The Make 9 Project
I have been posting on Twitter more than I have on here, which is a first. This year, there has been a definite lack of posts due to a lot of reasons. Number 1 is work. Especially this year, I think I let work simmer into my off-time life. I had a huge sewing project that took up loads of time but was so rewarding in the end.
And then I was bit by a spider (possibly a hobo spider) and while I thought it would go away on its own, I found out that the skin underneath was infected and I had to get an incision at urgent care. They also found a blood clot in there. Yay. The last part of the year has been not so great for me as having lidocaine shot up your arm isn't necessarily my idea of fun. I'm glad I did it though because when I change my band aid, I can definitely see it healing.
I haven't done much reading or writing this year which I'm ashamed about. There's no excuse for it. But I think everything in the news has just made me so depressed. That's been another issue this year, depression coming back into my life despite being on citalopram and having some therapy tools to deal with the occasional downs. I would like to get back into reading and writing for 2020. It's essential for my mental health that I do!
But to focus on something a little more positive, I have been doing a lot of sewing. In fact, by the end of the year, I will have finally completed the make 9 challenge. My stash has dwindled by at least 10% this year! This is a big deal for me. I would like to make 9 for next year as well!
Under the cut, I will list all the 9 projects I will have completed by 2020.
9 Projects I Have Completed This Year:
1. Mood Fabrics Melia Blouse in a Sugar Skull-esque Darth Vader print my sister found at Wall-Mart. As a co-worker told me, it looks like a Western Darth Vader shirt.
2. Ruska Tie Shirt Dress by Named Patterns in a cotton jersey from Mood Fabrics that has a very 80's print on it. It's bright pink. Pink seemed to be my color of the year which is amusing considering I hate hot pink.
3. A Blair Bat-wing Shirt by Named Patterns. Welcome to my favorite pattern company of the year. This was made up in a heathered blue jersey that I bought in L.A. for $1 a yard.
4. A Rory Blouse by Seamwork in another cotton jersey from Mood Fabrics with all kinds of birds printed on it.
5. A Kenzie Skirt by Seamwork in a teal rayon that I bought on Etsy. This was for a botched casual Kitty Pryde costume for my work's Comic Con workshops. I promise I will finish an actual Shadowcat costume for 2020. My sister should finish her Lockheed sculpture by that time! (Still in progress)
6. A Sabrina Dress by By Hand London in a very cheap fabric with a large, red rose print from Mood Fabrics. This was the muslin for the Aerith dress. It came out so adorable that I added it to my wardrobe.
7. Hemming a dress for my niece. She had gotten it as a dress and wanted me to hack off 8 inches so she could wear it as a blouse instead. This is also still in progress, but I would like to finish it before Christmas so I can gift it to her!
8. A Maisa Denim Jacket by Named Patterns in a "chili pepper" cotton twill from Mood Fabrics. This became the Aerith jacket and if there is a pattern that won my heart this year, it is the Maisa Jacket. I have one planned for 2020 as well. I've been told that I have a knack for sewing jackets which is a compliment that I will take. I also made my own belts for the sleeves. I changed it by cropping it for a more Aerith length. I also shortened the sleeves and the front pockets. I added belt loops to keep the belts in.
9. A Sabrina Dress by By Hand London in a "prism" pink stretch cotton denim from Mood Fabrics. This was the Aerith dress. The only alterations I made were to lengthen it for a midi length and to use fewer buttons. It's adorable, but the fit is a little wonky. For some reason, the fit of the first dress was perfect, but not so much on the second attempt. It's a little loose in some parts. If I'm going to cosplay as Aerith again, I do plan to make this dress again, perhaps with a different pattern.
So, here are my 9 sewing plans for 2020!
1. Another Maisa Jacket in that same prism pink fabric with a bunch of Sugar Bones patches to make the ultimate Sailor Moon jacket! MUAHAHAHAHA!!!!
2. Either a Ruska T-Shirt of a Seamwork Jane so that I can embroider "Anta Baka" onto it.
3. A Named Patterns Sloane with purchased letter patches so that I can recreate one of the text scenes in Jean-Luc Godard's Weekend (I'm planning for a Faux-tographie sweater, though a Fin de Cinema would be great too).
4. A Shadwocat cosplay? Y/N? My costume project of the year always fluctuates. (A Magenta cosplay? Y/N?)
5. To finally finish that Seamwork Elli dress I've been planning with that burgundy waffle knit I got from Mood.
6. A Named Patterns Amber Pinafore Dress in a cotton poplin from Mood Fabrics. The cotton is called "Un Dia en Andorra" and it gave me Picasso vibes.
7. I'd like to finally sew a pair of pants! I don't know which pattern yet, but Closet Case Patterns' Ginger Jeans gets a lot of love and attention. I'd prefer to make the flared version. I've sewn a fly-front once before so I already know the pain.
8. A Deer and Doe Patterns Myosotis Dress in this stretch cotton twill from Mood Fabrics. I even found some novelty crow buttons that I might be able to use on it.
9. And a Vintage Simplicity 8736 blouse in black fabric with the cuffs and collar done in a very cute Halloween black cat cotton print I found at my local fabric store. Ever since a black cat entered into my life a few years ago, every black cat print I see I need to own.
Finally, I would like to focus on not purchasing any rayon or viscose in 2020. The amount of damage it does, to the environment and human life, is inhumane. I would like to focus on more sustainable fabrics, such as tencel. So let's dub 2020 the year of tencel for me!
And then I was bit by a spider (possibly a hobo spider) and while I thought it would go away on its own, I found out that the skin underneath was infected and I had to get an incision at urgent care. They also found a blood clot in there. Yay. The last part of the year has been not so great for me as having lidocaine shot up your arm isn't necessarily my idea of fun. I'm glad I did it though because when I change my band aid, I can definitely see it healing.
I haven't done much reading or writing this year which I'm ashamed about. There's no excuse for it. But I think everything in the news has just made me so depressed. That's been another issue this year, depression coming back into my life despite being on citalopram and having some therapy tools to deal with the occasional downs. I would like to get back into reading and writing for 2020. It's essential for my mental health that I do!
But to focus on something a little more positive, I have been doing a lot of sewing. In fact, by the end of the year, I will have finally completed the make 9 challenge. My stash has dwindled by at least 10% this year! This is a big deal for me. I would like to make 9 for next year as well!
Under the cut, I will list all the 9 projects I will have completed by 2020.
9 Projects I Have Completed This Year:
1. Mood Fabrics Melia Blouse in a Sugar Skull-esque Darth Vader print my sister found at Wall-Mart. As a co-worker told me, it looks like a Western Darth Vader shirt.
2. Ruska Tie Shirt Dress by Named Patterns in a cotton jersey from Mood Fabrics that has a very 80's print on it. It's bright pink. Pink seemed to be my color of the year which is amusing considering I hate hot pink.
3. A Blair Bat-wing Shirt by Named Patterns. Welcome to my favorite pattern company of the year. This was made up in a heathered blue jersey that I bought in L.A. for $1 a yard.
4. A Rory Blouse by Seamwork in another cotton jersey from Mood Fabrics with all kinds of birds printed on it.
5. A Kenzie Skirt by Seamwork in a teal rayon that I bought on Etsy. This was for a botched casual Kitty Pryde costume for my work's Comic Con workshops. I promise I will finish an actual Shadowcat costume for 2020. My sister should finish her Lockheed sculpture by that time! (Still in progress)
6. A Sabrina Dress by By Hand London in a very cheap fabric with a large, red rose print from Mood Fabrics. This was the muslin for the Aerith dress. It came out so adorable that I added it to my wardrobe.
7. Hemming a dress for my niece. She had gotten it as a dress and wanted me to hack off 8 inches so she could wear it as a blouse instead. This is also still in progress, but I would like to finish it before Christmas so I can gift it to her!
8. A Maisa Denim Jacket by Named Patterns in a "chili pepper" cotton twill from Mood Fabrics. This became the Aerith jacket and if there is a pattern that won my heart this year, it is the Maisa Jacket. I have one planned for 2020 as well. I've been told that I have a knack for sewing jackets which is a compliment that I will take. I also made my own belts for the sleeves. I changed it by cropping it for a more Aerith length. I also shortened the sleeves and the front pockets. I added belt loops to keep the belts in.
9. A Sabrina Dress by By Hand London in a "prism" pink stretch cotton denim from Mood Fabrics. This was the Aerith dress. The only alterations I made were to lengthen it for a midi length and to use fewer buttons. It's adorable, but the fit is a little wonky. For some reason, the fit of the first dress was perfect, but not so much on the second attempt. It's a little loose in some parts. If I'm going to cosplay as Aerith again, I do plan to make this dress again, perhaps with a different pattern.
So, here are my 9 sewing plans for 2020!
1. Another Maisa Jacket in that same prism pink fabric with a bunch of Sugar Bones patches to make the ultimate Sailor Moon jacket! MUAHAHAHAHA!!!!
2. Either a Ruska T-Shirt of a Seamwork Jane so that I can embroider "Anta Baka" onto it.
3. A Named Patterns Sloane with purchased letter patches so that I can recreate one of the text scenes in Jean-Luc Godard's Weekend (I'm planning for a Faux-tographie sweater, though a Fin de Cinema would be great too).
4. A Shadwocat cosplay? Y/N? My costume project of the year always fluctuates. (A Magenta cosplay? Y/N?)
5. To finally finish that Seamwork Elli dress I've been planning with that burgundy waffle knit I got from Mood.
6. A Named Patterns Amber Pinafore Dress in a cotton poplin from Mood Fabrics. The cotton is called "Un Dia en Andorra" and it gave me Picasso vibes.
7. I'd like to finally sew a pair of pants! I don't know which pattern yet, but Closet Case Patterns' Ginger Jeans gets a lot of love and attention. I'd prefer to make the flared version. I've sewn a fly-front once before so I already know the pain.
8. A Deer and Doe Patterns Myosotis Dress in this stretch cotton twill from Mood Fabrics. I even found some novelty crow buttons that I might be able to use on it.
9. And a Vintage Simplicity 8736 blouse in black fabric with the cuffs and collar done in a very cute Halloween black cat cotton print I found at my local fabric store. Ever since a black cat entered into my life a few years ago, every black cat print I see I need to own.
Finally, I would like to focus on not purchasing any rayon or viscose in 2020. The amount of damage it does, to the environment and human life, is inhumane. I would like to focus on more sustainable fabrics, such as tencel. So let's dub 2020 the year of tencel for me!