Time for my annual tradition of cheating on the Sewcialists’ Top 5 list and actually giving you a Top 7, because deciding is too hard!

 

Vogue 9075 Jumpsuit: I *adore* this design, and could make a hundred more. I found it to be super-flattering and very comfortable to wear (the fabric is cotton with elastane). I blogged about it here. Next year I’d like to try making just pants using this pattern.

 

Grainline Linden Sweatshirt: I think I achieved an interesting look here with the gorgeous quilting cotton (!) paired with sporty ribbed cuffing. Added bonus: thanks to some sleuthing from sewing friends, it turns out the Chinese characters on the fabric are an old poem about having a long life! Read the story of this shirt here.

 

Simplicity 0315 “Sweatershirt” and Friday Pattern Company Joan Trousers: I must’ve been on a kick of trying to elevate a standard sweatshirt into something more stylish. For this one I used an old sweater — I didn’t love wearing it, but I did love the graphic floral print on it — along with black scraps from the stash and some new cuffing. The ponte trousers fit so well and are comfortable. Wins! You can read more about them here.

 

A DIY men’s shirt refashion, complete with a giant bow that would make Esme of The Great British Sewing Bee proud. (If you’ve seen the show you’ll know that Esme’s pet peeve is small bows. If you’re going to put a bow on it, PUT A BOW ON IT!) I love wearing this. It was my entry for the Pattern Review Thrift It Up Contest. More details on how I made it here.

 

Butterick 5955: I never got around to blogging about this one, probably because I only have crummy pictures of it. But this is ALL about the amazing fabric: ombre + brush-strokey pattern + shades of bold blue and teal = to die for. Helena, my co-host on the Clothes Making Mavens podcast, and I both bought yardage of this amazing fine jersey at Mood Fabrics in LA a couple of years ago, and we both used B5955 to make it up. (If you must know, Helena made it first and then I blatantly copied her idea! I pretty much do that all the time, I love her style so much.) Here’s Helena’s version.

 

Jalie Rachel: Oh Jalie, Jalie, how do I love thee? And how do I especially love thee when I make you in a printed knit featuring my favourite shade of blue, koi fish, and chrysanthemums? I wrote about this top here.

 

Ensemble Patterns Surtout Jacket: I love the design lines on this garment, and making it from a heavy cotton I bought at Ikea was a perfect choice. You can read more about my version in this post.

In other news, have you heard of the Slow Fashion 2020 Challenge that I’ve launched? You can create your own challenge centred around clothing and sustainability. For myself, I’ve pledged to not buy any ready to wear clothing in 2020 (except underwear and socks if I happen to need new ones). I’m allowing myself to buy second-hand clothes and to sew my own clothes. It’s easy to take part: just declare your #slowfashion2020 pledge on your blog, on Instagram, or on Facebook. And if you would like to join a supportive community to help you stick to your pledge, join us in the Slow Fashion 2020 Facebook group where you can also see what other people have set for their own, custom challenges. Or you can follow me on Instagram at @frivolousatlast or look for the hashtag #SlowFashion2020.

Will you be joining me in the Slow Fashion 2020 Challenge? I hope so!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

— Lori