After spending last summer backpacking through Bali, Malaysia and Thailand, I really don’t mind sticking in one place for the summer, especially if it means I get to make more things (knitting and backpacking may get along just fine, but sewing and backpacking is another story entirely).
Because of this, I felt incredibly excited after reading Fringe Association’s announcement about the summer of basics last week. Honestly though, after completing my first ever garment just one week ago, I don’t think it could’ve come at a better time. I feel so inspired to create new items of clothing to wear!
And as much as I like knitting, it is much more reasonable to set myself the goal of sewing three garments this summer, as opposed to knitting three. So, sewing it is!
If you haven’t yet heard of the Summer of Basics hosted by Fringe Association, here’s a short breakdown of what it is.
- Create three basic garments (either knit or sewn) during the months of June, July and August (deadline is August 31)
- Post about and share your progress on Instagram using the hashtags #summerofbasics
- Participate in individual contests including:
- Best Modification / Alteration (Prize: 4 skeins of Fibre Co. wool)
- Best First-Timer (Prize: 4 sewing patterns + $50 gift certificate from Fancy Tiger Crafts)
- Best Combination of Garments (Prize: $100 gift certificate from Grainline Studio)
- Random Drawing (Prize: $100 gift certicate from Fringe Supply Co.)
Please head over to the Fringe Association blog to read more. The more who join in, the better!
Here are the top three (okay, okay there’s five – I couldn’t help myself!) items that I would love to sew for the Summer of Basics:
1. Aurora Tank by Seamwork
I like the Aurora Tank for a number of reasons. For one thing, I already own the pattern. There was a time (around the same time I bought a sewing machine), that I fell in love with the idea of sewing, and purchased a number of sewing-related items (i.e. sewing books, a subscription to Seamwork Mag, and a lot of fabric that I had no idea what to do with!). The only problem was … I never got around to actually sewing something, until just recently. It would be nice to put some of what I had purchased all those years ago to good use, including sewing up those previously purchased patterns! I also love the fact that it is an incredibly versatile tank, and a perfect summer staple.
2. Victoria Blazer by By Hand London
I have a blazer that I got at clothing swap a few years back, that I absolutely love. It is a lovely deep army green color, and is super comfy. The only thing is, with all that love, its beginning to look a bit worse for wear. I would love to sew a blazer in a similar style to the one below. It’s chic, understated and comfy. Definitely a perfect fit for my handmade wardrobe.
3. Lazo Trousers by Thread Theory
The Lazo trousers are such a beautiful and classic pants design, and something that I am very sorely missing from my wardrobe! I did previously own a pair of pants similar to the one shown above, but they were lost during my backpacking adventure (unsurprisingly, quite a few items of clothing seemed to go missing over 11 months of paying other people to do your laundry for you).
The ‘pattern hack’ shown below would be perfect for PJ’s / loungewear!
4. Ariane Slip by Seamwork
There is also the Ariane Slip by Seamwork that I would love to try my hand at as well. It is a beautifully fitted slip that could be worn as a sultry night gown or even made into a little black dress! Oh, the possibilities … 🙂
5. Kielo Wrap Dress by Named Clothing
If you’ve been following along with my ‘diy your own-bridesmaid dress’ experiment you’ll know that I recently finished sewing a mock-up of the Kielo Wrap dress. It turned out better than I expected, other than a few alterations that didn’t come out quite the way I would have liked. I have some lovely comfy stretch cotton striped fabric that I would love to use to sew up this pattern once more, this time fixing my initial alterations to the pattern, before I sew up the real deal. This comfy striped fabric will be perfect for creating a beautiful summer casual maxi dress that I can wear for the next few months!
What do you guys think? Is it unreasonable to want to make all five of these garments in the next three months? Please tell me it isn’t. 😉
