Tag: make list 2021

Destash Recap

At the end of August, I finished my fabric and project destash, just in time for my self-imposed September 1 deadline. The purpose was to give myself some momentum to build a regular sewing practice into my routine, by refreshing the stagnant energy that (for me at least) builds up around projects I don’t finish or don’t begin. Going forward, I’d like to make it a habit to finish any projects in progress before purchasing material for a new project.

I learned a lot in the process. Aside from picking up a lot of new sewing skills as I went (french seams! plackets! sewing with a ballpoint needle!), I found out what I do and don’t like to sew, and what makes a good pattern. I learned that I really enjoy sewing for others, and that’s okay. I went into this with the nagging sense that I needed to sew more for myself, that somehow that would be more relaxing or enjoyable. But I found that I truly get a lot of stress-relief and enjoyment from planning, creating, and giving sewing projects to people I love.

What I sewed

Two Peasant nightgowns from Whimsy Couture in flannel fairy print, for Sky and her cousin Ella. Sky found a pattern for an eye mask in her Sewing School book, and we made two using scraps from the nightgowns, one for her and one for Ella.

Geranium top, bubble romper, and simple boys’ shorts in lemon print. This was a highlight! I loved making all three kids a matching set of outfits. I cut out another bubble romper in yellow with white polka dots, but I’m not sure I’ll finish it before Iris outgrows it or the weather turns cold for good.

Geranium dress in navy blue with lime green flowers and lime green snaps in back, for Sky. I love this pattern and Sky really loves this dress. There’s an extension pack for making a long sleeve version that I might look into for the fall.

Geranium top in Riley Blake Grl Power, for June. This one was so fun to make! I had to get creative with the scraps and I love how the border print looks just above the waistline, like the people are peeking out over the top of a crowd.

Baby pinafore in white with red pin dots and baby bloomers in solid red. This was a really fun pattern! It’s not the most ideal outfit for a baby learning to crawl, but the pattern has larger sizes I can make once she’s walking.

Adventure satchel in Riley Blake print, for Adam. My last bag, this time for my friend’s son’s 4th birthday.

Car roll-up, for Quinn. This was my third one, this time for my friend’s son who just became a big brother. I handed it to him when I dropped off some snacks for the nursing mama, and he disappeared into the house to start playing with it immediately, which made me so happy.

Things I did not get to

Diaper covers. Epiphany! These are not fun to make. My final opinion is that it’s not worth the labor, for me, since the process isn’t enjoyable (and that’s kind of the whole reason I sew). I put together a sewing kit with the remaining fabric, elastic, and pattern and I’m currently trying to sell it on Facebook.

Miniature cats. Just didn’t get to this. Maybe I’ll bump it forward to Christmas for Sky, after I sew the other clothes on my new make list.

Natural dyeing with blackberries
Natural dyeing with marigolds and avocado pits

What’s next

Cheesemaker’s smock and Old Mexico embroidered tunic for me and Lyle. We had a great time hand-dyeing some unbleached broadcloth a few weekends ago. We dyed 2 yards with blackberries and an iron mordant for Lyle, resulting in a moody plum gray. I cut it into pieces for the Cheesemaker’s smock he requested and began sewing. We dyed another 2 yards with yellow and orange marigolds, avocado pits, and avocado skins, and it turned the most beautiful buttery yellow! I plan to cut that out for the Old Mexico tunic, and figure out how to trace the embroidery pattern onto some water-soluble stabilizer so I can embroider the yoke before sewing. A time-consuming project but one that I hope brings me some calm. The dye process was really fun. It was raining the weekend we did it and our set-up was faarrrr from picturesque, but I might write another post about it.

Forager vest in gray linen for me. I bought the linen a few weeks ago and will likely cut it out once I finish sewing the smock and tunic.

Ivy pinafore in dark denim or brown curduroy for me. I haven’t bought fabric for this yet and plan to wait until I finish the above projects.

Lightweight pajama set in blue quilting cotton for Sky. She runs hot at night and has asked me for a lightweight pants-and-shirt set. I plan to use a pattern I have, Butterick B6402, for the pants, and a shortened version of the Whimsy Couture nightgown for the top, since it was so easy to put together.

Red cape for Iris?? I’ve been eyeing this adorable little red-riding hood cape from Oliver and S for a while. I’d love to make Iris a cape in a solid red cotton with this Riley Blake red-riding-hood print as a lining (how cute is that?!) for Halloween, but I might wait until next year so she can wear it longer.

Make List 2021 Check-in

Checking in on what I’ve made since my last handmade post! I’m about halfway through my de-stash project, and it’s going great. As I write this, I’m looking over at my project stack and my stack of uncut fabric, and both are small. I can see what I’m in the middle of and what I need to tackle next. This inspired me to sort my scrap fabric and whole yardage and let go of the prints I don’t love. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel!

Here’s a quick look at what I’ve made in the last 80ish days, and what I plan to make in the next 80ish days.

Made

Unicorn Flannel Nightgown for Sky

Adventure satchel for Finn

“Little Geranium” dress in Robert Kaufmann Blueberry Hill print for Iris

Mosaic-print Afternoon Dress for myself. (I don’t love this as much as I had hoped! I know it’s partially because I used a quilting-weight cotton. Want to try it again in a lightweight apparel linen)

Adventure Satchel for Sky, in Grl Power by Riley Blake

“Little Geranium” Dress for Caitlin, in Grl Power by Riley Blake

Adventure Awaits wall-hanging for Kaitlin

Race Track Car Roll-ups for Robin and Till

Green linen Forager Vest for Steph

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

To make

Navy blue with lime green flowers Geranium dress for Sky and Iris. This is the original Geranium pattern. Mine only goes up to 5T so we’ll see if it fits Sky this summer; if not, I’ll save it for Iris. There’s also an option for a shirt that might fit Sky. Cut and ready to sew!

Lemon-print romper for Iris. I have a really cute quilting cotton print and my mom recently gave me several patterns for baby summer outfits. I also have some adorable yellow seersucker with white polka dots. It would be fun to make a shirt for Sky and a dress for Iris from the same print! To sew while my mom is in town. To be cut.

Short Nightgown in Fairy Print flannel for Sky. I just purchased simple nightgown pattern on Etsy. To be cut.

Using up Grl power print: I’m thinking of making a little skirt or dress for Kaitlin’s daughter Junie with the extra material left from Sky’s bag.

Using up Riley Blake adventure prints: I’d like to make an adventure satchel for Steph’s son Adam’s birthday, and I may have more left for another wall hanging. I also want to make another car-rollup for Caitlin’s son Quinn. (I love making things for friends and their kiddos!)

Miniature Cat dolls for Sky. I didn’t end up making these in time for Sky’s birthday. They are cut and ready to sew.

Diaper covers for Iris and for Caitlin’s baby. Excited to sew these with my mom, who is coming up for a three-day visit during which we plan to sew together! I have one cut out, and a stack of PUL, snaps, and foldover elastic ready to go. My mom is bringing her snap pliers.

Photo by cottonbro on Pexels.com

After De-stash

The point of this project is to get current on what I’m making, only buy fabric I need for the current project, and finish each project before buying new fabric or patterns. I also want to get in the habit of sewing one piece for myself each month. By next September, I’d love to have 12 handmade items I love to wear in my closet.

Cheesemaker’s shirt for Lyle. SUPER excited about this one. I bought a pattern from Folkwear and need to purchase some fabric. Our ten year anniversary is coming up September 9, and I was racking my brain for a gift idea. Finally I just asked him, and he surprised me, both by asking me to sew something for him to wear, and by choosing this sort of old-fashioned style. The man is still a mystery to me.

I also bought a Folkwear pattern for an embroidered shift dress that is the exact same pattern my mom used in the 1970s! I remember the tunic and dress she made and wish I knew what became of them. It”s not nursing friendly so I might not start on this one until after I wean Iris.

Blue or gray linen Forager Vest for me. I love how easy this project was and how great it looks. Excited to make one from a lightweight linen.

Denim, corduroy or chambray Ivy Pinafore dress for me. This is super cute and I can see it being SO functional this year. Nursing friendly and transitional from fall to winter. One of my favorite projects was The Little Brown Dress, one woman’s experiment in wearing the same brown dress for a YEAR. It was an act of resistance against consumerism, and to me it sounded hard but so freeing! I’d love to have a workhorse piece like this in my closet that I could wear several times a week.

Finally, I’d like to find a pattern for some loose drawstring linen pants. I have an olive-green pair I wear all the time, year-round, and I’d love to make another pair or two. I’m learning that I often reach for my linen and cotton pieces. Another favorite is a boxy linen-blend top in navy blue. I’d love to make a second one of these.