Make Nine 2018 recap and 2019 plans

So I’m aware that it’s February. I’m trying to hold this blog and hobby in general pretty loosely, so that it remains joyful instead of another obligation/task on the to-do list. All that to say, while I’ve had my 2019 make nine picked out since January 2nd, I haven’t felt excited about actually sitting down to write about it until now. So I didn’t.

Most of my 2018 make nine has been covered in my mid year recap and in my 2018 end of year reflections. In summary, I completed 7 out of 9 of my 2018 make nine. Five of the seven I love and wear a lot. Two I really enjoyed making (the Watson Bra and Midway Bomber), but need some tweaks to get to where I want them. I’m excited to give them another go.

Of the two I didn’t complete, one was deliberate. I felt like my pattern choice in the Tilly and the Buttons Etta dress wasn’t actually the right look for the special/sentimental fabric I have from my grandmother. And the other, the GreenStyleCreations tie back tanks, I didn’t feel much of a need for. So I never got around to it. I’m unsure if I ever will, but I do like the idea of having a few more loose exercise tops, so maybe I’ll revisit it if the mood strikes.

Moving on to this year, one thing I really wanted to reflect in my 2019 make nine is my desire for more complicated, challenging sews. I feel bored with T-shirts and simple knit garments, despite getting a lot of wear out of them. I’ve got a good mix of projects in this list that I hope will help me grow.

Outerwear

Handmade by Carolyn made this floral trench coat and I don’t know what happened to me, but I had to have one. I’m not even a florals girl, for the most part. But I bought some beautiful watercolor floral twill and I think it’ll be amazing paired with the Deer and Doe Luzerne coat (or possibly the trench coat in the most recent February Burda)

I also have some of that fancy wool that I bought for my Camden Cape, and am hoping I can squeeze the body of this Burda jacket out of it. I want to find some nice black faux leather fabric for contrast sleeves.

Wardrobe staples: Button up shirts and jeans

I’ve had button ups for the Significant Other on my list to sew forever. I’ve even made a full muslin of this Fairfield button up, and have a few alterations to make, but nothing major. Hoping to make a couple of these for his birthday in March.

I’d also like a few new button ups for myself, and I love the popover placket on the Cheyenne Tunic. I’m hoping this will be a good work staple shirt. After I get the fit right, I have a bunch of beautiful rayon challis prints I’ve been hoarding for just this purpose.

This past October I took a jeans making workshop with Lauren Taylor and came out with a nearly perfect pair of Ginger jeans. I never thought I’d be interested in making my own pair of jeans, given that it’s actually not difficult for me to find rtw jeans that fit me well. But oh I was wrong. Now I want jeans in all the fun colors of denim. And I’ve always wanted a pair of white jeans, but never found a pair I liked. So I picked up some white stretch denim from Blackbird fabrics and am really excited to give it a go.

Knitting

I’ve gotten really into knitting over the last few months and just finished my first sweater (that I started FOREVER ago and ignored for like 8 months, with just one sleeve to go). My knitting has improved dramatically, especially after taking a month long knitting class. I cast on the Paintbox Sweater last month and am into the third color on the torso. I’ll probably finish right when it becomes too warm to wear it, haha.

I’d also like to learn colorwork knitting, so the Pixelated sweater feels like a good fit for that. Though I’ve been really drawn toward fair isle yoke sweaters recently, so I might swap this out for one of those.

Miscellaneous

When I saw the Landsdowne bra, I knew if I was ever making an underwire bra, this would be it. Many of the other bra patterns on the market feel big and clunky. And I don’t tend to like bras with full cup coverage. This might be because I have an “unremarkable chest” (which is an actual medical term used to describe my lungs after an X-ray, that now lives in my Human Resources file at work. Kaiser throws some major shade, apparently 🙈😂).

Keeping with my more complicated sewing theme, this year I want to make a handbag. I bought a kit from niizo, because I didn’t want to source all the little bits and bobs. And I’m so excited about it. It even comes with a hand stamped leather tag! I’m hoping this will be a good alternative smaller size to my normal work bag.

So there you have it! Thanks for sticking with this absurdly long, and also tardy post! Hopefully this will be a year of upping my sewing game with some more involved sews. Learning keeps me excited, and I’m looking forward to seeing what comes out of this year of new skills!

Have you made any of these yet? What did you think?