Let’s begin this #SewingTop5 series with our favourite projects from the year! Since the Sewcialists Editorial team is participating as a group, we’re each going to highlight just one favourite project. If you are playing along yourself on a blog or Instagram, you can show off your five most loved or worn handmade projects this year!
If you know my sewing style, this is going to be an absolute shocker for us both: my favourite sewing project this year is a WOVEN! I sewed this quilted Burda Plus jacket at the start of the school year, as a way to cope with the stress of trying to return to work full time after my concussion last year. I used scraps of past garments and treasured prints collected when I lived in Japan from 2008-2011. I wasn’t sure I’d even wear it in public, but it turns out to be the perfect cosy layer that perfectly expresses my personal style, favourite colours, and much-loved fabrics!
I am just terrible at picking one project, so as ever – I cheated and picked two! BUT, I am proud of them for the same reason. These are plain tops, that I wear a lot! I have previously struggled with feeling like the things I make aren’t the things I want to wear a lot, so these are a sign that I am getting better at picking the patterns, fabrics and styles that I will actually wear! The Pattern Union Molly Tee on the left (disclaimer: pattern test, received the pattern for free) is now a TNT for me, and I get tons of compliments on the Friday Pattern Company Adrienne Blouse. They were both quick to make and have been in high rotation – so am very pleased 🙂
Becky & her dress form Jolene showing 2 pairs of Free Range Slacks 
Author’s teen daughter in Free Range slacks 
Author’s teen daughter in Free Range slacks
My #1 sewing hit ended up being a fluke. So…disclaimer first. I know Peggy of Sew House 7. She’s my friend. Peggy is the most down-to-earth, sweet person you’ll ever meet, and she’s so humble. She’ll never tell anyone that she actually knows a LOT. Like…her pattern making skills are more advanced than she’ll ever let on. That said, I don’t pull punches. If I don’t like something, I’m not going to blow sunshine up yer yahoo. Not gonna happen. Anyone reading this who knows me IRL will laugh and say something to the effect of that being an understatement.
So, story is last January, some friends and I went to the Washington coast for a sewing retreat. One of said friends was Peggy, and she was working on this pants pattern, right? It looked cute. I said as much. Fast forward to summer-ish when she was gearing up to release the Free Range Slacks pattern, her usually copy editor was sick, so I looked it over before it was released as another set of eyes, and that’s how I got the pattern. But… then I made 5 pairs. Actually… I made 3, and while teaching my teen daughter to sew, we made two more. I think if I’m willing to do some unselfish teaching, unselfish sewing, AND sew multiple pairs of the same pattern, that’s cause for my #1 hit. I find it particularly telling as I ended 2018 with a Design Your Wardrobe to help me refocus on being cohesive in my design/fashion/sewing, and the pants all fit in perfectly. (Um, I guess due to new US FTC rules I should say I also know some of the Seamwork crew, have worked with/for them, have socialized with a few of the team, but I do pay for my subscription out of my pocket by choice and have been prior to knowing any of them. I find the whole “influencer” thing gross, and being from marketing & advertising, I find it extra gross in our community. But hey, I’d rather be transparent than anyone think I’m trying to “influence” them.)
If you follow me on Instagram my biggest sewing hit this year will be zero surprise. I fell in love with the Nina Lee London Fleet Top late last year and on my Make Nine for this year was the general intention to attempt some Fleet Top Hacks. Well I have certainly upped my hack game this year; I have added a button down front, lengthened it to a dress, added grown on sleeves, pinned out fish eye darts, cut different necklines and tried flaring it to a trapeze shape. This is in no way anything other than a super simple box top, but I love how neat it is; french seams and bias binding finishes have allowed me to still feel like a proper sewist making well finished garments when the demands of life have got in the way of being able to commit to much sewing time. I reach for these little tops all the time and I think I will be continuing to make the Fleet Top for quite some time. The only question is where will my hacking adventure take me next?
Sewing for myself this year was totally weird. This was my first time sewing for a pregnant body and trying to anticipate what my body would be like postpartum to make nursing-friendly clothes. I made myself a couple of wonderful things but I was much more excited for the things I was making for my preschooler. He is still in that wonderful age where he does not really have much of an opinion about his clothing. He is also big enough now that there are no tiny bands, hems, or bindings to sew. Sewing tiny wrist bands onto tiny clothing is my least fave sewing task next to assembling PDF patterns, but I digress. I could not choose just one favorite project so I’m highlighting two. I really tried to step out of my comfort zone this year and sewed with a ton of wovens. I tested the Meadow Skirt for Twig & Tale (Note: I sewed it up this pattern before it was released and was given the pattern for free in exchange for my sewing and promotion of the pattern). It ended up being my most worn item of clothing I’ve ever made. Real talk: I wore it 2 or 3 times a week during the summer. I used Brussels Washer Linen for the body and repurposed a double brushed poly top to make the maternity band. My second favorite item were these pants I made my kiddo. I used the Pocket Pants pattern from North Patterns in a breezy organic double gauze. He just busted through one of the layers on the knee and since they still fit I’m totally going to patch them up because that is how much I love these pants.
There you have it: Our Top Hits from 2019! If you are joining us in this series, then make sure to tag any Instagram posts with #SewingTop5. If you are posting on a blog, don’t worry – we’ll have a post in a few weeks where you can share links to your series!
Which one of our top makes speaks to you the most? If you could steal just one, what would it be?
These are all great hits. I particularly love the quilt jacket – cuz it’s SO random G. Also, so wearable! And those free range slacks are on my list because they truly look great on everyone – also, they make perfect use of elastic which totally works for this perimenopausal lady with sensory sensitivity re: garments being tight at the waist.
I’m as shocked as anyone else! Wovens, what??
Amanda! I didn’t read anyone else’s entry before hand because I like being surprised, and I totally agree with fiddly sewing. The ease of sewing for kids is they’re just tubes, but the little baby fiddly stuff for layette – blech!
G – those snaps look perfectly set, and yeah, I think we’re all waiting for the shoe to drop. You love a woven? You look great in it.
C – You’re one of the reasons I had to make the FPC Adrienne. It’s so good.
and Sophy – you already know I’m stealing those pants.
ooh, you have such self control! I couldn’t wait to read what other people chose!!!
Wow! All the projects were wonderful but my absolute favorite is Gillian’s Quilted jacket! I need that pattern in my life! Following the link doesn’t lead me to the pattern. Can you be more specific about which Burda Style it is? I need that jacket in my life!
Thank you for introducing me to North Patterns. Love to read about the favorites.
Amanda your kiddo’s pants are amazing images and that fabric is perfect!
[…] been following along with the Sewcialists Blog and decided to join in the reflections of sewing in 2019. First stop, the hits! These are the […]