Happy New Year Every Buddy!

2018 may be done and dusted but we’re turning back the clock Chez A Colourful Canvas.

But. Quickly. Before we slip back in time…I want to draw attention to the new font on my blog. I’m embarrassed to admit this, but it was only just this week…duh…that I discovered I have access to all the Google fonts. All the fonts you guys! I’ve had this theme for over two years and the one thing I wasn’t completely happy with was the font. It wasn’t terrible before….okay, maybe it was terrible for some of us. My goal is simple…dialogue that is easy to read.

Okay…PSA over and out. Let’s get on to the fun stuff…my #2018makenine review. Last year was my first time participating in a #makenine challenge and….woot…it was a success.  I mean. People. I learned stuff.

This post is organized by the order in which I composed the nine square grid. Not in chronological order, or favourites, or alphabetical.

Up first, dotty blue and white fabric and the choice between two patterns. It didn’t take much debate before going with the Charlie Caftan. Between you and me..well, I didn’t have the courage to make the Colette Penny Dress. It is a pretty dress. I do have the pattern downloaded. But…and here’s the rub….I had big challenges with a Colette pattern in the past. My head told me that passing judgement after using a single pattern was unfair, so I bought the Penny Dress. Problem is I’m afraid I’ll be frustrated and/or disappointed. Have any of you sewn it?

My Charlie Caftan…familiar yes, but hacked to within an inch of it’s life.  I nixed the front inset panel, split the back piece horizontally at the waist and added lots of volume, added wider ties via the side seams, raised the armhole…and …added additional fabric to the V neck out of necessity. Not much dat…You can see the post here.

I like the dress, but I haven’t worn it a lot. Who knew? There is such a thing as too much volume.

The best take away from this make…my friend Greetje from No Fear of Fashion got me deep thinking about the caftan silhouette. Would I? Could I? Well, yes indeedy I could. And I did. I made…possibly…the ultimate caftan. You can see it here.

I was a bit leery using this cotton sateen for pants. Would the fabrication be too light?

I’m relieved to report in that my Sasha Trousers were in heavy rotation through spring and summer. That being said, this fabric is not the Goldilocks-Just-Right weight that I’ve seen in ready to wear. You can see the original post here.

Take away…the Sasha Trousers are, for me, a TNT pattern. Classic. And versatile.

Note to self: ‘Be mindful of the fabric’s stretch percentage…don’t assume the stated percentage is accurate. Handle it. Compare it to previous makes. Adjust the pattern if necessary.’

Ah…hello Truffle Coat. I had such high hopes for you. Intention numero uno being replacing my Birds on a Branch Minoru Jacket. But. I. Just. Can’t. Quit. My Minoru.

I don’t know why…or what…it is, but I still reach for my Minoru Jacket over my Truffle Coat. Le sigh. There is nothing…nada….wrong with my Truffle Coat.  Mary Poppins would say it’s perfectly perfect. But. I dunno.  I do not know. The only thing I can think of that might be an issue is that maybe…maybe…the print is just too much…even for me.

Currently, they’re sharing space in my closet. So, do I make another Truffle Coat out of a less….um…garish fabric? Or do I make another Minoru Jacket? {Say YES, Say YES}

Grainline’s free Hemlock Tee is a winner in my books. I made this one early last year and it gets a ton of wear.

Note: This is a one size pattern. I altered the pattern at the side seams and the armholes to better fit my frame.

Bonjour Coco! Another unblogged, but oft worn make. The Coco Dress, by Tilly and The Buttons, is a quick sew…and…it’s super cute.

I mentioned in my introductory #2018makenine post that this fabric was over over-dyed. Louisa, from Damselfly’s Delights, recommended Synthrapol detergent and hoorah….it worked brilliantly. Proof? White underthings remain white. I bought the Synthrapol at Maiwa on Granville Island, here in Vancouver.

This dress is so just right for me! Fit. Comfort. Style. And. Pockets! I wear it often.

Another #2018makenine. Another Tilly and The Buttons pattern. This time, the Cleo Pinafore.  You can see the original post here. I’ve made this pattern twice…the first time I made it I hacked the back bodice to have full coverage and it’s surprisingly similar to the York Pinafore {I based my hack on a RTW garment and made it long before the York was on the radar.}

I wear both of my Cleo’s…but this one more….because it’s a solid.

Note to self: ‘More than ever, you like wearing solid colours. Unfortunately, when you’re fabric shopping your brain goes on vacation. All the prints. All the time.’

Not part of my #makenine, but I think it’s worth mentioning that this version of the Rise Turtleneck did not work out {I have others that are awesome}. Two things. One, I misjudged the stretch of the rose fabric. My head would literally hurt when I put it on, not to mention my curls were seriously under attack…And two, the rose print always felt a little bit old lady {not that there’s anything wrong with that} for me.

Oh hello…a garment I did not make. This was one of those learned moments peeps.

I pulled fabric and pattern out time and time again. But. I could not make it happen. It’s all good though. The pairing of fabric and pattern may not have worked, but it was this disparity that pushed me to clarify what I really want in a handmade coat.

I decided that I would prefer to make a less structured coat out of this fabric. Gasp…maybe even an unlined one. This fabric will be appearing in my #2019makenine. I know…you can hardly stand the suspense.

Note to self:  ‘You are happiest wearing your down puffy coats in winter. You like that they are warm but light as air. You may be a wuss, but you are a happy wuss. Enjoy sewing fun, girly, unstructured coats that you can wear for two lovely but fleeting weeks each spring and autumn.’

One might think that I have more than enough bathing suits. But really? Not.  I donated several swimsuits to goodwill last year.  Yep…after rigorous use of my little gray brain cells, I came to the realization that I don’t even like tankinis. {Insert head smack here} I don’t regret making them…well, let me rephrase…I don’t regret making one of them, but seriously, could not I have clued into the fact that I dislike wearing them before I put pedal to the metal and churned out another two?

Anyways, after the clear out I had two Sophie maillots left and…sigh…they were both feeling a leeetle too small for comfort. Fortunately, my stash of swimsuit fabrics is healthy.

This suit is a bit of a mash up. It’s mostly a Sophie Swimsuit but I swapped the Sophie cups with my MakeBra DL01 bra pattern {more about lingerie below}. One advantage to doing it this way….fit, fit, fit! I loved feeling confident about the cup fit from the get-go. And, another biggie for me is that the integrated strap of the MakeBra feels more secure.

This suit has come full circle….I bought the fabric in Maui years ago and I wore it when I was on holiday there in November. It is a win….however…{‘Why is there so often a but when it comes to hand made clothing?’ wonders me.}…I came to the realization that I like non-wired swimsuits best.

Note to self: ‘Maui is always a good idea.’

Lola. Lola. Lola. I want to make you. I really do. But. The thing is…there is someone else. And her name is Bonnie.

My Bonnie Bucket Bags, seen here, are in heavy rotation throughout fall and winter. They are so fun and I always get compliments on them. Come  spring and summer…I love me a good straw bag.

Needless to say I just haven’t worked up much enthusiasm for making another proper handbag.

BUT.

I learned something.

I use a backpack frequently and I really want a ‘pretty’ backpack. By pretty I mean one that looks a bit more like a satchel than a utilitarian backpack…you know, something minus those mesh exterior water bottle pockets. I have the LBG backpack, the Lucy backpack and the Dawn to Dusk backpack downloaded. Why three? I dunno…complete madness…but seriously they each had design features that I liked at the time. You can expect to see a backpack on my #2019makenine.

And finally. My tenth of my #makenine, LOL. I mistakenly added lingerie to my #2018makenine blog post…it wasn’t in the grid…and I left it in because sewing lingerie has been high on my list. Sewing bras and underwear really warrants a blog post, or even several blog posts but I’ve been stalling. Making bras is fun, but admittedly a bit fiddly. I imagine writing the post to be fiddly too….

Anyhoo, one of this year’s successful lingerie sets is pictured above, sewn up in Art Gallery Rosebuds fabric. The underwear is a slightly modified Sophie swimsuit and the bra pattern is Make Bra Dl01. Edit: Linke to Make Bra here

I’ve tried about four bra patterns and the Make Bra has been the best overall experience for me.

Whew! Long post. If you’ve stuck with me right through….well massive thanks. If you skipped to the bottom, that’s cool too. I should think of something witty to say but I don’t have much more than I thought the #2018makenine was a positive exercise….in fact I’m currently plotting this year’s grid. Again, my choices will be from my current fabric/pattern stash.