Since 2018 is rounding to a close, I thought it would be fun to look back and round up all of the sewing and design projects I made this year and number them from least favorite to favorite. I thought that I had made at least 1 project a month in 2018, but it turns out I only made 8. However, considering I completed one BIG project in March of this year, I will give myself a break and work for 12 next year!
Let’s get the ball rolling with my least favorite project:
8. RUFFLE STRIPE TWO PIECE SET
Although this one photographed well, it was absolutely a b*tch to make. I have no idea what I was thinking with that open-weave fabric that needed to be completely lined and sewn with special fray-encompassing stitches, but clearly I needed a good thunk to the head. Nevermind the fact that my breastfeeding tatas barely fit in the ridiculous top. I love the idea of it, but it wasn’t great execution on my part. It was a good lesson on learning to separate a design on paper with the physical fabric in hand. Lesson learned.
7. SILVER LEATHER SKIRT
I know this will shock people, but something has to come in (next to) last right? And this skirt I think has the opposite problem of the first. I think I executed it really well, and will in fact wear it over and over again, but I don’t love the way it photographs. It probably has just a bit too much fullness in the box pleat which makes it hand strangely. But I promise I wear wear and shoot it again so you can see what I know to be a fantastic skirt!
6. BLACK AND WHITE SHEER SET FOR MEXICO
Let’s be clear, I love this set. I made one minor mistake when sewing it which was that I didn’t add extra room in the waist for the elastic to pull easily over my hips, and so it is a little tricky to put on. That, and the fabric is itchy. But, I would wear it again in a heartbeat and I honestly hope I get to sometime. It was such a fun project that I could tell most people doubted me on (which I understand) so it’s fun to be able to show people the final result which I could envision the entire time!
5. HANDMADE BEACH CAFTAN
We’re getting to the point of splitting hairs. I love this caftan, and of course love that it was part of a Mommy and Me set. Can you believe Marina was only one month old when we shot this? I do wish that I had added in-seam pockets to the side seams. I also wish the fabric was a little lighter weight. This caftan is perfect for a cooler night in a warm climate, but isn’t so practical for a hot day.
4. RED AND BLUE PLAID PENCIL DRESS
Now I think we are on the styles that I like a lot more than see problems with. I love everything about this dress, starting with the expensive Marc Jacobs poly crepe that I bought at Mood. But it really all starts with fabric, and if you get that right, the rest will follow. I then got creative with the pattern making, eliminating a full side seam and treating the side seam like a dart in order to not have to match up the plaids on the bias. Mission accomplished! Downfalls: the hem of the sleeves is just a touch too tight, and I still have some hand sewing to do on the inside (because I’m lazy and never quite finish anything) but this is a dress that I will feel comfortable wearing to professional blog events and meetings, which was the goal!
3. EMBELLISHED OFF THE SHOULDER DRESS
I am so proud of this 3 hour dress! I love that I designed the large scale print, which was definitely quite a difficult thing to do, considering when I designed the print I had no idea what the dress style would be. I wear this dress all the time and get stopped every. single. time. from people asking where they can buy it. This dress is the inspiration for me to make/sell my designs some day!
2. FAUX FUR VESTS
These vests are my second favorite simply because the end result was just so freakin’ fun and fabulous. Marina seems to love her vest and I love matching her, so it’s definitely a win win. This was my first time sewing with faux fur and while it could have gone smoother, I realized early on that other than creating a huge mess, it really wasn’t that difficult to sew. If I were to sew faux fur again there are definitely some things I would do differently, but I think it’s important to give myself a pat on the back for not throwing in the towel as I almost did, because this is another item in my wardrobe that I’ve already got a ton of use out of!
1. MIXED PRINT TIE SET
This two piece set is my favorite project this year by far, for so many reasons. This dress represents how much work I was able to accomplish when I put my mind to it, while caring for a 6 week old. I didn’t have my nanny yet, so every time Marina would sleep I would work on making this project from scratch, including the draping, initial muslin, and final details. I used fabrics I had designed previously but were taking up space in my scrap fabric drawer, and while it looks simple, the pattern making for this one was extremely advanced (for me!). This was also another one where people massively doubted me, so I loved being able to show how well the final look came together in the end.
