My By Hand London Rumana coat was the only thing I made for almost the entire first three months of the year. It was a really nasty time for me and for a while I did not believe I could ever come out the other side. Things now are better but not better, if you see what I mean, and I'm not yet quite over the fear of ending up back where I was at the start of the year. The coat, however, has escaped being tainted by its circumstances and is probably my favourite project of 2018. I've worn it every non-summer day because it's warm and sleek and goes with everything. This lining choice - extra dramatic but not bright and distracting - was one of the best design decisions I've made and I need to remember it in the future when I'm about to get distracted by some horrendous chartreuse thing. The pockets on this pattern are amazing, because they're huge and when it's cold I can just walk with my hands in them at normal relaxed-arm height. I would definitely not be opposed to making a second.
The award for Most Worn Garment of the Year goes to this Burda hoodie. Patrick wears this almost every day around the house (and occasionally even out of the house, which he NEVER does with tops that aren't proper shirts), and it's come with us on almost every trip we've been on this year, even in the height of summer. This is probably the most gratifying thing I've ever made, because I get to see how much he loves it all the time.
Spring was a bit hit-and-miss for me in terms of successful garments, but my summer sewing was ON POINT. During the heatwave I wore jersey maxi dresses and floaty wide-leg jumpsuits almost exclusively, and I felt like I completely understood my style for the first time (i.e. super glamorous but also basically wearing pyjamas at all times).
I loved all my maxidresses and most of my jumpsuits, but McCalls 7789 was the number one, partly because of how much of a surprise it was. That pattern envelope is SO UGLY. I really don't know why I even bought it. But this is so comfortable, so breezy, such a statement, and the only instance of perfect bra coverage I've ever had in a strappy top. I'm already looking forward to wearing it again.
Things then went a bit wrong, because this happened:
This fucking jacket, man. It took me nearly two months to finish, and the rest of the year to properly get my sewjo back. I think if I'd actually been able to wear it I could have moved past it more easily, but the fabric was so thick and so rigid and so uncomfortable that I literally could not keep it on for more than three minutes. I then decided to make another TWO versions, the second of which I ballsed up at the last minute and haven't been able to face going back and fixing. The whole process was painful, the lack of a finished product was worse, and it's only in the last couple of weeks that I've felt my old sewing spirit come back. Ugh.
I made the Deer & Doe Magnolia dress as soon as it came out as a way to get some confidence back. It definitely did help with that (and this is a pretty killer photo), but I probably wouldn't have included it if it hadn't been the most popular thing I've ever put on Instagram by a long, long way. Like, more than twice as popular as anything else. I knew people would like it because I know Instagram likes fancy dresses, but I'm surprised about just how much love it got. I think the dress is awesome but the sleeve situation isn't great for me. As you'll see after Christmas, I'm working on ways to adapt it to be perfect for me, and I might have a go at a shorter version next year too. I do love a Deer & Doe bodice and if I can use it for a ton of jersey dresses then I absolutely will.
Another surprise to me is quite how much I've worn this Simplicity 1613 top. It's SUCH a pain to construct but it looks amazing, and it makes a bog-standard top and trousers look like you've put some real effort into your outfit. I really think I'm going to have to make more, even though I do not want to deal with sewing that neckline again. Next time I'll baste everything first and write myself some detailed instructions, I think.
Honourable mention goes to this Named Asaka kimono Miss Fisher fantasy nonsense. I put off buying this pattern for so long and I was entirely wrong to do so because it is perfection.
Despite my mental ups and downs, I've overall felt much better about the things I've chosen to make this year. I certainly made a few wadders, but I recognised every single one of them for what they were and recycled them immediately. Nothing sat in my wardrobe taking up space and making me feel vaguely dissatisfied for unknown reasons. I didn't include much of my winter wardrobe because it was tough to pick a representative example, but I now have several pairs of wearable trousers and a much improved range of tops which makes getting dressed much easier.
For next year I want to fill out my wardrobe a bit more with a clearer idea of what I want and what style it needs to be. I've started making a list of some fairly specific gaps in my wardrobe, which I may or not post in the new year depending on how coherent it is when it's finished. I also want to balance that out with some experimenting and the odd bit of impracticality, but the important thing is to be inspired to make the things I make. I have a history of buying patterns because it seems like a safe thing to try and I know I won't be too disappointed in the end result, but those things rarely last long in my wardrobe. My first challenge will be the mustard jersey I recently bought - I really want it to be a dress but don't have a pattern I like, and I've half-convinced myself to use a pattern that I never hate the result of exactly, and maybe all the other times I got rid of the finished dresses within eight months were just flukes and it'll work this time... I need to not do that. No matter how much I want my mustard jersey dress to get me through what will definitely be a difficult January. Find a better pattern, Jen. Find a better pattern.
No comments:
Post a Comment