Monthly Makes || Everything I made in January!
I had a pretty successful sewing month, if I do say so myself. I don’t always feel like get a ton of personal sewing time, but looking back over the month and seeing that I did manage to make several things, helps me see that a lot can be accomplished in many short sewing sessions.
This year on my YouTube channel, I thought it would be fun to share what I’ve made at the end of each month! In January I managed to make 6 things and they were a good mix of garments, projects for patterns for my shop and just-for-fun projects (although it’s truly all fun).
Here is January’s monthly makes video!
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Everything I Sewed in January
I made a few new clothes to wear this month! In the winter, I’ve been sticking to cozy knit fabrics that will actually get worn and can be easily layered. I’ve struggled with winter fashion in the past, but this year I just decided to embrace the need to be layered and comfortable and made garments accordingly. The unlined wool coat I made last year is getting a ton of wear! It’s so easy to throw on and is warm without being bulky or making me sweat eventually. I love it.
I made another version of New Look 6644, which is my favorite pattern for long sleeve knit tops. I love that I can make almost the whole thing on my serger, making it very fast to sew up. I also like how different it looks in various knit fabrics. No one would guess I’m actually wearing the same top over and over because they all look so different.
I’ve been buying enough of each knit fabric to make more than one thing, so I have enough of the gray and black to make another piece, I just have to decide what to make next. It’s pretty lightweight, so it will probably be a cardigan of some kind. Or maybe I’ll hold off until Summer and make a tank top.
The next thing I made was a super fun idea! You may have seen the video tutorial and blog post about these journal covers. I created a tutorial and pattern for them for my shop too, so you can make your own. I created covers for my favorite Moleskine journals out of languishing quilt blocks and I love them so much! I plan to make several for Christmas gifts this year. I know it’s only January, but it’s still nice to have a plan, haha.
Next up, I used a different knit fabric to make a t-shirt and wrap cardigan out of. I’m waiting for anyone to notice that I’m wearing the same fabric for two different things, ha! Using two more favorite patterns, I first made a wrap cardigan and then a basic short sleeve t-shirt with this beautifully soft knit from Hobby Lobby.
Next, I was on a 18” doll clothes designing and sewing spree in January! This Sleep Tight collection is the first of several doll clothes patterns coming to my shop this year. It was so fun to create and I’m having way too much fun playing with dolls lately. The next pattern in this series is coming soon, so be looking for that, but for now you can grab this first pattern and watch the video walkthrough.
Last in the garment category, I made a wearable muslin of a dress pattern I’d been wanting to try. The fabric isn’t my favorite, but the dress fits so great that I’m sure I’ll wear it anyway. A commenter on YouTube suggested styling it with my black wrap cardigan and leggings and I think that is a great idea! I thought I would have to make adjustments to this pattern, but it ended up fitting me perfectly as is, so I’m excited to have a go-to skater style dress pattern that will be super easy to whip up in all kinds of knit fabrics.
The pattern is McCall’s 7313 and it has a few neckline and sleeve variations to choose from, so it’s a versatile basic pattern, for sure.
A just for fun project I made was because I had the quilting itch, but I knew I couldn’t commit to an entire quilt. Mini quilts are perfect for those times, so I designed a cute little heart mini quilt. I didn’t want to use Valentines colors because I wanted to hang it up all year round! However, several people have shown interest in the tutorial on my YouTube channel comments, so I’m going to go ahead and create a pattern for this project. Since Valentines Day is approaching, I think I’ll make my next one in pinks and purples.
I think that’s everything! If every month was as productive as this one in the sewing room, I will be satisfied. Of course I’ll have some duds along the way, but looking back has really helped me see that I actually do get more sewing time in than I think I do. I’m sure some months will reap fewer finished projects (we’re moving again this year, after all), but small progress is still progress, am I right?
Cheers!
Nikki
