Happy August! There’s still a whole month left for the Summer of Basics Make-along — plenty of time to whip up a nice trio of garments, even if you haven’t started anything yet. I’ve seen a lot of people lamenting not having jumped in, so I’m here today to offer encouragement and pattern suggestions!
Obviously, at this point, simplicity may be of the essence (depending on your free-time ratio). But if you think about 3 quick sewing projects, or 2 simple sews + 1 more complicated sew, or 2 simple sews + 1 worsted or chunky sweater or knitted tank even, it’s super doable. You can Knit a Sloper in a weekend, sew a tank or shell in an afternoon. Where there’s a will, there are 31 days!
Some of the most popular patterns in the #summerofbasics feed so far are also (understandably) some of the simplest. Drawing on what’s been showing up on repeat, here’s an array of possibilities to consider, loosely organized by type and complexity. So you can mix and match!
TANKS AND TEES
The Willow Tank (1) and Ogden Cami are the clear champions of the feed — many people having even made multiples of one or both. And with good reason: They’re perfect on their own for summer, and go great with a cardigan or jacket when it cools off. There are also quite a few Lark and other tees, although not as many as I imagined there would be. And Grainline also has a new cute and simple top pattern out today (sleeves or sleeveless), the elegant little pleat-backed Hadley, so check that out. Still plenty of time to make any of these comparatively quick little gems.
BOX TOPS AND DRESSES
There are also so many Shirt No.1’s, Maya and Fen (2) tops, and the like, as well as Fen dresses. The boxy tops are even easier and faster to make than the tanks above (just two pieces and some trim), while the Fen dress is more involved but still on the simple side, with no closures or anything. Also making numerous appearances is the breezy new Charlie Caftan in its assorted forms, which does have some detailing but, again, no closures.
SKIRTS AND PULL-ONS
Simple skirts — such as Brumby and Cleo — have been very popular. As have even simpler pull-on shorts — particularly the Parkside Shorts and City Gym Shorts (3, free pattern) — and super-cute pull-on dungarees, the Burnside Bibs (which also offer a hidden-zip version).
BUTTON-DOWNS
Getting a bit more involved, there are tons of Archer Button-ups and Kalle Shirtdresses (4) in the feed, all of them inspiring!
PANTS AND JEANS
On the far right of the complicated spectrum are pants with all the parts: fly, pockets, waistband, the whole nine yards. There are tons of jeans turning up — mostly Ginger and a few Morgan — and a few people have also used those and other jeans patterns to make shorts (denim or otherwise). I think the most popular pants pattern in the feed is the adorable Emerson Crop (5).
KNITS
There are boatloads of sweaters underway (I’m hoping we’ll start seeing more of them completed!) but surprisingly not a lot of overlap as far as patterns. I think Cline (6.) might be the only one to come up more than once. Some other pretty simple beauties in there are Bedford, Harlowe and Veronika. And at the quicker end, there’s the Slope tank.
That’s far from comprehensive, but hopefully gets your wheels turning if you need it! For more ideas, of course, check the full #summerofbasics feed. And I’ll have further info on how to submit for the prizes a little bit later this month.
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PREVIOUSLY in Summer of Basics: Great scenes from the Summer of Basics so far
