Make Nine 2020 Round-Up
Re-counting my first ever Make Nine has been so pleasantly surprising. I can remember back in January 2020 being so anxious to post my Make Nine 2020 plans because I wasn’t sure I could make nine garments in a year. It felt so ambitious at that moment and a bold move for me. Posting that list meant I risked a visual catalogue of potential failure. It may seem silly to have this many emotions involved but that is where my head was back in January. Who would have guessed how this year was going to go? Not me, that’s for sure.
What is it?
Make Nine is a year-long challenge for sewist and other creators to make nine things in a year. There are different motivations maybe you choose nine new challenges to your skills, or maybe nine intentional garments to add to your closet. Or maybe like me you just choose nine projects that strike your fancy for one reason or another. It’s an extremely helpful tool if you need to keep the focus on your sewing/creating goals. With the multitudes of gorgeous patterns and projects available, I can become overwhelmed and never actually get started on any one of them. Also, the #makenine2020 hashtag is a wonderful source of inspirations if you’re looking for your next project. Here is a breakdown of my Make Nine 2020 and how I got along making them!
Make Nine 2020: Peppermint Everyday dress
First up was the Peppermint Everyday Dress. This is another free pattern from Peppermint Magazine. Also, IT HAS POCKETS! The construction is pretty straight forward and a really great starter project. That being said I didn’t love the final product. Just didn’t really fit my body that well. I also didn’t choose the best fabric for this dress. I bought a grey linen fabric from IKEA for $9.99/metre. The price was really reasonable but the linen was very stiff and didn’t have any flow. The linen would have softened with washing and wearing but I didn’t like the garment enough. This first of the Make Nine 2020 garments this one most resembled the example photo.
Pattern Available Here: Everyday Dress
Make Nine 2020: Mood Fabric Cress Skirt
For a second sewing project of 2020, this skirt was not my greatest idea. One of the pieces was just a huge spiral shape. That’s just too many curved edges for one person to sew. Part of me wants to revisit this project now that I feel a bit more confident with sewing. The other part of me never wants to think about this skirt again. The trouble I had with this skirt may have been due to my inexperience. I just could not get a good fit, I sized down as much as the pattern would allow but it was still huge on me. Again I didn’t make the best fabric choices. I really wanted this skirt in gingham but this particular fabric is really heavy. maybe I’ll give this another go in 2021 but don’t hold your breath.
Pattern Available Here: Cress Skirt
Make Nine 2020: Peppermint Spring Shorts
Shorts time! I really overbought the fabric for this one, as you could imagine shorts don’t need all that much fabric. It was also the first time I used double gauze fabric which was quite lovely. In case you don’t know double gauze consists of two thin layers of woven fabric that are connected with tiny stitches. The result is a material that is slightly textured but breezy and thin. I made a few pretty big mistakes on these shorts. Especially in the waistband when it came to inserting the elastic. My elastic band is free-floating around in the waistband which means it can get twisted easily. I don’t have any shorts like this in my wardrobe so this was a nice addition. I’d like to try out some more pairs for next summer.
Pattern Available Here: Spring Shorts
Make Nine 2020: Tessuti Fabric Lois Dress
In hindsight, this dress was beyond my skill set. I did a couple of muslins of just the bust of this dress to try and get the fit right. I still need to do more work for sure. Once this dress was fully assembled it was very clear the top part didn’t fit right at all. I love love how this dress looked on the model but at the time I made this I had no idea how to make a full bust adjustment. Nothing to do with the pattern itself I just made quite a few mistakes and didn’t work out the fit properly. In the end, I hand stitched up the front bodice to take it in a bit and also have the neckline start higher up. This resulted in me having to add a stitch line all the way down the front of the dress. You can see the front stitch puckering at the front. Big boob problems for sure.
Pattern Available Here: Lois Dress
Make Nine 2020: Peppermint Wide Leg Pants
Full disclosure I chose this pattern because I wanted to make pants but I didn’t really believe in myself so I didn’t want to spend a ton of money on a pattern. I found this Free pattern from Peppermint Magazine and even though it was a style of pant I would never buy for myself I went ahead with it anyways. I made a bunch of alterations on this pattern so make it a straight leg while not knowing anything about altering pants patterns. The fly part was definitely quite difficult and required many readings of the instructions but was still very manageable. Much like most pants patterns, this one could have used a bit more work in fitting to make it amazing. Overall learnt so much from this project and I would definitely recommend giving it a try. Note to me for the next try to watch some tutorials on properly fitting pants before charging ahead with it.
Pattern Available Here: Wide Leg Pants
Make Nine 2020: Wiksten Haori
Well, it was bound to happen, here is where the Make Nine 2020 projects went off-book. Originally I had planned to make the Tessuti Fabric Oslo Coat. I even got as far as buying the PDF pattern and assembling it. However, once I had the pattern cut out and ready I just couldn’t bring myself to make it. There were so many pieces and difficult techniques involved with this coat. After the last couple of garments had given me so much trouble I wasn’t in the headspace to take on this project. I’d definitely like to revisit the Oslo Coat and take my time learning my way through it. But in the meantime, I found an alternative.
This project was on the list because I dreamed of owning a Team Zissou powder blue coat. Hello, I am a huge Wes Anderson nerd. I wanted something with the same basic feel but easier construction. I replaced the Oslo with the Wiksten Haori. The Haori is a perfect beginner intro to coat making. The Haori makes lining less intimidating. I will note that with this pattern you will want to size down. I ended up making myself a Medium which is a couple of sizes down from my initial muslin.
Pattern Available Here: Wiksten Haori
If you’re braver than me you can find the Oslo Coat Here: Oslo Coat
Make Nine 2020: Mood Fabric Marigold Camisole
I will level with you guys, I am not entirely sure I ever made this camisole properly… and I made it three times. Mood Fabrics provides a large selection of free patterns but the instructions are minimal. The bottom hem was confusing. I improvised my bottom hem each time and I’m happy with the results. This project on the make nine 2020 list really showed me the value of sewing basics. As much as it’s a joy to sew those fun, funky, and fancy sewing projects it’s so lovely to sew something you can wear on the daily. The darts can be a little tricky, especially with the placement. I definitely preferred the ones I made with very soft fabric. I’d recommend sizing up to have a better fit in the bust. Overall a great little project that came together quickly and got a lot of wear this year.
Pattern Available Here: Marigold Camisole
Make Nine 2020: Watson Underwear
Another detour from the original plan. My initial idea was to make the MellySews underwear since it’s a free pattern and that is my jam. While visiting my sister-in-law (before covid ruined everything) we decided to make matching bras and underwear. So instead of getting mismatched patterns, we bought the Watson Bra + Underwear pattern. Oh My, I love love this underwear pattern! I wanted some high waisted granny panties (don’t judge me they are comfy AF) So I just added several inches to the top of the pattern and followed the incline of the pattern pieces to bring it in.
Pattern Available Here: Watson Bra and Bikini
Free Pattern Available Here: Melly Sews Underwear
Butterick B6453
Now we come to it, the thing I was most afraid of back in January, the pattern I didn’t finish. Could I power through and make this dress by the end of the year. Yes, but I don’t want to. I think my biggest takeaway from this year is that sewing isn’t a race. It’s worth it to take things slow and put the time into making a really thoughtful and beautiful garment. I don’t need to wear myself down doing the thing I enjoy. Sewing is my hobby and hobbies are meant to be enjoyed. So I am taking things slow with my sewing. This dress is beautiful and I absolutely intend to sew it in the future! But alas it won’t be made this year.
Pattern Available Here: Butterick B6453
MAKE NINE 2020 WRAP UP
I thought I would be so devastated and embarrassed to not complete this list by the end of 2020. Turns out that is the exact opposite of how I feel. I am so proud that in this chaotic and crazy year I made so much of my Make Nine 2020 list! I really did accomplish something huge in my books. Not only that but I ended up sewing so many other things. Way more than just nine. I’ve learnt so much along the way and I’m so excited for next year’s Make Nine!
Thanks are due to so many people who provided supplies, encouragement, and inspiration along this journey, (Thanks Barb! and others)
Catch you next year with some more sewing fun!
Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas!
Hannah
