2020 Make Nine Challenge

The good thing about having a stash of fabric and patterns is that there is a lot to choose from.  The bad thing about having a stash of fabric and patterns is that there is a lot to choose from.  o_O

Hello indecision.

It's taken me all month to decide what I wanted to do for the 2020 Make Nine Challenge.  After thinking about it for a long time, I narrowed the choices down to five:

• patterns I've wanted to sew (similar to 2019 Make Nine)
• sew only Burda magazine patterns (the stash is deep)
• fabric acquired whilst traveling (have at least one piece per country)
• fabric bought from a local nonprofit (have pieces dating as far back as 2014)
• fabric that's been in the stash forever (some pieces are at least ten years old)

The more I thought about the last three options, the more I became overwhelmed with trying to make the chosen fabrics coordinate.  My cutting table was a mess of fabric swatches, patterns/magazines, and frustration. I had to let those ideas go because my motivation for doing the challenge started to wane.

The Burda magazine make9 was intriguing because there are so many patterns that I've wanted to sew for some time.  But as I started pulling magazines, the "make9" became "make16" and now stands at "make12." 

This is too much.

So I went back to what worked last year:  patterns from any company that I've wanted to sew.

 Top Row

• Burda 10-2012-113:  I seriously love Dressmaking Debacles' version of this jacket and since she is probably not going to give it to me, I have to make my own. =P  I have wool bouclé and coordinating wool double knit that will hopefully work nicely.
• Simplicity 2215:  I don't know why I like this, I just do.  I have a wild cotton print that I think will make this a fun dress to wear.
• Burda 9-2006-126:  I have a lot of wool coating and this looks simple enough to do.  This is kind of a primer for making the *epic wool winter coat* project that I am procrastinating.

Middle Row

• New Look 6150:  I don't know why it's taken me so long to sew this top.  Each new version I see makes me want it more!
• Blue Calla Amaryllis:  When I travel, I usually take my backpack as my carry-on.  I want a more 'grown up' bag - unless I'm literally backpacking.
• Vogue 9029:  I follow a sewer on Instagram that makes the most awesome shirts.  She made this shirt in a stripe and it looks soooo good.  I have plenty of striped shirtings to make this happen.

Bottom Row

• Burda 2-2005-129:  Again with the ruffles.  I have some of the rainbow striped linen from JoAnn (you know the fabric I'm talking about...that fabric).  I think it would be neat with this pattern. 
• Jale 2561:  I tried this pattern years ago and was really happy with the fit.  Unfortunately, the zipper area was a sewing disaster.  I didn't quite understand the directions and flubbed it something awful.  I want to try it again because I really need pants.
• Ottobre 5-2019-107:  Though this hasn't been on the radar for a long time, I like concept:  high waist, no waistband, and belt.  Plus, again, I need pants.

January was a slow sewing month.  My machine has been in the shop since 23 December 2019.  Waaaaah!  My dealer identified the problem with the buttonhole feature and is fixing it.  Unfortunately, they're waiting for the part to come in and who knows when that will be.

L