Yellow Willow Dress by Love Notions

I'm on a roll, making summer dresses for myself and Gaby. Willow Wrap dress by Love Notions has been in my plans for three consecutive years already, it was high time I made it.

This dress is also the seventh of my Make Nine fabric-and-pattern busting makes for this year - not bad. The bright yellow ITY knit fabric is perfect for a light summer dress and I was extremely comfortable today in the heat on our drive from Samokov to Sofia.

You might be wondering - where is the wrap, if it is a wrap dress? Well, when I bought the  pattern, I was into wrap dresses and I have one made out of similar polka-dot ITY fabric, but in delicious chocolate-brown. As much as I love it, it is a chore to make the wrap at the bust to stay modest, so I decided for my first Willow to skip the wrap and give it a simple front with a round neckline. My other modifications - I shortened the bodice by 2 cm and the skirt by 10 cm, to suit my figure and my preferences. 

Pattern: Willow Wrap dress by Love Notions

Size: xs, shortened

Fabric: ITY 1 m

Time to make: 3 days

The pattern comes with several sleeve options regarding length and style. I chose the flutter sleeve and I am very happy with my choice, I believe it gives the simple tricot dress a trifle of sophistication and femininity. I wasn't planning on buying more ITYs this year, but I was so impressed by the comfort and wear-ease of the dress, that if I come upon a really beautiful one, I might snatch it for a similar dress for Gaby. 

Buttoned Side Flared Jeans in Blue

I've got a new pair of flared jeans - these are for myself! They are part of the Make Nine pledge for 2025, piece of fabric N 3 - blue denim. I bought the denim a couple of years ago with an idea to make a pair of jeans for Gaby, but she turned my suggestion down, as she did not like the color of the fabric.

To be frank, with the years I grew cold to that color too. Still, sky blue jeans can be quite wearable in the summer, with light colored T-shirts, so I hope I'll get some decent wear out of them.

The concrete inspiration for the jeans came from a Netflix Spanish mini tv series - A Perfect Story, where the two main characters walked through Athens. I loved experiencing again the Acropolis through their eyes, but being a seamstress, I could not help but analyze their clothing and I fell in love with the jeans the girl wore. I took a few snapshots, googled flared jeans with buttons on the side and soon designed the mods to my Burda 7050 pattern, to turn it into an imitation of the inspiration garment. Hashtag Make-That-Look :)

Pattern: Flared Jeans Burda 7050

Size: 34, shortened - 6 cm, no hem allowances

Fabric: cotton denim

Time to make: 10 days

Apart from the buttoned openings of the legs, the jeans are more or less the same as the ones for Gaby, but with a few shortenings here and there, taking into account my height and stature.

Next time I make this pattern, I intend to play further with the width at the knees, to try to eliminate the wrinkling at the back. On the other hand, the pair of black jeans I made at the beginning of the year is much wider at the legs and the knees and still crinkles at the back, so maybe the width is not the problem. I wish I knew more about pants construction, but most of the videos and the booklet I have were not of much help for this particular issue.

I have enough pairs of long flared jeans for now, but I want a couple of 7/8 length pairs for the summer, so there will be more pairs of jeans here. Probably 2025 will turn to be the year of the jeans :)

Warm Navy Zip-up Hoodie

My fourth Make Nine project for this year - a zip-up hoodie for husband. 

The fabric is warm sweater knit in dark navy and the pattern is Apollo hoodie by Sinclair Patterns - a pattern that had been in my Make Nine list for a couple of years and which i finally decided to try.

Like my own Lotte by Sinclair Patters, which  I made previously this year, I changed so much the visuals of the pattern, that I wouldn't be surprised, if the designers couldn't recognize it themselves :)

The major mods I introduced are the solid color of the front and the sleeves and the zipper at the front. I also added outer pockets, which are copied from a Burda men's hoodie I made last year and I also tweaked a bit the size of the hood, as husband dislikes big and heavy hoods.

 

Pattern:  Apollo Hoodie by Sinclair patterns

Size: Regular 173-180 cm; 50; modified

Fabric: sweatshirt knit fabric, rib knit, cotton knit

Time to make: two weeks

Although this is not my first rodeo with men's hoodies, with this particular one I found myself going back to basics - I took notes from  my first hoodie for husband and used some of the techniques I had applied then, three years and ten hoodies ago :). I added pieces of fabric, where the hem rib meets the front zipper, I enclosed the end of the zipper in the hood and hid the seam of the hood inside the lining of the hood - small touches, which give more professional look to the garment, IMHO.

I had thought that the piece of fabric was big enough for a hoodie and a pair of joggers, but I was wrong. I do plan to buy more of the fabric and make husband the joggers, as he asked for them, but later in the autumn, as the season for warm lounge clothes is already over here.

A pair of green wood-peckers we saw in the park yesterday, where we took these pictures.

Pink Sweater with Half-Zipper

 I am finally ready with my third project of the Make Nine plans for the 2025 - the pink sweater.

Last year I made a pink hoodie for Gaby out of a big piece of sweatshirt fabric and I had quite a significant amount of it left - and I hate wasting fabric. My plan for it was to make another hoodie for myself, using the same iconic Burda pattern. 

Once I took out the pattern pieces, it became obvious, that if i didn't want colorblocking and insisted on having a solid color sweater out of this piece of fabric, I had to make quite a lot of changes and compromises. I could not have a hood and the cuffs and hem had to be cut out of ribbed fabric. I also had to shorten the sweater a bit and then also narrow it a bit - this was not a big problem for me, as I am petite and the pattern is quite wide. Finally, either the front or the back had to be cut in two separate pieces. I decided to make it a simple sweater with ribbed cuffs and neck, so I cut the front on fold and made the back with a seam. Luckily, I had some ribbed fabric, which was almost perfect match to the main fabric. 

Then, when I was almost ready with the sweater and was debating with myself whether to add the kangaroo pocket or not, I googled cropped sweaters and came upon plenty with half-zippers. At this point I had only cuts of fabric left, but the idea of adding a collar and half-zipper kept gnawing at me. I abandoned the project for a while and let it stew.

Meanwhile I bought three more or less suitable zippers, watched probably a dozen of videos on sweaters with half-zippers and in the end constructed my own collar and lining. I was able to cut four pieces of the collar and two triangular shaped pieces of lining for the zipper out of the fabric remnants. Thus the inside of the zipper and the collar came out very neat. I am really pleased with the result and plan to make more half-zipper sweaters in the future, as I quite like the style.

Pattern: Hoodie 102 Burdastyle 03/2022 plus elements of Burdastyle 113 09/2020

Fabric: sweatshirt knit

Size: 36, - 6 in width, -3 cm in length

Time to make: one month

The collar can be worn turned, opened or fully closed, but I think I like it best half open and up. I made the collar curved, wider at the base than at the top, using the collar from Burda 113 09/2020 as a model. However, most of the video tutorials I watched used simple rectangular collars, so next time I make this type of zipper, I might try it that way, to test the difference.

The kangaroo pocket is also from the Burda 113 09/2020 hoodie, which I've already made twice. However, because my sweater is cropped, I had serious doubts about adding it, as in its full size it went almost up to my bust. In the end I decided to cut off 5 cm from its height and add it anyway and I am pretty pleased that I did it, as it brings the ribbed cuffs and the body together and adds some interest and sports vibe, which I like.

Despite all the compromises I had to make, I am really pleased with how this sweater turned out and I expect to wear it a lot, especially with ashes of roses being one of my favourite colors ever since I read Thorn Birds at the age of 14 :)

We took these pictures today in the yard of the local monastery - yes, we have a small monastery in the area. Our residential quarter was once a village right at the outskirts of the capital, with its own church, school, market place, community center, a monastery and even its own graveyard. Most of the houses are long gone, replaced by apartment buildings, but the focal points of communal life are still preserved, snuggled between the tall buildings. In some respects, despite the wide boulevards and subway station, it still has the vibe of living in a village and we love that.

Black Flared Jeans

Last year I made Burda 7050 jeans pattern with dark blue denim with Lycra and it became my favourite pair of jeans. This year, as part of my Make Nine pledge, I decided to use an old piece of black denim without elastane for another pair of flared jeans - my preferred jeans style, but with a few adjustments to the pattern.

I bought this denim probably three years ago and washed it immediately, as I usually do and as most tailors recommend. To my unpleasant surprise, the fabric crinkled and the crinkles left discolored traces. I put the fabric aside and bought another piece of denim for the project I had had then in mind.

This year I was positive I had either to sew the fabric or throw it away, so I gave it a second chance. Although I love my first pair of Burda 7050, I wanted to try a bit smaller size. The original 34 was kind of a bit wide on me and started fitting me great only after I washed the jeans and they shrank. Having had the bitter experience of washing a big piece of denim in my washing machine, I had decided to try making the pair first, then go through the washing process. However, because this denim has already been washed, I don't expect it to shrink significantly, so I went for a size down. I cut size 32, the smallest available in Burda, but added 1 cm to the width of the front and back pieces, thus aiming at a size between 32 and 34. If my fabric had elastane, I would have probably risked 32 without corrections for a snugger fit.

As things stand, I like the fit on the body, it is actually amazingly good, but I think the legs are still a bit problematic. First, the jeans are probably a bit long and this leads to them gathering above the narrow knee point. Next time I think I'll cut them exactly as I have for the body, but shorten them a bit above the knees as well. I can obviously, shorten them at the hem, but I'll wait for a couple more washings, as some jeans tend to shrink in length with every wash.

Pattern: Flared Jeans Burda 7050

Size: 32, shortened - 5 cm, added 1 cm width and no hem allowances

Fabric: cotton denim

Time to make: 5 days

 

Although the greyish crinkle lines are quite visible, they don't bother me so much, so if the jeans prove to be comfortable wear-wise, they might become a piece of my staple wardrobe. 

I botched the installment of the zipper this time, although I've done front fly zippers probably a dozen times already - I forgot to add 1 cm additional seam allowance to the right half of the front, so that the zipper could be installed more away from the central line. However, as I usually wear my jeans with a T-shirt or a sweater on top, the zipper is rarely visible, and the fact that it is peaking a little under the flap is not a real issue for me.

Because this was more like an experimental project, I also didn't bother with adding some ornamental stitching to the back pockets, but next time I'll definitely make the effort and adorn them, I like elaborate jeans details.

All in all, I am fairly pleased with this pair of jeans and I think this is my favourite jeans pattern of the three I've tried in recent years. I have another piece of denim fabric in my Make Nine pledge for the year and it will probably be again Burda 7050, but with the corrections I have in mind after my first two attempts. However, as it is light blue, I might leave that project for the warmer months.

Pictures were taken in front of the small church in the village of Plana after our hike to Manastirishte.

Cotton Boxer Shorts

The first of the bundle of fabrics I had pledged to sew this year, is done. These two cotton plaids could have been short-sleeved summer shirts, but as I mentioned, husband hasn't worn summer shirts in years. He used to, but lately he prefers T-shirts, so the next best thing for these fabrics was to turn into boxer shorts.

And I can assure you, they made husband really happy. I know cotton boxer shorts are not everybody's choice, but husband prefers them and over the years I've perfected the pattern from Shkatulka.

Pattern: Men's Boxer Shorts with a faux fly by Shkatulka

Size: 52

Fabric: cotton plaid

Time to make: one week

I've had the pattern for at least three or four years now. I just checked and size 52 is still free for downloading, if you want to try them. They are quick and easy to make and they even come with a video tutorial. Years ago, when I made them for the first time, I found the video very useful and inspiring, so I do recommend the pattern, though I suppose there are plenty of similar patterns online.

This pattern features a faux fly, which makes the boxer shorts look just a tiny bit more professional and interesting. If you don't want to trouble yourselves with the faux fly, you can of course skip it and just sew the front pieces together similar to the back pieces.

For the elastic I've found, that the most comfortable and stable solution is two rows of 1 cm wide elastic - it is sturdy enough, but not too stiff, as a wider single piece elastic, which I prefer to use for joggers and pants.

The easiest first two fabric pieces are done, now on to the next project, something for myself :)

My Make Nine in 2025

This is my fourth in a row Make Nine pledge at the beginning of the year. Last year I had planned a number of patterns I paid good money for and wanted to see them in use. However, I only made two of the particular patterns I had chosen - Burda Jeans 120 02/2010 and the cargo pants 129 from the same magazine, which was a curious coincidence. I also made a lot of light summer dresses, including one for Gaby, which was on my Make Nine list, however not the one, I had initially planned.

This time I've decided to play it a bit differently. I usually go mentally through my wardrobe and my patterns and so the Make Nine choice is mostly pattern-based. Over the years, however, I've collected quite a lot of fabrics too and this year I've decided to base my pledge on a bunch of my fabrics. This is just a small pile of the stash I have, but I have to start from somewhere :)

I've chosen 15 pieces of fabric and 12 patterns and the aim towards the end of the year is to have at least 9 of these fabrics made into the selected (or other) patterns. Apart from pattern 1, which is a ready made dress and is a general idea rather than a specific pattern, I have all of the listed patterns in my collection and some of them I've already made with other fabrics over the years.

1. The first pattern is probably the most difficult to make - an imitation of Gaby's graduation dress, RTW Swing Cocktail Dress. It is a combination of four fabrics - lace, knit fabric under the lace, chiffon for the skirt of the dress and sateen for the underskirt. These are fabrics 7 and 8 - lace and chiffon in dusty rose. I have the suitable knit fabric too, I'll only have to buy the sateen.

2. The Gloria dress by Vikisews was one of my finds last year. I've had a cotton sateen fabric in purple, which I bought three or four years ago to make a shirt, but now I want a dress out of it. This is fabric 2.

3. Fabric 6 is a high quality cotton dress fabric, which I want to make for Gaby with pattern 3 - the Burda 144 11/2016. I already made this pattern last year in green, but I want to try it with some mods for Gaby.

4. Pattern 4 is a Love Notions dress, that has been in my plans for two years. In 2025 I plan to finally make it, using the yellow knit fabric 5

5. Last year I made a pink hoodie for Gaby, which has been a big success. I have a fairly large remnant of the same fabric (9) and coordinating rib fabric, so I'll try to make a simpler version, without the hood, for myself. If the fabric is really not enough, I might consider combining it with some other sweatshirt fabric for a color-block hoodie.

6. I want to try my hands at a short suit jacket. Burda 117 08 / 2017 comes in my size and height and I intend to try it with the green georgette - fabric 1.

7. I bought the pattern for the chiffon blouse Burda 101 12 / 2020 the moment it came out and soon after I found the perfect fabric and accessories. This is fabric 12 and I hope to make it this year.

8. A lined jacket out of corduroy fabric. The fabric was a gift and has been in my stash for years, I'm ready to cut into it and try to make something. The pattern I've chosen is Burda 6799.

9. I have two pieces of denim fabric - black (fabric 4) and blue (fabric 3) and I want to make jeans out of them. Last year I made two pairs of jeans and Burda 7050 turned out to be my most favourite make of the year.

10. Grey fabric 13 is some big piece of cotton viscose georgette, that I liked a lot for a pair of wide legged trousers. I have the Burda 104 02/2020 Marlene pants, but I might search for a different pattern for this fabric, I haven't decided yet.

11. Fabric 15 is dark blue sweatshirt knit, which I plan to turn into a hoodie for husband, probably the Burda 6718 men's anorak.

12. I have plenty of big remnants of sweatshirt fabric and if I have enough, I might try to make a color combo pair of joggings to go with the hoodie, like Knipmode 04 03 / 2020.

13. Fabric 10 is a light shirt cotton, fabric 11 is also cotton, medium weight. Since husband has plenty of cotton shirts, but wears none, I've decided to make these two fabrics into boxer shorts for him, something I know he'll like and wear.

Knowing me, I'll probably end the year with bigger stash of fabric than I've started it with, but at least I'm having all the good intentions, and that must count for something :)