Ahhh 2021.
The year of “holy shit we’re still facing the apocalypse”. Transitioning into, hell yes, there’s a vaccine, we’re saved!!! Which then became, damn, I have to go back into the office and face torture-for-introverts on a daily basis instead of just being able to get my job done in peace. Which then transformed back into, “fuck the pandemic is still here, boosters aren’t available, school is closed again, lock yourselves in your houses – we’re in exactly the same position as we were twelve months ago”!!
Oh and my home town in Australia is STILL basically closed so no home comforts available for relief.
But throughout this rollercoaster of a year, I’ve always had my sewing.
I often reflect that I simply don’t know where I would be in my life if I hadn’t discovered sewing. Quite apart from the question of what I produce, there are times when the hum of the machine and the creative control of making something real is all that keeps me going admist a stressful job and the feeling of constant demands.
While sewing won’t overcome a pandemic, it’s helping me survive it. So, with much love to the power of sewing in 2021, I thought I’d round of the year with a bit of sewing reflection.
2021: a year of sewing repeats!
Perhaps as the continuing chaos of 2021 unfolded around us, I found comfort in the familiar. I feel that this year, I spent a lot more time sewing repeat garments, rather than necessarily sewing the shiniest new thing.
Sewing repeats is, IMHO, a great way to sew.
It takes the uncertainty out of things. You know what’s going to fit. No surprises.
Just concentrating on the process and the fabric.
So, I sewed three versions of the Burnside bibs this year, each in fabric I adore. A lovely ikat (haha, spell check wants to change ikat to “irate” and I’m rather amused by the notion of irate bibs) and two ‘autumn’ winter bibs in denim and heavyweight linen. The latter in my beloved ochre!
On other TNT patterns, I recently made two new versions of the Megan Nielsen Tania Culottes both of which are instant classics for me.
Earlier in the year, I also sewed by fourth pair of Arthur Pants – a jeans hack and my fourth version of the Deer and Doe Myosotis Dress.
I did succumb, of course, to some new patterns in 2021.
I also sewed four versions of The Assembly Line Oversized Shirt. Two as designed, one shortened and one lengthened. I love three of these, the blue checked/plaid one is a bit of a miss for me. The look is very wintery but the fabric is too light for cooler temperatures. The flannel “shacket” one is probably one of my favourite garments ever.
And speaking of new things, I sewed three versions of the Fibre Mood Amira Skirt (pattern given to me by Fibre Mood free of charge).
I actually sewed a fourth last week, but since I haven’t had a chance to blog it yet, I’m not including it here. This one, for me, has just turned out to be my ultimate dream skirt pattern. As we would say in Australia “it’s going straight to the pool room”!
My other “love at first sight” new pattern for the year was probably the Helena Wrap Dress by Just Patterns (pattern given to me by Just Patterns free of charge), which basically just satisfies every last inch of my most hard core linen fantasies.
Jumpsuit hacks of 2021
It’s no secret that I am a massive jumpsuit aficionado.
In 2021, I tried a few new jumpsuit patterns. There was the Mirri Jumpsuit that I felt alright about initially but which, with time, I realise I don’t really like. More positive was the canary yellow Frisco Jumpsuit, which I really like. Channeling my inner tweety bird!
However, the projects I have found most satisfying have been a couple of mash-up jumpsuits.
If I had to choose one single garment for the year which best represents how I like to dress, I would probably have to give the prize to this mash-up of the Blanca Flight Suit with the Amy Jumpsuit. It is effortless single-garment dressing simplicity but makes me feel put together.
I also adore my first every foray into “playsuit” territory – I guess 2021 has expanded my horizons after all – with this mash up of the Winslow culottes with the bodice of the Elodie Wrap Dress.
Fabric Love
There’s definitely been a bit of a theme in my fabric focus this year.
I’ve discovered that I can buy the viscose linen blend in Europe (I’d previously purchased it a few times from Blackbird fabrics) and it’s definitely been a huge part of my sewing practice this year.
The new staple.
The other trend I’ve fallen for so hard that I can’t see straight is GINGHAM. The bigger the better!
And, speaking of highlights of 2021, I was lucky enough to spend a couple of weeks in Greece during the moment of peak optimism “we’re vaccinated, it’s almost all over” and there is nothing more satisfying than wearing me-mades on vacation:
A few awards
So let’s round off this recap with a few awards.
The prize for “why the fuck did it take me about 5 years to discover this awesome pattern” most definitely goes to the Reeta Shirt Dress by Named Clothing. I made two versions of it – back-to-back.
For me that’s always the ultimate sign of sewing love. If I am so excited by a new garment that I drop everything to make a second version immediately!
The award for “most worn” goes to loungewear. It definitely feels like I’ve both started and ended 2021 in major “cosy home comfort” mode.
My plateau joggers and Mile End hoodie rarely get worn for the whole day but very often get worn for weekend breakfast or for watching a film at the end of the day.
I’ve also gotten tremendous wear out of this Gilbert top and Florence Pants. I originally sewed this combination thinking “monochrome chic” cbut I couldn’t get past “but they look like pyjamas”. So I’ve actually been wearing them as pyjamas most of the year, which makes for some very frequent wear!
At the other end of the scale is the not-so-illustruous category of “never worn”.
Unfortunately, I do have a few garments I’ve sewn this year that I’ve never worn. I do want to emphasise, however, that it is more because they haven’t fit in well with my current wardrobe needs, rather than because I don’t like them.
First category here seems to be “light jackets” because I am yet to wear either my Kuulas Bomber Jacket by Named Clothing or my linen Jasika Blazer by Closet Core Patterns.
Having spent most of the warmer months of 2021 still working from home while waiting to be vaccinated, I would very rarely find myself putting on a jacket time garment around the house, even less so a blazer.
Further, this year just didn’t bring very much warm weather to The Netherlands, so opportunities to wear lightweight jackets have been few and far between.
But I do still like these makes and think that they will one day find a place in the my day-to-day wardrobe.
Another couple of garments that I have not worn at all are my Wildwood Wrap Dress and my Assembly Line Cuff Dress.
The Wildwood Wrap Dress is a garment I totally love but has definitely turned out both undeniably fancy, warm-weather-only appropriate and not bicycle friendly. None of which are very appropriate for my life running after a 6 year old in rainy bicycle-filled The Netherlands. Nonetheless, I love this garment so much that a special occasion will eventually be found to wear it and I have no regrets at having sewn it.
Another dress I haven’t worn yet is this Assembly Line Cuff Dress. This one I feel more ambivalence for. I made this in a wave of “psychologically preparing myself for the physical return to the office”, but that return only ended up lasting a couple of months and I haven’t had a chance to wear it. Still, I have no doubt (unfortunately) that there will be physical office presence in my future and this one will have a role to play too!
So there we have it, a little walk through of the hits and misses of 2021, with the constant theme being that as this year has kept us hurtling out of control, at least sewing has been there for comfort.
How was your sewing year? Any favourites? Or never-worn garments of shame?
Love this round up. Thank for writing so well and sharing your sewing journey.
Really enjoyed reading this review of your sewing year, and i’ve made a few notes on patterns i shall go and investigate…As for my year? No sewing.At all.Nada.Not for lack of fabric, or plans, just at first lack of sewingroom followed by less time when we returned to office in August. Having had a wonderfully creative 2020 (first time ever wfh, uk based & due to gaining 3hrs a day back with no commute, another introvert who relidhed the quietude!) i wonder if the pinnicle will forever be the 4 pairs of xmas flannel Carolyn pjs i sewed in the autumn of last year. All i managed this year was to cut out a second pair for myself in a non xmas fabric; koala on teal flannel.(fellow expat)Dont see me sewing them in the next 48hrs as we are now a household of flu!!!bring on 2022 and i wish you much creativity x
Don’t be hard on yourself!! 2022 will be better (how could it not be!). I like to think that half the creative process is the dreaming and thinking. So as long as you’re dreaming about sewing, it remains a creative outlet!!
Thanks for the round-up — I’ve actually been with you every step of the way — I check for your latest posts every Thursday like clockwork:). Your enthusiasm and witty prose is inspiring. My own sewing story has been resurrected during the pandemic — from being a fearless dressmaker as a teenager, I let the dust gather on my grandmother’s Singer treadle machine … Having some enforced time on my hands changed that. I did Me-Made-May for the first time this year, and a wet and miserable spring here in the UK showed up that I had an imbalance of me-made garments (not enough cooler season). I’ve rectified that a bit, only using fabric from my stash. But the most satisfying experience was a dress I started years ago and then left unfinished (wrong weight of fabric for the style). It sat like a toad on my conscience but finally I dug it out and refashioned it into a glorious ditsy tea dress (to be worn with DMs, naturally). Here’s to 2022 and more fearless sewing!
Love the story of your journey! And I totally feel you on the miserable spring this year. My sewing is often unbalanced because I just get more inspired by summer garments and simply have way too much of them. My heart still lives in australia even if my body hasn’t lived there for more than ten years!
Enjoyed reading your round up. Thanks.
What a great round-up. I love your fashion/sewing style, and your writing. Thanks for making 2021 a bit less dreary!
Fabulous round up of the year in sewing. I’m struck by how well everything works together because of the harmonious colors. Did you decide at some point to only sew with certain colors and their variations? I can’t seem to get away from black and gray here in the northeast US but I want to venture into color. Any advice?
Thanks! A couple of years ago after me made may I realised that even though I had plenty of garments I liked I didn’t like the way they worked (or didn’t work) together. So I used the Curated Closet workbook to think about what silhouettes and colours I really feel best in and have pretty much stuck to that for the last few years. Feels like things are starting to finally seem cohesive as a result!!