What I made during the summer of 2026
I can't say it has been a busy summer, I have been sewing here and there, mostly when I have time to do so as I’ve been coding and going deep down the coding rabbit hole. But here are a few of my favorite summer patterns. The ones I make again and again because they are tried, true and quick to make.
A. Tess T-shirt from Chalk and Notch- If anyone knows me I love a good knit t shirt and the Tess pattern has been on repeat on my sewing table. One whole yard of fabric is all I need and I’m usually looking out for 1 yard cuts from Style Maker Fabrics or Surge Fabric shop which has a some beautiful cotton jersey. It goes with everything. I’m wearing it quite a bit in the video!
B. Shorts - Any shorts. If you' been watching my channel I have done my share of shorts sew along and the Lander Shorts from True Bias are just your typical classic shorts with “pork chop” pockets and patch pockets in the back. I usually jazz up the back pockets with buttons. I made the Ellis Shorts from Atelier Jupe and I’m currently working on a pair of Dern Shorts from Daughter Judy and the verdict is still out on these but I will say this it is nice to know there are some advanced patterns out there and these are it. If you prefer the Big Four patterns then Vogue 9008 has been around for quite some time and it has a flat front or with pleated fronts. These have a back yoke and no back pockets so if you want pockets this is a good place to add patch or welt pockets.
C. Leah Pattern from Tilly and the Buttons - This has been quite a surprising pattern for me. If you have never used Tilly and the buttons patterns she does an amazing job creating patterns for beginners, with illustrations. Needless to say the nice thing about these patterns is that they are VERY hackable, and the Leah pattern is one of those. This pattern is SO hackable I could spend an entire month showing you all the ways you can hack this baby. For a slimmer fit add a back zipper, for a more casual look add a placket and buttons at the front, you can also make it into hip length and add in a front yoke with some gathers while you ditch the bust dart all together. Again, super hackable. Better yet, what I love about this pattern, wear it with a cropped jacket, denim jacket, a pair of sandals or canvas sneakers and you are ready to go.
D. Camp Shirts - Yes I said it I do love a good button down shirt but I’m a camp shirt kinda girl as I don’t want to deal with the collar band business, so when I tried the Gilbert Top from Helen’s Closet I knew it would be one of those I would make again and again with a few modifications, I changed the front pockets (the square pocket business feels so basic), how about a little something different and I also fixed the sleeves and tapered them just ever so slightly for a nicer fit. If you are a big Four lover (which I am too) try Butterick 6924. Its a great pattern from Palmer Pletsch and I even made a rather detailed sew along for it.
E. Simplicity 9469 - S9469 is perhaps one of my favorite patterns of all time. Why? it s a great beginner pattern with its easy to sew facings, loose fit but you can change it in so many different ways. Ditch the sleeves for a sleeveless top with a little something different, do bias tape in lieu of facings if you want a cleaner finish, you can also level up your sewing and do French seams if you just don’t want to deal with the serger and better yet you can make it with 1.5 yards of fabric. Whenever I go to the fabric store and have absolutely NO clue what to make but absolutely love the fabric I just get 1.5 yards of whatever and this beauty is off to the races. I made one with liberty fabrics from their new Summer collection. I took my sweet ol’ time with it and I’m really happy with the results. If you want to take a stab at it and need a little sewing help I made a sew along for it back when it was released.
So what are some patterns you loved this past summer? There were quite a few releases from Indie Pattern Makers and I must add I haven’t purchased anything from the Big Four, Some of the styles are trending but its not the styles just don’t suit me…. I’m talking to any style with 10” of ease. I mean seriously that’s a lot of fabric just hanging on me and I feel as I am very well stocked in that category and can easily find something in my stash that will get the job done.
