Tracing and Cutting and Prep, Oh My!

I finished my lovely colourful dress earlier this week, and haven't had a chance to sew enough to finish anything else yet! But there is a lot of prep going on for the remainder of my summer sewing. I have one UFO project I am hoping to get to, a Charlie Caftan cut from a tablecloth. 

And I have a couple of fabric/pattern matches to cut out and get working on -- I'm planning on a McCalls Josie from the purple batik print, and a Fringe Dress from the green and white leaf print (a duvet). 

And then I'm also hoping to get some tracing done this weekend - I have this stack of Burda magazines with a top and three dress patterns I'd like to trace out, and also a couple of indie patterns I've downloaded recently. 

Lots to keep me going, but I'll see how much I can get done by the end of the weekend. It's a lot but if I can do a little of each I will be happy, and it will keep me busy for another week! I have to sew up these summer dresses before summer is over...

Word of the Year 2026: Practice

 

I've returned to choosing a Word of the Year. If you aren't familiar with this idea, you can find more about it here. Basically instead of resolutions, you choose a word to focus your year around, fitting it to many areas. Some years it takes me weeks of pondering to find a word that feels right. But this year, one popped into my head and was immediately the one that resonated. My word this year is: 

PRACTICE

Practice can be both a verb and a noun, and I feel the need for a verb this year! Merriam Webster defines Practice in verb form as: 

1

a

: carry out, apply

practice what you preach

b

: to do or perform often, customarily, or habitually

2

a

: to perform or work at repeatedly so as to become proficient

b

: to train by repeated exercises

And Practice as a noun is similar: 

1

a

: actual performance or application

b

: a repeated or customary action

2

a

: systematic exercise for proficiency

practice makes perfect

b

: the condition of being proficient through systematic exercise

Basically, I want to practice many things, in order to create a practice of creativity. I find I am very often reluctant to try new supplies or a new technique, whether that is in sewing up my wardrobe or creating fabric art. I worry that it won't work, that it won't be good. So I want to let go of perfectionism this year and practice everything I do, with a beginner's mind. If I remind myself that I'm just practicing, the pressure is off. And eventually this will lead to A Practice, a routine that I stick to so I can prioritize my creative output. That's 2026! 

Photo by Madhuri Mohite on Unsplash

Word of the Year 2025: Design

 

Photo by Keila Hötzel on Unsplash

I haven't chosen a Word of the Year in a couple of years, but I do like this concept. If you aren't familiar with it, you can find more about it here. Basically instead of resolutions, you choose a word to focus your year around, fitting it to many areas. My word for 2025 finally coalesced for me. I've chosen: 

DESIGN

The Merriam Webster defines Design (in verb usage) as:

1: to create, fashion, execute, or construct according to plan 

2: a: to conceive and plan out in the mind

     b: to have as a purpose : intend

or, 

1: to conceive or execute a plan

I think this is a good word because it could mean design in the sewing room, with my art and fabrics. Or it could mean design as in interior design, to inspire me to make my surroundings into more of what I want to live among. Or it could be design as in design the life you want to live! Lots of ways to bring design into the year. 

I've decided to take some workshops this year focused on pattern drafting and design, for a start. And to reorganize & declutter my fabric stash (which is getting a little unruly) with a design in mind for my wardrobe, colour and substrate choices. We'll see where else Design takes me in 2025! 

Do you ever choose a Word of the Year? Would love to hear about it if so! 

Photo by Kenny Eliason on Unsplash

MeMadeMay 2024: Plans and Objectives!

 

MeMadeMay 2024 is upon us! I don't know quite how May got here so quickly but I'm ready for it again this year. In 2023, I pledged to wear more of my makes together, and to mend/refashion/repurpose as many as I can. I really liked that approach so I'm taking much the same one this year! 

Zoe, the founder of MMM, stresses that this isn't a photo challenge, or a making challenge -- it's supposed to be a chance to examine your wardrobe and sewing habits and figure out what's working, and help you create more sustainably. 

So my pledge, inspired by last year's successful month, is to:

• Mend the items in my mending pile, which only keeps growing
• Wear as many different me-mades as possible this month so that I can evaluate what I like wearing, and figure out how to alter, refashion or re-home the things that I'm not wearing. 
• Use all this info to help determine my sewing queue and wardrobe plans for the rest of the year 

And of course, this is a month to be really inspired by all the outfits under the hashtag! 

February Blahs and March Plans!

I didn't get a single garment sewn in February! I had great plans, patterns that were matched up with beautiful fabrics, and challenges I wanted to participate in. But somehow I fell into a sewing slump and didn't get much done at all. 

I did finish a small auction quilt for my SAQA group, and cut out a Burda top which I am about half through (beautiful fabrics). I traced off the pattern for the Nikki Blazer that I planned on making for the Black History Month Pattern Designer Challenge but didn't get any further than that -- the first time I've missed a project for this challenge in a few years. 

Even with an extra day in February, it was a slow sewing month. I lost my drive to finish stuff, spending more of time both sorting my space and reading a lot of textile magazines and websites. I needed to relax a bit, I think! But after some rest, and watching some of the fashion month shows on youtube, and feeling a bit more organized in my space, I think I've got the sewing bug back and will finish my current top project so I can start on my next few ideas. I have a dress planned as part of my Fabricville blogging routine (cute fabric!) and some ideas for a Matchy Matchy Spring outfit as part of the latest PatternReview contest. And of course just some fun ideas of my own for no other reason than just because I want to make them! 

Do you ever fall into sewing slumps? If so, how do you shake yourself out of them? 

July Sewing!

Photo by Linus Nylund on Unsplash

I don't know how it's already July! But as we are here, I thought I'd make some plans to help me accomplish some sewing this month. 

I'm already working through the pattern drafting courses by Cal Patch, via CreativeBug, and plan to continue those this month. 

But aside from that, there is also some summer dress sewing that needs doing. I love a summer dress, and I have lots of great fabric that is calling out to be made up. Plus some patterns have been in my stash for quite some time -- so I had to take some time to match them up. Here are just a few that I've sorted so far. I'd like to make at least 2 of these 4 options this month.

I've also decided to finally make myself a Charlie Caftan, and have repurposed a cool thrifted tablecloth to do so. I'm making the non-gathered View A, since this fabric will not adapt to gathers well. If it works, I may try out the gathered view in a rayon challis next. This one has already been cut out -- once I saw the fabric/pattern combo I knew I had to get this one going!

I also have an idea for a quick sewalong challenge later this month, but I'm still working out that one and will be giving more of a Hint about it when I am ready with the details. It'll be a fun Canadian themed dress sewalong, stay tuned for more info...

Have you been enjoying your summer sewing so far? What's your favourite kind of summer project to sew? 

Summer Capsule Wardrobe plans

I've been feeling more and more intrigued by the idea of capsule wardrobes, although I still think I'm rather more of a maximalist and like having lots of variety and standalone prints in my wardrobe. Still, thinking of sewing in capsules appeals to me. 

I've looked at some capsule planning guides, like the Canadian Capsule Planner by Couturious and the Mood Capsule Creator planning guide. Both are free, and downloadable and printable if you are also interested. They both gave me some really good ideas. 

And of course I've been playing with MyBodyModel since I first got my croquis back in March. So I decided to make a plan for next month's sewing using a capsule framework combined with the MyBodyModel 3x3 technique. 

I took a piece I just made, the Adrienne Blouse, as the keystone of this one, and looked at some of the other patterns and fabrics I've been wanting to make. Here is my plan, which I think is doable, to get some matching options in my wardrobe for the summer. 

I'm adding two more tops, a McCalls 4591 (a thrifted pattern c.2004) and the Edith Blouse by Maria Denmark. Both of these are stash fabrics, although I bought the fabric with the Edith Blouse in mind at least 3 years ago! Where does time go?? (But isn't this fabric fantastic?)

And I'm going to try out the Peppermint Pocket Skirt, a community hit, in a brick coloured linen that tones with all three tops. I'm going to add a fitted knit skirt (Pirate Pencil Skirt), and a pair of wide leg cropped pants from Vogue 9364 - both in black - for good measure. 

Well, at least that's the plan! I also have a big stack of dresses I want to make this summer, and with those I don't worry about matching with anything else :) I may want to make a couple of lightweight cropped summer jackets to go with the dresses but that's about as much matching as I worry about there. Dresses are a great way to be fully dressed without having to coordinate anything further than my shoes, so I love to use my bright prints and novelty fabrics for my multitude of dresses. 

Are you more into capsule planning or mood sewing? I haven't really been a plan maker in the past, usually just looking at my fabric and deciding what I wanted to make next by feel. But I'm kind of enjoying the sketching and fabric matching process, and while I don't think I'll ever plan every single make, I'm finding it fun and helpful to whittle down my huge mental queue of things I want to make into a reasonable month-at-a-time plan. I will always have more that I want to sew than time available to do it -- but this is a great process to prioritize things I need most in my wardrobe. 

2021 Word of the Year: Shift

 

Photo by Jeremy Thomas on Unsplash

I like to choose One Word for the theme of my years -- if you aren't familiar with this concept, you can find more about it here. What I enjoy about this is that instead of specific resolutions to improve oneself, which will be forgotten shortly after January, the one word theme just helps to guide you through your year, in every area. 

Some years, like last year, a word pops into my head and I know it's right immediately. This year I have been really puzzling over it, and trying out various words that seemed almost right, but nothing clicked. Finally a few days ago a word just came to me, and immediately felt right. 

My word for 2021 is: 

SHIFT

Merriam Webster defines Shift as:

1 : a change in place, position, or direction.

2 : a change in emphasis or attitude a shift in priorities.

Although perhaps these later definitions may apply here too ;)

3  a: to go through a change

    b: to change one's clothes

And I'm also keeping in mind that this word means the very opposite of Shiftless, which is a lack of ambition or resourcefulness. I'm planning on building up both of those very things this year, and will remind myself of this word throughout 2021. 

Do you choose One Word for your year? Share it, if so! Or do you go for the more traditional resolutions route?

Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash

July Roundup / August Planning

I spent most of the last week and more in preparation mode; knowing I head back to work next week, I will have much less time to spend on my sewing. So I decided to spend the time now in some prep work.

I have, like most sewists, a very long "to be sewn" list. I have a project queue that could fill a year's sewing without a pause! So I looked through my pattern and fabric stashes and matched up a whole pile of projects. Even if I change my mind later, I find this really gets my sewjo going.

Here's the pile of potential matches still waiting for me

Then I cut out seven of those projects to work on when there is time. I have two dresses, four tops, and one pair of linen pants -- very strange as I don't make pants as a rule. But I picked up the Lotta Jansdotter Everyday Style book a while ago and wanted to try one of the patterns. The Owyn trousers it is.

After that I decided to trace some Burda patterns from my latest issues, and continued on by tracing off some dress patterns from older issues that I'd always meant to make. I think I have enough Burda here to keep me busy! I'm most keen on the shirred waist dress from 2014, but there's quite a bit of work on the bodice fitting to do first.

Dress 133 from May 2014

And finally, since I am going to back to work I'm going to need more masks. Currently I only go out once or twice a week, so my masks aren't in constant rotation. But I'll be using them daily soon, so I went through my cotton scraps and fat quarters, and cut 15 more masks for myself and 6 more for my husband.

Now I just have to sew them up. I prefer to do only a few at a time as I find it very dull and tedious sewing, but of course quite necessary. I use the Dhurata Davies pattern, and add a nose wire (we both wear glasses so nose wires are indispensable). I find that the soft metal sticks that close up coffee and tea bags are perfect to stitch right into the masks for this purpose.

Are you queuing summer projects, or starting to think about fall? I can't think that far ahead so am still working on all my summer ones!

Word of the Year

Have you heard of the One Word resolution? 

I love this concept, as I prefer choosing a word to guide my year rather than listing a whole whack of resolutions that I'm not going to be able to follow. For my personality, keeping a theme in mind as I go is much easier than following specific objectives.

So this year, my word is:

COMPLETE 

In both senses -- to remind myself that I am Complete as I am. To reduce stress and self-criticism.

And, to remind myself to Complete the tasks that I am really interested in, not to put them off. Whether that's classes, projects, travels, or organizing things, I would like to complete them, not just think about them, put them off, or just stop once I've started.

So, completion is my theme for 2020.

I'll post my word in useful spaces to remind myself through the year, from my journal to my sewing bulletin board! And I will keep this theme in mind when taking on new things, too.

Here's to a successful 2020!

#SewingTopFive Reflections & Goals

Reflections

Making up my list of hits and misses, looking at my various highlights, and thinking about the goals I set myself last year at this time all helped me to see how my sewing rolled out this year.

My hits were mostly things that were of a little higher quality, whether cottons, linens and knits -- both new and thrifted. They also fit my body well -- while most of my misses were made of poly or there was a poor fabric/pattern match so that the fit was off.

So one reflection is definitely that I need to stick with better fabrics, and greatly reduce the amount of poly in my stash. This is both for sustainability purposes and for better wearability too.

And I need to think a little harder about the silhouettes I'm choosing. Maybe it's time to do a Wardrobe Architect kind of project, to narrow down what I most like wearing.

But one more reflection is that I really enjoy bright colours and fun prints. And I'm going to continue using them because they really make me happy!

My highlights show that getting together with other sewists is something I really enjoy, and making is definitely my favourite thing to do. Easy to continue focusing on that for 2020.

And looking at last year's goals...well, I haven't really met them all. I hit my targets for sewing more from stash and blogging more, but not sewing menswear, working through my Craftsy classes, or creating more textile art. I only entered one textile art call this year, not the four I was looking at. But there is always next year :)



Goals

1. Sew from stash

I joined the "50 Yard Dash" sewalong on PatternReview this year, and just having that goal really inspired me to sew up some of those long held pieces of fabric. It didn't stop me from buying more new fabric, sadly... so I am going to be trying to hit that goal of sewing at least 50 metres more than I buy this year. That is really only about 4.5m. a month, so it is doable!

2. Menswear

This is always my goal but I never seem to get around to it! I *will* make something for my husband this year.

3. Craftsy Classes

I bought the whole series by Suzy Furrer on Craftsy before it became Bluprint. I am planning to work my way through them all this year and really up my sewing game.

4. Draft my own pattern -- at least one!

This is tied to my previous goal! If I can do the pattern making classes on Bluprint, I will work along and hopefully come up with something I can create, from design to drafting to wearing.

5. Slow Down

This is counterintuitive -- but I hope to take more time with my projects and consider them from fabric to finishing, and try some new, more complex techniques in 2020. Also to think about the fabric more, right from the beginning, and choose better quality. This is tied to my desire to be more sustainable overall in my life.

That's what my 2019 looked like, and what 2020 is shaping up to be. I hope you feel as excited about what you can accomplish in the next 12 months as I do!

Weekend Review: Change Your Clothes, Change Your Life

Change Your Clothes, Change Your Life / George Brescia
NY: Gallery Books, c2014.
288 p.

I picked this book up recently, drawn in by the cover and the idea. The beginning of a New Year is a good time to re-evaluate a lot of things, and I thought that perhaps this book would give me some ideas about how to approach my wardrobe and my sewing planning for the next year. Short answer: nope. 

Let's start with the good:

This cover is glorious. The colours, the texture, it's all immensely appealing. I hope the designer got a bonus for this one, since it makes a mediocre book seem irresistible. It has visual interest and a tactile appeal as well. Great job on it. 

The other good I got out of this book was Brescia's reflection that your clothing speaks for you -- when you put an outfit on, ask yourself, "What does this say?" It's a good question to have in mind when I'm looking at what I have in my closet, or fabric stash, and when making plans for the next project. 

Sadly, not much else about this book can be recommended. Though why I thought a white guy from NY would be able to add to my style conversation, I'm not sure. 

It's much of the same old "styling tips" that are seen everywhere. He uses the old-fashioned colour types for women, and the most notable thing there is that his colour types are pretty much for white women. Everyone else can get squeezed into a corner with brunettes, maybe. And there is his belief that a straight, blow-out hairstyle is the best (ie: sexiest) one to have. So much for anyone with natural curls, you're just friendly, not hot. Another element is the tired idea of must-haves for everyone's closet - the nude (ie: light beige) pumps, the little black dress etc. Yawn.

And the whole point of his style makeover seems to be the idea that every single woman who wants to have style is really aiming to be hot and appealing to men. In the last chapter he smugly says that a middle aged client of his reports that she is now so stylish that she got cat-called! Hooray! I personally don't find that an outcome to look for. 

There are other flaws too; he mentions librarians twice -- the first time to say how frumpy we all are, and the second to praise the sexy librarian stereotype. Neither of these statements helps our profession AT ALL, and the second in particular has caused actual harm. So I didn't feel very warmly about this use of  'funny' commentary. 

The most egregious elements are simply the complete disregard for women of any skin tone besides white. He doesn't say it right out, but in all the silhouettes, the assumptions about dressing for work, the colour tones and hair styles -- it all points to rich white lady as his primary client. Which, if so, should have just been stated right out at the beginning so the rest of us could avoid the book. 

Other readers have also mentioned his disdain for ugly orthopedic shoes with no awareness of why people might be wearing them (if you're not wearing heels every day, you're apparently a lost cause). And his view of "style" being defined as the most effective way to please the male gaze. 

So, let's just say this was not the style book I was looking for. Good thing I found it at the Goodwill for only a dollar. Save yourself that dollar and pick up one of the books on style and fashion written by women -- like Stacy London's The Truth About Style -- or a book on fast fashion and sustainability, which also covers wardrobe, like The Conscious Closet by Elizabeth Cline or Dress [with] Sense by Redress. 

November Sewing Plans

I had a good sewing month in October, even though I didn't really sit down to make any solid plans. I had a couple of projects I knew I wanted to work on so just focused on those.

But I don't have those ideas driving me this month, so I'm back to making some plans!

With the holidays coming up, I know some of my sewing time is going to be taken up with other projects, sewing or otherwise, so I'm trying to be realistic about how much I might be able to get done before the end of the year.

This is what I'm aiming at:

This Butterick 6450 that I recently bought in a pattern sale matches up with this lovely black floral rayon twill. I hope to get this one done first! I'm aiming for View B (the blue one).

 
I want to use up the remainder of the blue boucle I used for my Burda dress in October, using this Rachel Comey skirt (I have to add 6" to the length of this mini though!)

And I'd like to make another Vogue 9022 in this dark red ponte - it will be great for dreary November days. I really loved the first version of this that I made a few years ago so time for a refresh of this pattern!

Upon looking through the stash in preparation for all these plans, I find that I have a pile of fun knits, all between 1.5 and 2 m. I'm not sure what to make with them yet, but am looking through some top patterns and also thinking about some simple dress patterns. Suggestions welcome!

How about you? How's your fall sewing shaping up? Are you planning on doing a lot of sewing for yourself in the next months or do you focus more on sewing for others at this time of year? I don't do a lot of sewing for others; when I do it is usually fabric based gifts that aren't clothing :) Whatever you choose, I hope that the remainder of your 2019 sewing brings you joy!

September Sewing Plans

I can't quite believe it's September already! My sewing plans are not as organized as they have been for the last few months because all I want to do is keep sewing summer clothes. I still have two dresses from my summer sewing list that I've cut, and have to finish sewing up. So my list isn't going to be as full of new projects this month.

But it is time to start thinking about fall.

There is one dress I've been meaning to make for the last couple of years, so I am going to be finally making it this fall. It's the project I picked up D-rings for recently. Kwik Sew 3718 has been in my stash for ages and so I'm going to make View A in a green silk(?) I picked up at a garage sale last summer. Probably will have to lengthen it a bit!

Then I want to make this cotton-linen blend into one of these dresses, I haven't decided which yet. It's a bit of a heavier weight fabric and the yellow is more mustardy, so I think it'll do nicely for fall.

Butterick 6655 - I'd make the middle view

Vogue 8766 - I'd make the short straight view

And I want to make a knit tee out of a great remnant I found a while back -- I don't have much of it so should be able to just squeeze in a tee that doesn't need too much fabric. I'm thinking of using the La Brea Tee by Halfmoon Atelier -- I won this in an Instagram contest earlier this year & haven't tried it yet. 

That's all I'm really hoping to finish this month, although there are at least 30 other patterns calling my name!! I am hoping to participate in #ScrappySeptember over on Instagram if possible -- it's a MAGAM challenge & requires you to use your scraps, remnants and leftovers to make something lovely -- I have a few patterns that might work for this, including my brand new Kwik Sew 4260 and much older Kwik Sew 4016, either of which is great for bits of fabric. 

********************************************

But I do have other things to do in September too - imagine that! 

The very first meeting of the Stratford Garment Guild takes place on September 10. I'm really looking forward to this, and hoping that we get a good turn out of local sewists ready to share our love of sewing. 

And, September brings the return of the Literary Sewing Circle! I will be announcing the new title soon (anticipating Sept 13) and look forward to sharing another great read and great sewing inspiration with all those who want to join in on the fun. Guesses welcome...