My Sewing Goals for 2021: Part 1

With high hopes, optimism, and a revitalized “sew-jo”, I set sewing goals for the first six months of 2021. I am not trying to set any records. My aim is to make things I love, check off a few “one day” projects, and make some things just for the thrill of it.

January

• Carolyn Pajama Shorts – I found this cheerful looking plaid flannel in the remnant bin at JOANN for $1.50. The first project that came to mind was pajama shorts and there is probably enough fabric.

• McCalls 7993 – My goal with this pattern has been to make a fancy sweatshirt dress. Something that has a cozy feel and still makes me feel like I got dressed for the day. I couldn’t find exactly what I was imagining, but this raspberry ponte knit is a gorgeous color and so soft. I’ll be making view C and possibly extending the hem to midi length.

• A zipper pouch that John requested. I’ll probably make a few extra for myself because they always come in handy.

February

• McCalls 7974 – I have made this dress before and I adore it. It fit wonderfully right out of the envelope, but I am going to raise the neckline just a bit for more modesty. I’ll likely make view B with the skirt length of D. This is going to be my Valentine’s Day dress. The fabric is rayon challis with the prettiest little flowers. I am so excited to pick buttons for it. I think mother-of-pearl would compliment the little flecks of gray/green. I’ve had my eye on these from one of my favorite Etsy shops.

• Reusable straw pouches for my purse. This will help me to avoid ever having to experience the displeasure of using a paper straw. They will protect my purse from getting dirty and they are washable. All around win.

March

• Vogue 8896 – I bought this for my Christmas dress in 2019, so it is way overdue. I figure that St. Patrick’s day will be fitting for the green and I can wear it in December this year! There are so many great velvet versions of this on Instagram under the hashtag #v8896. Fabric: Flag green stretch velvet. I like the length of view B and I am undecided on the sleeve. I definitely have enough fabric to cut them out and baste them on to see if I like them. I could even extend the sleeve to my favorite sleeve length, 3/4.

• I want to make some undergarments with these fabrics and other stretch laces that I have in my lingerie stash. These types of projects I will never show the finished project because it is way too personal to me, but I did want to share these pretty fabrics. [lace trim, stretch dot mesh (similar), blue knit, blush knit, pink knit*]

April

• Butterick 6446* – I’ll be using this gorgeous rayon/linen blend fabric for this dress. I’ve never made this pattern before, but I have a very good feeling about it. View B, on the model, is the version I’ll be making. If this dress meets my expectations I can see another version popping up in my plans for the second half of the year. I bought white lawn to line the dress with, but plain white fabric isn’t exactly eye-catching in a photograph.

• This stretch corduroy is from the remnant bin at JOANN. I think I have enough for a simple pencil skirt*. I’ll use this old pink Chinese brocade sateen remnant for any inside details, such as: waistband facing, seam finishes, etc. Isn’t it fun!? I love adding little pops of color when I can.

May

• Simplicity 8637 – I have a store-bought dress that is almost identical to view C of this pattern and it is one of my go-to dresses. It looks beautiful and feels amazing to wear. The flounce at the bottom flows when you go down the stairs quickly and that alone is a cheerful mood booster. I’ll use this rayon challis for it. As of writing this the fabric is sold out… because of me. I bought the remaining 8 yards so I can make cute matching dresses for my girls. I hope they restock it. If not, here are alternatives I would pick (one, two, three)

• I want to do something with this home decor fabric that I bought at a warehouse a very long time ago. It seems like there is more potential for it than a pillow. Maybe it is supposed to be a pillow but it needs the right trim. Maybe a Closet Core pouf…

June

• Jean-Paul Coverall – This project will be 100 percent for the fun of it. I don’t think I’ll ever wear them out and about. I plan on wearing them when I work on messy projects; think paint, stain, gardening, etc. I might even splatter paint on the patch pocket fabric before sewing them on so they start their life already marked. I am very excited about this project and I need to not chicken out. I need to buy the pattern and pick the fabric. Maybe a pink denim.

• This would also be a good time to sew something for the Fourth of July! I’m not sure what exactly. A simple jersey tunic dress? A lightweight linen shirt dress? Something really spunky? Requirements: can wear by a pool or to the beach, nothing too tight around the waist, and works with the lines of my bathing suit.

Many of the fabrics in these plans I purchased from Fabric.com* and over time they may become unavailable. The wonderful news is that there are always new fabrics being added. If you can’t find a rayon challis that I recommend then head over to Fabric.com* and search “rayon challis”. You will find so many options. (*affiliate)

That’s all I’ve got for now. It’s about two things per month. I didn’t add any specific plans for my daughters’ dresses, but they will spring up randomly. Oh! I just thought of another thing I want to do. I think it is time for me to get custom labels for the garments I make. That will be very fun to plan and research. I’ll report more on that later.

Have you made any sewing plans for the year? Do any of these garments or fabrics jump out to you? Let me know in the comments, because sewing people love to talk about sewing. Haha!