While resolutions in the new year have never been my thing, setting goals and making plans are very much my style. As my sewing skills have improved and my handmade wardrobe overtakes the ready to wear items I own, I finally felt capable of taking part in the #makenine challenge. For those unfamiliar, this is a hashtag based movement in the sewing and knitting communities to set a plan for nine items you want to make. It is extremely flexible and can have whatever parameters you like – only garments or include accessories/household items, one craft only or a combination, with a deadline or open ended. My own plans for are for nine sewn garments using new-to-me patterns to be completed this year. I still knit all the time and typically have two projects going at once, but I didn’t include those in my nine.
I have no doubts in my ability to sew nine garments this year and I’m sure I would have done so regardless of the challenge, but selecting nine patterns to make has really helped me clarify my wardrobe plans. Rather than just making whatever pattern has my attention at the moment (which I’m sure will still happen to some degree), this particular approach should help fill in some crucial gaps in my current wardrobe. Being the overthinker that I am, I agonized over my selections as though this were a life or death decision, and I am sure some of my runners up are going to end up in my closet anyway, but I am really excited about my final selection. I already own all of these patterns and am planning to use materials mostly from my existing stash to be a bit more sustainable. Let’s take a closer look at the individual patterns!
