Make Nine / Use Nine 2022

It's time for a 2022 Make Nine! Even though I only made 4 of the items on last year's Make Nine list, and used 3 of 9 fabrics, I love making these loose plans every January. Planning is half the fun. As always, I consider these as current ideas, but if I change my mind & don't make them it's no big deal.  No pressure!

I really enjoyed making this plan though. It came together quickly, as I am basing it on my wardrobe theme that I developed in the fall. There are jackets, blouses, and fitted dresses, all in the Bold Playful Power Suit theme I'm focusing on now. 

I used the My Body Model croquis for this process; I enjoy seeing how patterns will look on my body and matching them up with one another as well. I tried to choose patterns that I've had on a mental list for a while, and ones that are matched up with fabrics from my stash. It's a combo Make Nine/Use Nine this year! 

After sketching these all out I tested the whole set together and think that it works well as a plan. I have a mix of Big 4, Indie and vintage patterns here. Below they are matched up with the fabrics I've chosen - there are only two that I'm not fully committed to the combo for, but the others are all a definite go.

1. New Look 6525, View A, in a colourful poly knit I picked up last fall. 

2. New Look 6598 in a linen-rayon blend. You can't really tell but this black fabric has a bit of shimmer to it. 

3. Simplicity 8014, View C/D, in a cotton print I bought from Fabricville online last year and have been dithering over the right project ever since. I think this minimal seamed shirt dress is it.

4. Perth Top/Dress by Carolyn & Cassie. Not sure if I'll make this as a top or dress. If a top, I'll use this scrap rayon from my stash that would look cute with the next pattern.

5. Vogue 8612. This is a pattern from 1993 that I thrifted a while back. The short jacket is perfect for some cobalt wool I bought from the online thrift shop, Our Social Fabric, in Vancouver.

6. Bianca Bolero/Shrug by Sinclair Patterns, in a floral lace knit. 

7. Butterick 3978. Another thrifted pattern, this is one that I'm not sure I should make in this pink silk noil or use a yellow cotton also in my stash. Hmmmm. 

8. See & Sew 5766. A thrifted pattern with a cool little jacket that I want to make in this giant floral home dec canvas. 

9. Butterick 6488, View A. This cobalt rayon will be perfect for this front ruffle blouse that I'd better make while it's still on trend. 

Anyhow, that's my Make/Use Nine for this year. I'm not counting the projects I already have underway, which include a green skirt to match my recent jacket and a short Burda jacket to match my checkerboard skirt from last year. Once those two are done I'll start on these Make Nine projects! 

Silver See & Sew

I picked up this 1992 era See & Sew 6454 pattern while thrifting a while back. It is made up of a cocoon-ish dress and a matching long jacket, both colour blocked very carefully to have a matching line running across both pieces. Plus big shoulders!

I didn't want to attempt the colour blocking and matchy nature of the whole outfit. But I really liked the lines of the dress.

And then while I was cleaning, sorting, reorganizing -- whatever you want to call it -- I came across a piece of silver-shot suiting fabric in my stash. It's soft and has a slight stretch. And when I started cutting into it, I realized it also frayed like mad. Lots of seam finishing required.

But for some reason, the idea of making this dress from this fabric got into my head and wouldn't let go. It has a subtle stripe in the weave, and so I cut the top crossways to change the direction of the stripe, which also changes the way it reflects the light. Then I cut the body lengthwise. I also lined the entire dress with some of the massive stock of silver rayon lining I have in my stash. Instead of facings, I just fully lined it, since I will most likely always be wearing it with tights. The only adjustments I made were my usual shortening the bodice between bust and shoulders and shortening the skirt by an inch or so.

 I had to rejig the back slit a little to tack the lining down so it wouldn't get popping out at the back, but it worked quite well overall. Also, looking at the photos I realized that the back seam is a little puckered so I might just be unpicking that and redoing it soon.

It wasn't a very difficult make, except for the fiddling around with the touchy fabric. I just gave the sleeves and hem a turn-up and stitch finish, and it seems fine. The outer fabric is a bit "bouncy", in that it doesn't like pressing too much. It was fairly bumpy before a careful steam press -- the edges soft and more rolled than smoothly creased. But because there is clearly synthetic fibre in it I didn't want to use too much heat. Thank goodness for a press cloth.

I like it, and hope that it doesn't read as too late 80s for regular wear. If I popped in some gigantic shoulder pads and a power jacket it might overwhelm but modernizing it with choice of fabric and the jettisoning of huge shoulders has, I hope, worked out. I do enjoy making up older patterns and seeing what can be done with them. Good thing, as I have an awful lot of them!

The Amazing Technicolour Thrifted Fabric Top

photographic evidence that I do sometimes wear pants!

I've met one of my goals for MeMadeMay this year -- to finish up at least one of my UFOs! I've had this project cut and waiting since January. I paired this thrifted Stretch & Sew pattern with a piece of thrifted poly fabric when I was going through my stash in early January, cut it out, and there it stayed. But this week I got busy sewing and this only took a night to sew up. 

I made View B, the straight top in the middle. View A is a blouson top with a ribbed band at the bottom and View C is the dress. I like the fit and think I might try the dress view next! 

The most interesting part of this pattern is the shoulder yoke element. You could really play with this to add interest to the top. In this case, I thought that changing the direction of the stripes would be a perfect use for this fabric. 

It was a simple construction process, with the shoulder yoke stitched on to the front and then the middle hem folded down and everything topstitched, then the same in the back. There is a folded sleeve cuff that is sewn in on the wrong side then folded over to the front, which adds a nice extra touch to the simple lines of this top. 

I did grade out from a 38 at the shoulder/bust to a 44 at the hem -- the sizes are based on body measurement so I had to adjust for my more pear shape figure. But the grading doesn't change the lines of the pattern, and it skims the body well at the right size. I might take a 1/2" pinch out of the centre front bodice on my next try but otherwise I really like this bright, cheery, sample top and am so glad I finally sat down to finish it!

Velvet Mash Up Dress

This is a love-hate kind of dress. Love because I adore the fit and the mix of two patterns which turned out just as I'd imagined, and I absolutely love the print & colours of this fabric. Hate because it's a polyester and because of the print I broke my rule about not buying plastic poly, and this fabric sheds fibre like the dickens. It's so bad. I feel environmentally shamed by it.

It's so bad I had to wear a dust mask while sewing it. And when I washed and dried it, I had SO MUCH lint to clear out, more than once.

Other than that confession, I do like the final product.

I used the bodice of the Colette Moneta dress, which I've made twice before. This time the fabric doesn't have quite as much stretch, so it is a little snugger than my others (but I like it). I didn't want any gathering on the skirt with this print, so I matched the bodice up with the skirt of Butterick See & Sew 5870, which I've made in bright magenta ponte and really liked.

They went together beautifully. I only had to square up about an inch all around in size differential. And the shape of this skirt really skims the body -- it's perfect for pear figures, I think. I did add pockets (of course) as I always do. This time I just used a cotton broadcloth scrap for my pocket bags, so they won't stretch out. There isn't a lot of vertical stretch in this fabric either, so it all works together.

After figuring out how to fit these two patterns together and cutting, this went together easily. It was a quick sew, with a turn-under-and-stitch hem at sleeve and skirt, and a neckband sewn on. The neckband actually worked fairly well on my first go this time! I used the formula that another blogger shared -- the size of the neckline opening minus 15% equals the band length. It is good enough that I didn't have to redo this one. Success!

The most difficult part of this project was (and is) the fabric. After all that, it is still shedding! I recall why I don't buy cheap poly velour often, and won't be doing it again. But I can still enjoy the beautiful colours of this, and the fit, nonetheless.

It's so pretty!!

Have you ever made something that you love and hate equally?

Rose Pink Butterick Tunic

After my last Fabricville project, I was just in love with stretch velour. I couldn't resist using more of it! So I also bought some deep rosy pink in the same fabric from my local store, and this time I used an old See & Sew pattern, Butterick 5907.

I'm not a big wearer of pink overall, but this colour was so luscious. It sewed up beautifully, although this time I decided to hand stitch the hem and sleeves rather than machine finish them. The hem is therefore a little softer and rounder, which I think suits this pattern.

This is truly an easy, quick pattern. Four pattern pieces; the sleeves are sewn in flat, which is such a lovely knit technique, so simple. The cowl in this pattern is cut on the bias, which means you do use up quite a bit more fabric but the drape is worth it. Having this deep cowl in this soft fabric all squishy around your neck is a little bit of heaven.

I like that the pattern has simple lines, to focus on the fabric. It drapes and shines and feels so luxurious. The colour is warm and brightens up gloomy winter days, and I just feel happy when I wear it. That's always the measure of a successful make, I think!

I used View A, and think I'd add just  an extra inch of length next time. I shortened the sleeves slightly, but otherwise didn't make any changes. This was a quick and satisfying project that will be a favourite for a long while.