Another year has come and gone almost faster than we could blink, and before we bring 2019 to a close, we thought we would take a quick look back at what we got up to.
WINTER
The beginning of 2019 started in one of the coldest winters weve ever had (not that a year ever starts another way in Quebec) and a lot of the projects Heather made were cozy, warm ones. Her amazing Oslo coat made out of the most covetable Pendleton wool and lined in Thinsulate has started its second season as her go-to winter jacket. The knitting bug also bit her big time and she cranked out quite a series of chunky sweaters and a cute Skiff hat. She turned some beefy Robert Kaufman flannels into a pair of Carolyn Pajamas and a lovely dressing gown.
At the end of February we finally (it was a lot of work yall) launched our most ambitious pattern to date: The Jasika Blazer!
The tailoring course, tailoring kits and the Blazer of Glory Challenge kept us busy through the rest of the winter. After working on that pattern for so long and worrying that it might prove intimidating to many sewists it was SO EXCITING to see so many people embrace the challenge of sewing a blazer and then go beyond with so many little custom details and fabrications we hadnt even considered. We were so humbled to realize what an incredible community we are lucky enough to be a part of and it was really fun to be able to give away so many prizes, including an amazing made-to-measure dress form from Beatrice Forms.
Some highlights from our Blazer of Glory Challenge:
SPRING
As we prepared for the launch of the Rome Collection we had approximately one million samples to sew, mostly out of linen. Heather also prepared and shot our most comprehensive course to date : The Learn How to Sew Clothes Workshop. We had a little too much fun putting together this little video of Heathers Rome Capsule Collection. And maybe most importantly, we got a lot of feedback about why it was so important that we continue with our plans to extend our size range. Were excited to release Rome in extended sizing early next year, and are thrilled about making our offerings more inclusive to serve the wider needs of our amazing community.
SUMMER
We rounded out the summer with some fun posts on hacking Fiona and Kalle Shirtdress, and Heather delved into some summer trends with her personal makes.
A more involved project, this Gibson Girl blouse from Folkwear Patterns gave Heather some fun challenges like inserting lace and pretty, pretty pintucks.
FALL
We launched the Sienna Maker Jacket at the beginning of October, and with it our first pattern in extended sizing! Monsie absolutely slayed the photoshoot and was the Sewist Spotlight of the month!
We also made custom Siennas for inspiring Montreal makers we know and love. This was such a fun and satisfying project, and we had the time of our lives shooting and interviewing these talented women.
After that the only thing left was to make our team jackets!
Amy made hers with removable lining:
Alexis made a patchwork version using upcycled denim:
Heather embroidered the back of hers and left off the belt for a unique take:
And finally, Ali color-blocked her sleeve for a bit of interest:
This will be our last blog post for the year. We are all planning to enjoy a long holiday with our friends and family, and will see you all back in 2020, a decade of new beginnings and new sewing adventures! The Closet Case team wishes you the happiest of holidays and a joyous new year!
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