My first make for the Sew My Style project is complete and I couldn’t be more thrilled with how it turned out! I’m not very experienced with sewing with knits so it was a bit scary to delve into this pattern and material, but it turned out to be a very straight forward process after I figured out how to read the instructions. I’ve been very deliberate in focusing more of my energy and time on things that I enjoy doing and this challenge was exactly what I was looking for. With my first make complete, I can’t wait to get started on making more clothing for myself and pushing outside my comfort zone.

I’ve always loved the idea of sewing clothes and my first projects included kids’ clothing and Halloween costumes. I didn’t venture too far from those categories and often stayed within my range of comfort. With the exception of a few dresses and a super hard tailcoat (most of my previous projects have been documented on this blog), I didn’t even know how to break out of my comfort zone. Fast forward to this last month and my determination to spend more time on things I enjoy doing like sewing and blogging. I discovered new pattern makers and made a couple of dresses for Isabelle, but I knew very quickly that I couldn’t focus on making her clothing that she clearly didn’t need. I delved into some Google searches until I came across this Project #SewMyStyle challenge.

With the goal to make 12 garments in 12 months, it was a lofty challenge for me considering the amount of “me” sewing I’ve done in the past which is very limited to skirts and Halloween costumes. I decided to go for it, registered (it’s free!), and away I went! I figured at the very least I would have the option to get discounted patterns and some support from the Facebook group. Little did I know that I would have a completed project within a week.

Because I joined the group a little late, I missed the first month and decided to jump in and complete February’s pattern. There were two pattern options for the month and I opted for the easier of the two. The waterfall style of the jacket is actually exactly what I’ve been wanting in my wardrobe so it was perfect! If you do decide to try out this pattern, be sure to add the freebie pattern of the month to your cart and keep in mind that there are very minimal directions on the pattern. I was able to decipher it after some time, but I also learned later that they are more directions (like this one) available on their website.

I got the fabric locally and completed the entire jacket including piecing together the pattern and cutting my material within a day, albeit a long day since I was super excited to get it done. I didn’t change much from the original except take in the sleeves. I left the length as is. Although I would love to make another with a shorter length, I really like the overall fit of this one. This is definitely something I would make again and I think it’s a great project for those new to knits.

Overall, this has been a really great challenge for me and I can’t wait to try my hand at more projects that I normally wouldn’t pick. I’m already researching fabrics for next month’s make and can’t wait to get started!