The end of the year is a good time for reflection. I had already done a retrospective of my favorite sewing projects month by month in 2021 and I really enjoyed looking back over the past year. I really encourage you to do the same for yours; because we don’t always realize everything we manage to accomplish in a year!
It’s a real confidence booster! You see your progress but it’s also a way to remember the projects you’ve made (fabrics used, pattern modifications...). You realize that even if we’re running out of time in our busy lives, we can find the time or rather choose to take the time to pursue our passion.
So, I thought I’d do it again for 2022 and select “my” best sewing project for each month of 2022; that will make 12 in total (if I don’t cheat 😅). This might give you new ideas for your 2023 projects. Let’s start with the first 6 months of 2022.
January
In January, I had my eye on the Jolène blouse/dress from Ready to sew that I had wanted to sew for months! I really liked the gathered detail on the bust and had been itching to make it for a long time.
So in this mild January 2022, I bought the pattern that had caught my eye for a while and first made the Jolène blouse with short sleeves in a Japanese cotton lawn from the brand Kokka. Since it was a coupon brought back from Japan, I had to be a bit clever to fit the pieces into my small coupon 😂. At the time, I made a toile and that was a good idea! I had to adjust the bust because I had chosen a size slightly too small. So I was able to enlarge the bust a bit in strategic places before cutting my precious coupon... hence the importance of making toiles! By the way, if you want to know more about toiles, feel free to read my article on the subject. You’ll find calico toile in the shop.
And here I am already cheating but you’ll forgive me because it’s the same pattern... I also had in mind to make the puff-sleeve dress version for my birthday in February... I wanted to make it in light denim toile that I also brought back from Japan.
Quick side note... If you don’t know, Japan is a specialist country for denim with very high-quality production in Honshu (Okayama region) — anyway... I wanted a somewhat “haute couture” version to wear to a restaurant with my partner. It was finished the day before my birthday, just in time 😂. When I say you have to know how to take the time! And with that, I think this model is really beautiful and I should take the time to sew another one (maybe in corduroy)!
Jolène blouse version with short sleeves
Jolène dress version in denim with puff sleeves
February
In February, I got lost on Instagram (I’m sure you know what I mean...) and I came across a pattern brand I had never seen before. I then discovered Atelier des premières and I literally fell for their feminine and modern patterns in the style I like to wear.
So off I went to their website and discovered Julie’s background, a trained pattern maker, and I thought it was worth a try... so I put two patterns in my cart.
In February, I tested the brand starting with the Marion t-shirt, which I loved for its gathered sleeves and oh-so-feminine back neckline (and bra-friendly). I sewed my first version in white ribbed jersey. A few weeks later, I made another in rust pointelle, shortening the shoulder length so the sleeve would sit higher on my shoulder.
March
Building on my February test, I continued with the Atelier des premières brand by trying a bottom this time: the Caroline skirt. I really like the cut of Caroline, which is a fairly simple panel skirt and I’m sure it will look great in a fuchsia corduroy coupon I bought in a small haberdashery in Burgundy during my internship with Marie Emilienne, the creator of the Iam Patterns brand.
It was done in a few hours 😂 and I love this little trapeze skirt which definitely confirmed my positive experience with the Atelier des premières brand.
I then contacted Julie, the brand’s creator, to be able to offer her lovely patterns in the shop.
Since then, Atelier des premières patterns have been available in the shop and on the webshop.
April
You now know that another of my passions is hand embroidery, which I like to combine with sewing because embroidery just for the sake of embroidery doesn’t really interest me anymore... what I love is integrating embroidery creation into everyday life.
And since I had a small coupon of white and black poplin with cute jungle motifs that just barely allowed me to make a little Ségur top from Little Cozy World, I thought I’d embroider the neckline.
I took the time to embroider the design little by little in the evenings, experimenting a bit with color and motif choices, but I’m quite happy with the result!
And you, do you like to embroider your sewing projects?
If you want to get started, I also organize classic hand embroidery courses at the workshop, and it’s really handy to be able to embroider to hide stains and holes on our clothes. It gives them a second life.
May
You know I ❤️ love sewing jeans for my boyfriend. In May, I did it again for him, and he got a new stylish pair of jeans!
For this version, entirely sewn in our new workshop, I chose a blue-gray denim and made the topstitching in dark red.
This allowed me to fully test our new machines chosen for the workshop. They are Janome Sewist 780D. The test was more than successful. It handled the thicknesses without any problem with top results.
Just a little info, these are one of my husband’s favorite jeans... He hardly ever takes them off, so it makes me really happy to sew pieces like this for him.
June
In June, before summer, I wanted to sew myself a top but also to try a new model... so it’s the Iam Patterns brand that takes the spotlight with the Gaia top!
I chose an American poplin from the shop for this project and for the hidden bias on the armholes I chose a pale yellow that recalls the heart of the poplin flowers.
I really like this little top that’s easy to make and to which you can add cap sleeves, ruffles, or lengthen it to create a dress. As always, the assemblies proposed by Marie Emilienne are easy; everything is well thought out to make sewing accessible to everyone!
You’ll find Iam Patterns patterns in the physical shop and on the website.
Here are my 6 favorite sewing projects month by month (no cheating, well almost 😅), for the first half of 2022.
Most of the fabrics come from the shop 😊. Some are sold out but if you like this kind of fabric, it’s kind of the shop’s signature style so don’t hesitate to take a look.
And you, what were your favorite sewing projects of the year? See you next week for the rest.
