This past year I have been on a real journey with my sewing. At the beginning of 2023, I made a concentrated effort to start ‘leveling up’, improving my skills, knowledge, and experience. I sewed pants. I got comfortable with buttonholes. I tried out new, trickier fabrics - linens and rayons that had previously intimidated me. Sewing had been a part of my life for so long, but I’d been working on projects that I already knew I could make. It was time to learn new things, to try harder.
So much progress has been made, and I feel really proud of that. My hard work has paid off - I can now easily tackle projects that previously would have been a real stretch for me. And lately, I’ve felt like maybe it’s time to lift the gas pedal a little bit, and sew things that are easy and fun to work on.
One of my mantras, as I’m sure you all know, is that everything ebbs and flows. This is true of my sewing practice in so many ways: for example, in my late teens, I started drafting my own simple patterns, as I was really looking to stretch myself and learn more about how clothing could be constructed. Then, I circled back to sewing from commercial patterns, focusing on details like fit and seam finishes. (Then, I stopped sewing altogether for years.) Now, it seems like I’ve been riding that carousel again, going from hard to easy.
As in all of life, a making practice is not a linear upward progression. Nor should it be, at least for me - I want sewing to move with me, fitting into my life in whatever way is appropriate for me at that time. A few months ago, I had the bandwidth to experiment and push myself, and now, as I work on a big project (more on that coming soon, I hope!), I’m leaning towards simpler makes, using patterns I know that I love.
Sometimes, a big, complicated project is exactly what you need, and that can be for many reasons. I might want to lose myself in the details of a French-seamed shirt, or use a tricky new pattern as a distraction. Or I might crave the personal satisfaction of completing something that is technically challenging. Then again, simpler projects can fill a lot of needs too - when I don’t have a lot of time, a quick t-shirt is the perfect thing to sew, and when I’m feeling unsure of myself, sewing a tried-and-tested pattern that I know I can execute well is incredibly reassuring.
Sewing is a lot like cooking, I think. There are days when I want to try a new recipe, something ambitious that will require a lot of thinking, and will hopefully produce a show-stopping dish. At other times, I just want to get food on the table that tastes reasonably good and doesn’t take a lot of time. And there are also nights when I just have to make risotto, because I’m feeling bad or stressed out and there’s nothing quite as soothing as stirring a pot of rice for twenty minutes.
I’d like to be ambitious all of the time, but I simply don’t believe that’s possible. Not every make is going to be a stunner (or even a winner - my sewing room is full of failed projects). This is okay. The act of making something is, at times, a salve for the soul, and there are times when that’s all it is. I am embracing this. For now, I’ve been sewing for comfort, for pleasure, and simply to enjoy the act of creating something.
For my readers who also sew, I thought I’d highlight here a couple of the patterns I’ve been loving and using a lot lately.
I’ve made two versions of McCalls 8067 recently, a short-sleeve and a long-sleeved one, and I really like this pattern. It’s a beginner-friendly collared shirt pattern, in my opinion - the collar and lapel are separate pieces, which makes sewing the collar a lot less stressful. Plus, that makes the pattern more versatile - I think the shirt is really cute without the collar too.
Sewing with knits has been high on my agenda lately - a t-shirt is such a fast project and I always find sewing basics to be really satisfying. I’ve made two shirts in the past couple weeks using the free Stellan Tee from French Navy Patterns, and I’m really pleased with them. Word of warning, though - I found that the neckband was too short for the rayon jerseys I used, and I extended it by 1.5” for my second version (in black, seen below).
Lastly, I just finished another pair of Peppermint Wide Leg Pants (another free downloadable sewing pattern!) I love this pattern so much, and I still want to make more versions! For the latest iteration, I used 10oz cotton canvas and used Megan Nielsen’s tutorial to make an exposed button fly. (This tutorial is the best I have ever seen on sewing a pants fly, btw, and she has others available on how to sew a hidden button fly and a zip fly.) FYI - if you’re doing a front fly and have a large hip measurement/small waist measurement, you might want to lengthen the fly a bit.
Well, that’s it from me for now. I hope you all have a lovely week, full of the joys of doing whatever it is that you like best. I hope you make or do something that you are proud of, and if you feel like it, I’d love for you to tell me what that is. I’ll be back next week - talk to you soon.
Best,
I like how you say that these projects ebb and flow, as well as the idea of 'sewing for comfort'; I think I could relate this a lot to my reading life (as I don't sew, other than replacing the occasional button!) I feel currently like I'm waking up to reading books again with the spring, whereas over winter, I've been a bit in hibernation, preferring to return to old comfort reads or picking up 'easier' texts. I love reading your essays as they make me think about my own hobbies, passions, etc, in a new way - even though I am not a 'maker' in the sense that you are! :)
Those pants are a dream. I love thé addition of the exposed fly too.