Progress! I lost some of my sewing mojo in the month of February (compared to January’s sewing mojo), but not so badly that I didn’t make any progress in my 2021 sewing plans. And to be honest, I’ve never even made this many garments before even in a year. Obviously, it’s the pandemic and lockdown that helps because my weekends are filled with sewing. It keeps my mind busy. It makes me feel productive and creative. Sewing really is good therapy (and so is Netflix).
Back to my sewing makes, I made four dresses and one top in February. Out of my 2021 sewing plans, I made three garments. Two of the garments were made as planned. One of the garments is from a chosen fabric but paired with a different pattern. The pattern is Simplicity 1692. I had this pattern in my stash for the longest time. I was saving it for when I got better in my sewing. It seemed like a complicated pattern, but in the end, it was a pretty simple sew. In addition, I learned a lot of new sewing techniques, which is always good! It is a 1940s style blouse that is a reproduction of a 1944 pattern. I love it and I plan on making more. It’s the perfect blouse for a cookie (1940s slang for a girl who is cute, look it up).
I originally intended to use this fabric to make a bow blouse, but I changed my mind and I’m glad I did. I feel like this 1940s style blouse is perfect for this fabric.
I made Simplicity 8910 using a shirting fabric. I call it my “Dreaming of Hawaii” dress since it has roses and hibiscus flowers all over it. It was my second time using this pattern, but my first successful make from this pattern. I made a smaller size this time, but I didn’t shorten the bodice by 1 inch like I usually do. I thought since the waist was already a bit high, it would be ok. Next time, I will shorten the bodice, especially for the back because the waistline ended up too low for my body.
Speaking of Hawaii, I also made a dress that reminds me of a tiki room. If I ever go to a tiki lounge, this is what I will wear. It has a Polynesian vibe to it and perhaps it’s because of the palm fronds on the fabric. This is the second time I made this dress. The first time was back in 2015 when I first started sewing. It was the first pattern I bought and used. Unfortunately, I cut up that dress since I never planned on wearing it again. I later used the fabric to make masks. I’m happy I made it again, with the necessary alterations. This is one from my 2021 sewing plans.
Another one from my 2021 sewing plans is McCall’s 7889. It was between that pattern or Simplicity 8914. They are both shirt dresses. I decided on M7889 because in looking at the reviews, I liked the finished makes better. It was my first time making a shirt dress. I was intimated by the button placket, but it wasn’t so hard to make. I was very intimated by the button holes. My first time trying to make button holes was not a success. I was hoping that this time would work out, but it didn’t. I ended up putting pearl snaps in instead. I’m still happy with how it turned out.
And lastly, I made a valentine’s dress for my daughter. She loved it. In fact, she loved it so much that she asked me to make her another one but in linen. We went to Joann to buy the fabric yesterday and it was such a fun day. I was also able to pick up a few Butterick patterns since they were on sale for $1.99. I used McCall’s 8084 to make this dress. It has a tie in the front with a keyhole opening at the waist which looks really cute. I omitted the opening for her dress for a more conservative look. I asked her if she wanted the keyhole opening for her linen dress, but she asked to keep it conservative for that one too.
In summary, for my 2021 sewing plans, I still have McCall’s 7969 (which is a very popular loose dress with billowy sleeves) left to do. Since I used the fabric intended for that to make my daughter’s valentines dress, I will have to use another fabric instead. I also still need to make the bow blouse I originally wanted to make but will need to find another fabric for that as well since I used it to make the 1940s blouse. I have a New Look raglan blouse all cut up and ready to go but for some reason I can’t find the motivation to sew it together. Also left to make is a cute ruffle dress (M8089) and high waisted pants (S1069).
I recently bought more fabric (I couldn’t resist), so I plan on revising and adding more to my 2021 sewing plans. I really have a lot of fun planning, pairing and organizing, sometimes even more fun than actually sewing. I think for me, the planning adds to my sewing therapy. I don’t give myself any pressure to finish and I’m flexible with the fabric and patterns. It’s funny because I always felt a rush to finish a garment because I wanted to wear it right away. 2020 taught me to take my time in my sewing and to have patience. It taught me to practice techniques and to pay attention to the details but also to embrace the imperfections. It’s also a bit ironic because I have made more garments in 2020 and 2021 than I ever did in my previous years.
So here’s to the end of February and to a happy March… Happy sewing!
Adventures of Sweet Monday 