Unblogged Pieces of 2020

This year, I probably sewed the least I have ever sewn since I started 7 years ago. That's probably true for most of us though, so I haven't been too hard on myself about it. I blogged about 4 of the things I was able to push out but these are the few things that I never got real pics in and never made it to the blog.

McCall's 7997 (OOP)

I made a sleeveless View C in a size 16. I can't remember if I added 2 inches to the length, but I do remember making sure to do a 1" swayback adjustment.

The fabric was pinstriped denim that I got from Fabric Mart. It had a little bit of stretch and originally the pinstripes were a deep red, but when I prewashed the fabric, the red of the pinstripes went away and they ended up just being grey. I lined the dress with an unlabeled fabric that was gifted to me.

This dress was the first time that I tried to do fabric-covered buttons. It was pretty difficult because I was using denim, so to make it work, I used a glue gun to hold everything in place.

I made this dress for the DMV Makers meetup that I went to on February 1st. I finished like an hour before I had to head out for the event lol. It was such a good time, and I met so many of my online sewing friends! Here are some pics from that night, and of me in the dress.

As you can see from the pictures at the event, I had some pulling at the button that was at the hip. I did try to adjust it a couple of times but I couldn't seem to place it right to get rid of the pulling.

I don't have this dress anymore. I gifted it to a friend of mine that would rock it in a way that does it justice, so I'm happy about that.

Simplicity 9010 (pattern)

So you may be a bit confused at this one, but this is, in fact, Simplicity 9010-- View B in a size 16. The fabric is from Fabric Mart, but it was unlabeled because it was one of the fabrics that came in one of the Mystery Boxes. It is quite a lux fabric though, not yet scuba, but buttery and soft and very stretchy.

The way that this dress became a front wrap instead of an open-back is the real story. After making the dress the way it was supposed to be made, I felt like the neckline was way too high and it was choking me. Not only that, but the size 16 had me SWIMMING in the fabric, and overall it was a terribly unflattering garment. I was just going to scrap it completely, and Auntie Carolyn convinced me to turn the dress around and see, and that's when I saw the hope in it. I slimmed the entire dress down and made the cross acceptable to be worn at the front. 

I added a tie to make it look more like a traditional wrap dress and I also slimmed down the sleeves so that they stop at about 3/4. I like the dress much more now. I was supposed to wear it to a wedding in March, but I didn't get a chance to go to it, so I have yet to wear this one. But when I'm ready for a fancy evening out, I'll be ready!

Simplicity 1358 (pattern)

After many months in quarantine, I decided that I was done sitting around the house looking like a bum in t-shirts and ratty shorts and leggings. I got inspired to make something that I could wear around the house, but still, look a bit put-together.

I had a smidge more than a yard of this "longjohns" fabric that I inherited and I felt like it was perfect for a lounge dress. I made View C in size Medium and decided not to hem it. I wear this dress at least once every 2 weeks if not every week so I think it's time I invest in making more. I'm not sure if I want to use this same pattern, but definitely more house dress in my future.

Mask and Headwrap

After making my birthday dress, I still had quite a bit of yardage from the fabric that I used. Part of it was a perfect rectangle, so I cut off the oddly cut scraps and hemmed the raw edges of the rectangle with a narrow hem to make a headwrap.

As for the mask, I used Mimi G's mask pattern and tutorial. It was super easy. This is the only mask I've made this year. I made a youtube video about this set here.

McCall's 7653 (OOP)

I made this dress in September right before I went to Jamaica for a wedding (vlog here). This is View A in a size 12. It was intended to be a super quick make, so I didn't make any pattern adjustments to the length or the back of the pattern. The only change I made was to change it from a halter top into a normal spaghetti strap dress. 

I didn't get to wear this dress on the trip and here in the DMV it has been WAY too cold to wear something like this, so I will be aiming for the summer with this one. Hopefully it fits nicely then lol

I just wanted to end this blogging year with a clean slate. I am hoping to lean more into my creativity in 2021 because it did help me cope near the end of 2020. Keep watch here and definitely on my YouTube channel. I've been quite consistent over there and I have a lot of content that will be dropping the first couple of months of the year. Follow me on Instagram as well for real-time engagement!

With all of that said, Happy New Year, and I hope that you continue to be/stay safe in the new year. See you on the other side!

xoxo,

Tasha