This Make Nine 2026 finish #8 fulfills my second Wild Card prompt. For this prompt, I made two tops: a Wiksten top and a Cottage Shirt, both sewn from fabrics already living in my stash.
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| Wiksten top, Make Nine 2026 finish #8. |
From the fabric stash
All of the fabrics for these tops were ones I already owned: two with yardage, an off-cut from another project, and some fat quarters. These finishes are especially satisfying as I love finding a use for those smaller pieces that are too good to throw away but never quite seem big enough for a planned project.
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| Wiksten top made with Annabel Wrigley and Marcia Derse fabric prints [Windham Fabrics]. |
For the Wiksten top, I started with a long cut-off piece from a 108” wide backing with a design that looks like improvisational patchwork. Not having enough continuous yardage for all the pattern pieces, piecing was necessary. I also had to accommodate lengthwise and crosswise grain directions of these leftover fabric pieces.
After a consultation with an expert garment maker and trusted friend, Dr. Lauren Rudd, who is the chair of the Fashion Merchandising department at Tennessee Tech University, we determined potential issues with the varying grain directions were minimal, and she suggested an insert at the center front to accommodate the short yardage. Using a scrap piece of the circle fabric print, I cut it “ruler-free” (to honor the improv theme) and sewed it at the center front to connect the two front pieces.
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| Wearing my new Wiksten top in my Intro to Improv Quilts class. |
Having limited yardage for this simple top, a fabric from the Halloween collection, Spooky and Witchy [Art Gallery Fabrics], was used for the neck facing. It’s a small detail, but I love knowing that a little bit of whimsy is sewn inside the garment.
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| The potion print from the Spooky ‘n Witchy collection was used for the neck facing. |
From the pattern stash
Both of these tops were “Go To” patterns from my pattern collection. They were already fitted to my measurements which meant no muslins were needed—just move straight to cutting and sewing. Exactly the kind of garment project I needed when I had a week before my class at John C. Campbell Folk School… and I wanted to wear “something new.”
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| Here I am wearing the Cottage Shirt while teaching Intro to Improvisational Quilts at the Folk School. |
For my new Cottage Shirt [The Sewing Workshop], one fabric print was used for the fronts and sleeves, another print for the lower back, and the back yoke was improvisationally pieced with fabric scraps from the “Spare Parts Department”—my box of cut-offs and patchwork pieces left over from other projects. Nothing goes to waste if I can help it… especially with Improv!
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| Improv patchwork for the back yoke. |
From the button stash
The Cottage Shirt has another stash-busting detail: a mix of orphan buttons from the button box.
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| Auditioning random orphan buttons for the Cottage Shirt. |
The buttons were all singles, with no particular reason to belong together other than they were: 1) the right size, and 2) were waiting for a job! I think they work perfectly for this improvisational- and sustainable-themed shirt… and the quirky assortment adds to the personality and artsy nature of the shirt.
One aspect of the Sewing Workshop patterns is a fabulous pressing tip—using manilla folder weight card stock with various seam allowance lines marked on them. They are used for pressing hems and fold lines to ensure accuracy as well as expedite the process. I used them on both garments.
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| Pressing guides and variegated thread. |
Another fun detail on these new tops was using a 40 wt. cotton, multi-colored variegated thread for top stitching and sewing on the buttons. With the variety of colors of the fabrics, a multi-color thread felt right in line with the other characteristics of these garments.
A sustainable Make Nine finish
One of the things I enjoy about doing the Make Nine Challenge every year? The goal isn’t necessarily to make something completely new or ambitious every time. Sometimes it’s about being sustainable, using what I already have, returning to patterns I know work for me, and making clothes that I’ll wear more than once.
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| Wild Card prompt for Make Nine 2026. |
Multiple stash fabrics, a handful of leftover pieces, some orphan buttons, and two well-loved garment patterns turned into two very wearable Wild Card finishes. Make Nine #8 is on the books… and documented here and on my Make Nine 2026 tracker!
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| Make Nine 2026 tracker, August 2026. |
