Then Came June Sun Flare Quilt, Part 1: Planning

We're halfway through the year, and I've done four projects off my 2019 Make Nine list. I have a couple others bobbling around in my brain, but I'm also reassessing a bit. I like having projects that challenge me, but I think my 2019 Make Nine skewed very far onto the challenging side and away from a satisfying, balanced sewing year. As a result, I've kind of avoided sewing much lately because my mental and creative capacities can't keep up! That's not what I want, so I decided to pick up the Then Came June Sun Flare Quilt, swapping that in for the Carolyn Pajamas, which is the challenging project I have the least inspiration for at present. I think the Sun Flare Quilt will still stretch my quilting abilities, but the creative process and basic quilting skills are comfortable for me. Or so I hope! Ha! I also like having bigger projects that I can chip away at little by little when I only have a dime sized amount of creative energy on a given day, and quilts have been great for that for me in the past.

My updated 2019 Make Nine

I've decided to stay pretty true to Then Came June's original vision, but I had to make some swaps where I couldn't source the colors she used. I used from my stash where I can, and used slightly brighter colors in a couple places to satisfy my inner magpie:

1. Kona Ice Peach
2. Kona Peach
3. Kona Orchid
4. Kona Lilac
5. Kona Baby Pink (I think—an unlabelled light pink on the Kona fabrics rack)
6. Kona Deep Rose
7. Light blue "cloud" fabric from my stash
8. Medium blue tencel fabric from my stash, leftover from the Tiny Tiles Quilt I made last year as a wedding gift.
9. Kona Violet
10. Kona Hibiscus

Self-drafted Lace Undies

Y'ALL. I made underwear. I made LACE underwear. I made lace underwear and it wasn't nearly as challenging as I had thought it would be!

Sewing "Frosting": Bay to Breakers Disco Bodysuit

I totally missed the "Sew Frosting Challenge" hosted by True Bias and Closet Case Patterns last fall, but I absolutely loved seeing everyone's pretty, impractical makes. I love sewing for sustainability and it's super important to me, but equally important is having the passion for sewing that can get me to a slow fashion closet and sometimes that means something a little more "out there" to get the sewjo flowing.

Part of my 2019 Make Nine included "something sparkly." In the past year, since I moved to San Francisco, I've been experimenting more and more with what I wear. I'm into glittery earrings, colorful outfits, rich textures. It helps living right next to a bunch of really well stocked thrift and vintage stores and that my amazing queer community here is always ready to turn a look on a Friday night. I've been so inspired by London-based artist Florence Given, whose insta stories of her dancing and being silly in wild outfits make me smile every time. I had a moment where I was like "I wish I was an artist and could dress a little eccentric like that," and immediately realized that, while I work a more traditional 9-5, no one at the small company I work for gives two shits and I really and truly can wear whatever I want. I put no restrictions on what "something sparkly" means, knowing that when a special occasion or perfect fabric presented itself, I would know what to do.

ENTER: BAY TO BREAKERS.