Makers Gonna Make: Our 3 Favorites of 2022
As 2022 comes to a close, we’re reflecting on the sewing projects we completed this year. Meg, Sadie, and Kimberly successfully sewed their way through the year, so we thought we’d share each of their three favorite makes from 2022.
Meg’s Top 3 Sewing Projects
It’s always hard to pick favorites, but it’s also lots of fun to look back and see what you have sewn over the span of a year. While I was browsing through my project catalog (aka: the photo app on my phone), these were the sewing projects that stood out.
Burda Style Jumpsuit
Earlier in the year, I stitched up a comfy jumpsuit, Burda Style pattern #11 09/20. I’m a big jumpsuit fan (yes, even my wedding “dress” was a jumpsuit), so I had to include this project in my top makes. I love this one because of the elasticated waist, wide legs, and boat neckline. I wore it a lot this year because it looks fancy but feels like wearing pajamas. The print and colors make it versatile and hard to tell if I spilled all over myself.
Daisy Flower Set
My second favorite make was this fun daisy flower set. I was inspired by the fabric, a lovely bubble crepe, and I knew I wanted to make something special with it. The Oyster Blouse had always caught my eye, and it was the perfect pattern to pair with this flowy fabric. I recently started my Fashion Sewing Live series on our YouTube channel, and I sewed this project in one of the episodes. After completing the blouse, I knew it immediately needed a matching skirt, so I chose the Dezi Skirt from Seamwork, which has a lovely bias-cut silhouette. I love this outfit! It is also great to travel with because you can wear the pieces separately.
Burda Style Green Coat
Lastly, the green wool coat I made for the Burda Style Outerwear Certification Course is something that I have gotten a ton of wear out in the past month. The simple silhouette with dramatic sleeves is fun and elegant, and sewing your own winter coat is such a satisfying project.
Funnily enough, I actually wore my daisy set while filming the coat course!
Sadie’s Top Three Makes
Three very different projects floated to the top of the pile this year. Here they are, and why I chose them as my favorite sewing projects of 2022.
Upcycled Purse
My first favorite make of 2022 is this completely upcycled purse. The wood frame was a thrift store score, and the vintage bark cloth remnant I found at an antique store. My guess is that the textile was originally part of some glamorous 1950s drapes hanging in a very chic mid-century living room. The pattern came with vintage wood handles.
Perfect Prom Dress
My second fav make is my oldest daughter’s prom dress. She had a vision and a color scheme in mind so I set out to make her vision a reality. I used the Chelsea Party Dress pattern from Amy Nicole Studio, and I created the amazing iridescent color by layering gold chiffon over an aqua-colored satin. I handstitched the darker-colored trim along the neckline. The greatest thing about this dress, though, is how much my daughter loved it. She had a one-of-a-kind prom dress and danced the night away looking gorgeous. A complete labor of love.
The Campbell Jumpsuit
This jumpsuit gets lots of rotations in my wardrobe! It had been on my “to sew” list of sewing projects since its debut at Seamwork. I wanted it to feel like a flight suit, so I omitted the tie belt and used the bonus long-sleeve pattern. I struggled with the topstitching on this one since the stretch twill I used was somewhat cumbersome to work with, but the end result was fine by me. It has a vintage, already-worn vibe because of that, and I didn’t mind the imperfections once it was done.
Kimberly’s Fave 3 Sewing Projects
From costumes to a sew-along pattern to a zipper hack, my three favorite projects represent my diverse love of sewing.
Halloween Gowns
My favorite make of 2022 has to be my daughter’s and her friend’s Halloween costumes. I have never been the mom who makes Halloween costumes; I always viewed it as too much work for a short amount of wear. But something got into me this year, and I volunteered to make princess dresses for my daughter and her friend. The joy they both had when wearing their dresses was worth the effort. The only problem is that now they will want Halloween costumes every year!
Jumpsuit Zipper Hack
My second favorite make has to be a zipper hack of my Qualicum Jumpsuit pattern. I love how making two changes to the pattern left me with a completely different look. I like to dress this pattern up for a date night with my husband or add layers for running around town.
Longmont Overalls
I am most proud of the Longmont Overalls pattern I created for Sew News. This pattern is fun to sew, easy to wear, and the perfect sewing challenge for all levels of sewists. My goal with our patterns is to create on-trend designs that will work for many shapes and sizes of bodies. Our designs work for sizes 0-34, and we are working on updating our collection to reflect that size chart.
We hope you enjoyed this trip down memory lane. What were your favorite makes of 2022? Leave a comment and share them with us!
I love all your makes, ladies! I am adding the Burda jumpsuit, Qualicum and Longmonts to my sewing list!!! I love me a good jumpsuit or overalls. I better get sewing!