I grabbed the Helen’s Closet Brooks Jeans on a whim in a sale in late 2022. I was curious, because they looked well drafted for my shape, but I was also on my bikeable work pants kick and didn’t have any urgency to make some. Then somehow I volunteered to…
Another Oia, but different
Ever since I made my first Itch to Stitch Oia Dress in early 2021, I’ve wanted to make another without the centre front bodice panel. I didn’t know if it would work but I knew I had to try it. This is the dress I was finally cutting out (after…
Closet Core – Sienna Maker Jacket
I’ve been toying with the idea of making a light coloured cropped denim jacket for a few years. I wanted a little more modern style than a traditional jean jacket. It was the back button placket on the Sienna Maker Jacket from Closet Core Patterns that sold me. I saw…
White Linen Closet Core Kalle Shirt
My new wide-leg Closet Case Ginger Jeans (newly renamed Closet Core) were destined to be paired with a white linen Kalle Shirt from the first moment they popped into my mind. I’ve never had a linen button up shirt before, never mind a white one, so I’m not sure where…
Sugardale – Len Coveralls
UPDATE (January 22, 2021) – It looks like the Sugardale site is back and this pattern is available again. Thank you Gina for letting me know in the comments! I’m not sure how I found Sugardale on Instagram, but sometime in April I stumbled across Trista’s feed and was instantly…
Alice & Co. – Intrepid Boiler Suit
I’ve had this one on my list for a while but it was working from home and having consistent access to my very own washroom that motivated me to make it. It’s not that I can’t use my work washroom wearing a jumpsuit… there’s just something so odd and uncomfortable…
Waffle Patterns – Mens Tosti Toile
One of my plans this year is to make a winter coat for my husband. I’ve never made him a coat before so after I found a pattern, I decided to make him a wearable toile first. We chose the Waffle Patterns Mens Tosti jacket for its high collar (though…
Ginger Jeans 3 – More Experiments in Stretch
Believe it or not, these are Closet Case Ginger Jeans. They started out life as the high-waisted, skinny leg pattern and became these cropped, straight leg beauties that just need a black and white striped t-shirt to complete my fantasy of dressing like a mime. Seriously though, I will make…
Ginger Jeans Take 2 – An Experiment in Stretch
One of my goals this year, and the reason I purchased my cover stitch machine, was to learn to construct skinny jeans the way my favourite ready-to-wear jeans are constructed. I wanted to figure out how to maintain the horizontal stretch of the fabric but still use what appeared to…
Closet Case Kelly Anorak – Take 2
I first made the Kelly Anorak from Closet Case Patterns early last year. My first version was a size 8 (based on my measurements) made of cotton chino twill. I was really pleased with my work on it and I loved it at first. After wearing is a few times…
Blueprints for Sewing – A Frame Skirt
This make wasn’t originally on my list for this year but I lost my desire to sew for most of January (I thought it was because we’re in the middle of a furniture overhaul and our place is a mess with stuff everywhere) and I realized it was because I…
By Hand London – Rumana Hack 2
I think this is the best thing I’ve ever made. By ‘best’ I mean best fitted and best workmanship. It’s also now the dressiest coat in my closet and the last make on my 2019 Make Nine list so I’m feeling awfully happy about it. Like my last version of…
Experiments with my bodice block
I took a two-day bodice block workshop with Alexandra Morgan of In-House Patterns in January of this year but I didn’t pick it up again until this summer. I started with a couple of tops out of scrap fabric to test the fit. After each version I made modifications to…
Marigold Clyde Pants Hack 2
I tried it again! The same Clyde pants hack from my last post but this time much narrower and made out of Tencel Twill from Blackbird Fabrics. I made these while I was up in Nanaimo, helping my mom after her double knee replacement. She’s a champ though and I…
Swim Capsule Wardrobe
Heads up: long post coming. It includes details of 3 patterns resulting in 1 suit, 1 rash guard, 2 bikini tops and 3 bikini bottoms PLUS my sewing fail and resulting shoulder injury! (all sizing details and my measurements are included at the end of the post) I had great…
Closet Case – Kalle Dress
I told you I’d make another Kalle! After my first go at the pattern – the shirt version made in a size 8 – I immediately decided to take another run at it. This time, I sized down to a 6 and made the dress version with pop-over placket and…
Closet Case – Kalle Shirt
I’ve decided to replace one item on my Make Nine list – the skirt. After making five pairs of high-waisted jeans so far this year, I’m not really in any need of more bottoms. What I need it tops. I also wanted a pattern that I felt I could modify…
Langers – Lander/Ginger Mashup
After my first two pairs of Lander Pants and after seeing so many high-waisted, wide -leg, clean front pants in my Instagram feed, the idea popped into my head to mash the Lander Pants pattern and Ginger Jeans pattern together into one super pattern – Langers. My goal was to…
Tilly and the Buttons – Marigold Jumpsuit
I put the Tilly and the Buttons Marigold Jumpsuit pattern on my Make Nine 2019 list after seeing a few versions online with the front neckline squared off. I really liked the wide straps, elastic waist and tapered legs. Right off the bat, let me tell you that I WORKED…
True Bias Lander Pants – 2 versions
Next on my Make Nine 2019 list, after Ginger Jeans, were the True Bias Lander Pants. I decided right away to use the Ginger Jeans zip fly and curved waistband – rectangular waistbands do not work for the shape of my body. This was a pretty easy mod, I just…
Closet Case – Kelly Anorak
I got rolling on this year’s make nine and haven’t wanted to stop. After the success of my Ginger Jeans, I took a quick break to make a free-form sweatshirt project and then jumped right back in with the other Closet Case pattern on my list. The Closet Case Kelly…
I finally made jeans!!
Jeans have been on my list for a couple of years but it wasn’t until I put them on my Make Nine 2019 list that I got up the guts to try. I don’t know what it is about putting something on a list for me… if it’s on a…
Deer and Doe – Magnolia Dress
I put the Deer and Doe Magnolia dress on my Make Nine 2019 on a whim. I liked it as soon as I saw it but I knew I wouldn’t be brave enough for the plunging neckline version right away so I started with the safer neckline. When I say…
Blackbird Fabrics Linen Blends and Grainline Hadley Review
There was a definite theme to my last Blackbird Fabrics order. Aside from the viscose poplin I used for my Orla maxi dress hack, my other four purchases were linen blends and all fabrics were blue, white, ivory or blue and white. I also raced through this fabric order faster…
French Navy – Orla Dress #3
It got hot this summer. So hot that I was craving a long, light, loose-fitting maxi dress. I saw this gorgeous embroidered viscose poplin from Blackbird Fabrics and I immediately thought of making a maxi version of the Orla dress (previously made here and here). Modifying the Orla was easy. I…