants for my short petite sized legs?  The pattern used was vintage and out-of-print (OOP) McCall's MP349.  

What was I thinking when I made this dress?  Oh yes, I wanted to use up the last of the nautical print fabric but there wasn't enough to make another top.  But it didn't turn out as I envisioned the project.  It looked like a nineties throwback and not at all my style.  Made with SD Patterns.  

 

What was I thinking?  I really wanted to make a caftan and that it might be something I could wear over the scoliosis back brace.  In reality the armhole openings were so big that it didn't hide the brace.  Even though it didn't get worn as intended, I did enjoy wearing the caftan at home.  The pattern used for this project was McCall's 8516.  

What was I thinking when I thought that a cotton sateen version of the Closet Core top designed for knits would be a good idea?   I thought that it could be worn under the scoliosis back brace  

What was I thinking when I broke my 2024 promise to sew no more polyester?  This was my last sewing project of 2024 and I never wore it.  It quickly ended up in the donation bin.  Made with a satin back polyester crepe and OOP Vogue 1730, a pattern designed for knits.  Everything about this project was just wrong. 

Happy Sewing!

October in Review

Sewing, Alterations and Mending

Top row, L to R:  yellow French cotton scoliosis undershirt (OOP Kwik Sew 2899), grey merino wool sweater set (toaster sweater by Sew House Seven and skirt OOP Butterick 5790), four reusable grocery bags (OOP McCall's 4851).  Bottom row:  black cotton knit pullover top (OOP Simplicity 2372), oversized black merino wool toaster sweater (Sew House Seven), yellow French terry pullover hoodie (OOP Butterick 5790).  

I made it back to the sewing machine this month and actually got to some projects I've wanted to get done for quite some time.  Grocery bags disappeared over the summer during the apple harvest.  It was time to replenish those bags that went missing.  Two items (black t-shirt and yellow hoodie) were gifted.  

One of my flannel pajama bottoms made it to the work table for repairs.  It might be time to start planning on sewing another pair as I've been fixing holes.  Sadly, the flannel fabric on these three-year old pajamas did not hold up well.   Refashioning wise, there were curtains and a tea towel that were used for the reusable grocery bags.  

Stash busting

Stash -busted this month:

• 8 metres fabric
• 2 sewing labels
• 1 meter elastic
• 0.4 metres of Knit 'N Stable tape
• 1 yoga band
• 1 metre of trim

Stash-busted totals for 2024:

• 73.5 metres fabric + scrap pieces patch-worked together to create new fabric yardages.
• 15.4 metres elastic
• 5 metres of knit binding / trim
• 8.6 metres interfacing
• 6 invisible zippers
• 2.4 metres Knit 'N Stable tape
• 7 metres trim
• 10 sewing labels
• 25 buttons
• 5 leather toggles
• 4.3 metres basting tape
• 5 spools of thread
• 1 yoga band

Total additions this year (nothing added this month):  

• 5 leather toggles
• 14 thread spools
• 11 sewing patterns
• 10--20 mm buttons
• 7.8 metres trim
• 15 metres fabric
• 1 second hand cover stitch machine

Happy Sewing!

Looking Back at 2023: Plans for 2024

 

Butterick and Simplicity pattern use made up about 50% of the list of 2023 sewing projects.  There was a time when Vogue patterns ruled in the sewing workspace.  Not last year and I predict it will continue into 2024.  I can't really say that new pattern releases from the Big Four pattern companies have been inspiring me to try something new.  Throw in inflation hitting everything sewing related and not, the decreased discount with the Fabricland membership on patterns and the out-of-control shipping costs from ordering online, it all adds up to making what I already have work.  Most projects were sewn with repeat-use patterns or second-hand store and vintage patterns.  

Tops and pants were the most sewn items in 2023.  I didn't have a need for dress up clothes.  Twenty twenty-three was a low-key year.  

A majority of the projects sewn in 2023 were natural fiber fabrics.  Although, there is some room for improvement in the journey to move away from petroleum based fibers.  

There was a drop in charity sewing projects in 2023 from previous years.  Most of the sewing projects for moi reflected a weight gain issue.  And then thanks to Covid, I lost weight by the end of the year.  Sewing for others remains the most rewarding sewing projects of the previous year.  

So, what does this mean for 2024?  Other than finishing some projects already cut out and ready to sew, only God knows!  We'll just have to wait and see.  

Happy Sewing!  

Me Made May 2023: From the Me Made Collection (Part III)

Another rainy day calls for flannel and wools.  

Today I tried to wear a favourite cotton sateen skirt, OOP Vogue 1247, but it didn't last as I was bloated and it just felt uncomfortable.  Some clothes I want to wear, but ease and comfort have more importance now-a-days with the unpredictability of my body shape.  Elastic waistbands are my saving clothing feature.  

A new t-shirt added to the me-made selection and collection of comfortable cotton wears.  

A cool start to the day is reflected in my clothing choices.  Perhaps, a pair of pants might have been a better choice.  

The end of the Victoria Long Weekend was a quiet day spent at home cooking meals for the freezer and baking a Lemon Banana bread loaf.  

The first part of the day was spent cutting the grass in jeans and a me-made t-shirt (no shown here).  And then after a mid-day bath it was into a me-made outfit.  

Year in Review...

Twenty-twenty-two flew by and even though at times I felt like I wasn't sewing that much, I'm kinda shocked that a hundred sixteen projects came off the machine this year.  Mind you many of those were small projects like various bags and hats and scarves.  

• Fifty-one (44%) of these projects were donated or gifted.  
• Eight projects (6%) didn't work out as planned.  
• 117.1 metres of fabric were stash busted in 2022
• 17 reusable grocery bags were sewn in anticipation of the single use plastic bag ban that came into effect this year.  These bags was the most popular sewing project of 2022 and many were gifted after some people saw and liked them.  

Well, here's a closer look back at the time at the sewing machine this past year including December's projects.  

Have a Happy New Year!  And wishing you a productive and creative 2023 in the sewing workspace.  

January

Reusable grocery bags (OOP McCall's 4851), Men's shirt (McCall's 2447), Remote control caddy (no pattern used), 3-layer cotton face masks (Dhurata Davies), Waterfall Coat (Butterick 6244)

January's sewing projects were all about finding a distraction and trying to get promised projects done.  All projects, except for the reusable grocery bags, were gifted.  

February

Diane Von Furstenberg Designer Wrap Dress (OOP Vogue 1610), Robe (OOP Simplicity 6851), Pajama Bottoms (OOP Vogue 9217) and Men's Pants (OOP Kwik Sew 3663 and McCall's 6973)

During the month of February there was some gift sewing and a couple of projects for moi.  I was blessed to sew an authentic DVF wrap dress pattern, circa 1977.  I can cross that one off my sewing bucket list.  And on the third version of the robe, I finally got the button placement right.  It was a good month for sewing and mending.  

March

Unfinished jean jacket (OOP Butterick 6373), wool and cotton knit socks (The Wolf and The Tree, Going Rogue Socks), DVF wrap dress in black sweater knit  and cotton knit (OOP Vogue 1610), cotton knit top (OOP Simplicity 2372), table runner (no pattern used), reusable grocery bag (OOP McCall's 4851)

March was a mix of charity, gift, selfish sewing and one Lent sewing project for the church.  The highlight of the sewing this month would have to be socks, so many socks!  I made a batch of wool socks for moi and a batch to be gifted.  Oh and a version of the DVF wrap dress that I saved for Easter Sunday mass not anticipating a snow storm that would happen and would nix those plans.  

April 

Cotton print top (OOP Butterick 5891), reusable grocery bags (OOP McCall's 4851) and French terry cardigan / jacket (Butterick 6495)

I wonder if April blizzard warnings will also bring May flowers?  Maybe it was all the unpredictable weather that zapped my sewing mojo this month?  

May

Wool sweater (OOP Kwik Sew 4192), 2 cotton slips (OOP Kwik Sew 3645), Men's denim pull-on pants with front facing leg pockets (OOP Kwik Sew 3663), Pear print dress (Tessuti patterns Eva dress), shirt (McCall's 7940), dress (OOP Simplicity 2372)

Thankfully, there were no more blizzard warnings this month.  Instead, it was replaced with lots of rain!  That meant staying indoors and sewing, most of the projects sewn this month were gifted to others.  

June

Yellow and gray reusable grocery bags (OOP McCall's 4851), flannel pajama set (Butterick 6296 and Vogue 9217), bag (no pattern used)

Summer officially arrived and most of my free time is dedicated to yardwork and avoiding mosquito bites.  There was some gardening and planting of squashes, tomatoes, herbs and sunflowers that took me away from sewing.  And my simple life is reflected in my sewing projects, no fancy sewing found here.  

July

DVF Wrap dress (OOP and vintage Vogue 1610), Donna Karan shorts (OOP and vintage Vogue 2092), failed attempt at recreating RTW culottes (OOP McCall's 6748)

During the month of July, I was able to squeeze in a little bit of sewing in between yardwork and gardening.  The pants and the shorts were made with thoughts of cycling more than materialized.  Maybe next month?  

August

Scarf (no pattern used), cell phone cover (no pattern used), reuseable grocery bags (OOP McCall's 4851), black and white jacket (OOP Vogue 8430), floral gathered empire waist girl's dress (OOP New Look 6493), girl's reversible dress (OOP Vogue 1455), failed attempt at culottes (OOP Vogue 9091), failed attempt at recreating a RTW t-shirt (OOP Vogue 8582) 

Mid-August my sewing move into high gear with the start of Pattern Reviews stash-busting contest.  All of these fabrics have been in the stash for years, some even decades.  Four items were gifted, two for moi didn't work out to be wearable.  

September

Waterfall coat (Butterick 6244), failed attempt at culottes (Vogue 9246), flannel pajamas (OOP and vintage Simplicity 6851 and OOP Simplicity 2372)

September was not the most successful sewing month.  The pants were way too big, the waterfall coat was not warm enough, the gifted pajama set was stressful with indecisiveness and complaints along the way.  Yup, sometimes sewing for others can be stressful.  

 

October 

Flannel pajama set (Butterick  6296, Simplicity 2372 and Vogue 9217), plaid pull-on and elastic back pants (OOP Butterick 6717), plaid scarf (no pattern used), finally, a successful pair of culottes (Vogue 9246), bag (OOP McCall's 4851), pull-on and elastic back pants (OOP Butterick 6717)

October was a mixed bag of sorts.  There were sewing bloopers and success stories.  Half of the sewing projects were gifted.  

November

Wool scarves (no pattern used), hats / tuques (The Littlest Studio, free PDF tuque pattern), wool cardigan (OOP Kwik Sew 4192), cotton knit top (OOP Simplicity 2372), polyester knit sweater (OOP Simplicity 8529), half-slip (OOP Butterick 5790), cotton knit skirt (OOP Butterick 5790) and wool pants (OOP Butterick 6717)

Most of November's sewing projects were about filling needs.  All the hats, except for one, were sewn for the church which put out a call for hats and scarves for newcomer families.  The other hat was gifted as was the short-sleeve t-shirt.  The cardigan is a replacement for the one I made in the spring but recently gave away to someone in need.  

December

Second attempt at recreating a RTW T-shirt (OOP Vogue 9057 / reissued as Vogue 1733), knit front knotted top, (OOP Vogue 2925), a little girl's velveteen and silk Christmas dress (OOP McCall's 5795 / available as a digital download) and a black knit maxi-skirt (OOP Butterick 5790) 

I would have probably sewn more if sewing time was not interrupted by a Colorado low that brought several days of snow that needed to be cleared right before Christmas!  

Happy Sewing! 

Favourite Makes of 2022

It's hard to believe that the end of the year is fast approaching.  Well, since this is the last day of Advent and Christmas will soon be here I thought I would start recapping some of my favourite makes, sewing bloopers, reflections and goals.  Let's start with the projects that made me smile along the way.  Here is my top ten favorite sewing projects for 2022, in no particular order.  If was tough to narrow it down but I think this sums it up.  

1.  Cotton tweed pants.  

These pull-on pants, Vogue 9246, made it to the favourite list because of how comfortable and easy they are to wear.  I'm at that stage in life that I'm asking myself, do I really want zippers on my pants?  The answer is no.  (These pants were first made in September, followed by a retry on the sizing in October.) 

2.  Wool cardigan sweater.  

This cardigan sweater made it to the favourite list for so many reasons.  First, OOP Kwik Sew 4192 is a great pattern and it's well drafted and I like the fit.  The second reason is the fabric, a wool knit that keeps me warm during the winter.  This is a rare find now-a-days, the man-made fibres found in most of the knits at the fabric store are not worth the money if you're looking for something to actually keep you warm.  I'm truly blessed to have this fabric, this was a dead stock purchase for ninety-nine cents many moons ago.  And the third reason is the machine rolled hem worked out so well on this project.  I actually make two this year, one was gifted.  (First one was made in May, followed by the second one in November.)

3.  A Cotton Top.  

Of course, a Tilton design, OOP Butterick 5891 made it to the list!  I am a fan of the Tilton sister's designs.  The second reason this project made it onto this year's favourite list is the fabric.  When I came across a piece of this fabric and discovered that there was enough to recreate another version of one of my favourite tops, it seemed like a no-brainer.  (This top was made in April.)

4.  Wool Socks Rock!  

Seriously, is there anything more cozy and toasty than wool socks?  Need I say more?  (So many socks were made during the month of March.)

5.  Patchwork pajama bottoms.  

This may be my favourite scrap-busting project of all time.  I'm not a quilter but this might be the closest that I come to that branch of sewing.  The patchwork pieces were used to make a pair of pajama bottoms.  And they are comfortable for the win.  (These patchwork pajama bottoms were made in February.)  

6.  Knit Shorts.  

These shorts were made with vintage Vogue 2092, a DKNY pattern that I have been after for so long.  I once had a copy of this pattern and made a pair of shorts and a couple of wrap tops.  It was a much loved and used pattern.  The copy I had wouldn't fit me today, so I was happy to come across this pattern again in my current size.  (These shorts were made in July.)

7.  Wool pull-on pants.  

These wool pants are made with OOP Butterick 6717, and a burgundy colour wool that has been in the stash for a very long time.  They worked well together and these are toasty warm for the winter.  (These pants were made last month.)

8.  French Terry Pull-over top.

  

It is the fabric that makes this item a favourite make.  I can't believe that for a moment of time, I almost considered giving up on this project.  The pattern is a long-sought after OOP Vogue 2925, a Betty Jackson design.  (This top was made earlier this month.)

9.  DVF Wrap Dress 

It's been years that I dreamed of sewing this iconic DVF Vogue designer wrap dress pattern.  And even though I made a few copies of this pattern, this one is my favourite because of the fabric.  (This version of the DVF wrap dress was made in March.)

10.  Child's Dress  

This little dress, OOP McCall's 5795, made it to the favourite list because it actually did not break me.  Not kidding.  Sewing velvet and velveteen was a challenge in the past but this time, even though I did have to break out the seam ripper, it all turned out.  And check out the matching on the plaid!  It just made me so happy to be able to gift this dress.  (This project was sewn this month.)

Happy Sewing!  And Merry Christmas!