At the end of each year, I like to make a little plan for what I might want to make in the upcoming year. I love planning and list making, and I find this has been a fun way to motivate myself! The first couple of years that I did this, I did the classic “Make Nine” plan, and I found that after some time I would find my style or wardrobe needs changing in a way that made the ideas I’d first had not applicable, or I’d find that rather than searching within the things I already had, I’d use a pattern choice on my Make Nine list as an excuse to buy more fabric!
With this in mind, my approach has evolved over time, and I’ve settled on a plan I really like! My goal is to focus on the fabrics that I already own on my very full fabric shelves. So in December of 2021, I spent a few times sitting on my floor, looking up at my fabric shelf (which realistically could be called my fabric wall) and identifying a few special or long-owned pieces that I wanted to finally make use of.
I used a couple of different things as a guide. The first guideline is a hard and fast rule – the fabric had to be something I already owned. The second guideline was that if I wanted to sew something up for a particular holiday or event, I’d want to make that item the month BEFORE the event so I didn’t find myself stress sewing at the last minute! Lastly, my third guideline was that I wanted to focus on making things that I would want to wear often, with less of a focus on party dresses that don’t actually fit into my typical lifestyle.
The fabric I chose for January was this beautiful mauve french terry. I purchased this from Blackbird Fabrics alongside a number of other beautiful, solid colored fabrics in an effort to expand the pair-able pieces in my wardrobe. As I have mentioned before, I continue to learn that if I only sew florals and patterns, I’m going to have a hard time matching tops and bottoms!! I chose the Alice Pullover pattern by FibreMood, a pattern I’d used once before and liked. One of my favorite details is that the resulting garment can be worn with the boatneck or the V-Neck in the front!
I usually lean towards an over the top piece for holidays, but I knew that Valentine’s Day was likely to be a lowkey occasion in 2022. I thought this sweatshirt, in this color, would be a great everyday piece, but would also be nice for Valentine’s Day! By sewing it up in January, I knew that I’d be done in plenty of time to feel comfy, cozy, and cute while celebrating love.
Just as I had hoped, this has become a very regularly worn piece in my wardrobe! In the chillier months, I reached for it constantly and ended up wearing it almost weekly. It easily fits into my lifestyle as a trying-to-be-cute mom of two, and it works well with jeans, leggings, or my ivory Persephone Pants on the days I wanted to be a little bit more put together!
I started with 1.5 yards of this fabric, and after cutting out my sweatshirt I had enough left over for a pair of matching leggings for the little girl!! We’ve enjoyed lots of matchy days, but I also love when she asks me for the “cozy purple leggings” when she is getting dressed.
Although I’m posting these totally out of order, I’ve now completed my plans for the first 10 months of 2022! I’m super behind, but you can find some of my other projects by scrolling through the “Monthly Make My Stash” tag on the blog!
Sweatshirt: handmade by me
Pattern: Fibre Mood – Alice Pullover
Fabric: Blackbird Fabrics – Tencel & Organic Cotton French Terry in Dusty Mauve
Key Ingredients:
Brother XR9500PRW Sewing Machine
Brother 1034D Overlocker
Schmetz Jersey Ballpoint Needles
Dahle 36×48 Self-healing Cutting Mat
Heat & Bond Soft Stretch (Lite)
Thanks for reading my thoughts on this pattern! Both the pattern and fabric used in this garment were purchased by me. All words and opinions expressed throughout this post are my own, as always. Links provided throughout this post may be affiliate links – if you choose to purchase any products through these links, I may receive a small commission, at no cost to you. This simply helps me justify the costs of my sewing habit and the time it takes to share it with you!! Happy Sewing!
- XX Elizabeth
