Thursday 2 January 2014

Reflections on 2013


Happy New Year to you all!

I am really enjoying all of these top 5 posts but you guys are blogging too much!  My reader is overflowing!  I think I am all caught up now though, and seeing some great top 5s that have really made me think (and actually possibly re-evaluate a few items on my lists).

1) A pat on the back
Gratuitous pugs!

I think I did really well this year.  My sewing came on leaps and bounds.  I can now put on a Me Made garment most days with little effort, and I buy very little RTW any more (except for jeans - more to come on that!).  I worked hard on fitting and it really paid off - with a little help from my friends - which leads me on nicely to:

2) Sewing people really are the nicest people you could meet/ chat to


2013 was a tough year for me personally.  I lost a close family member and another was diagnosed with a serious illness (which is likely to make 2014 another difficult one).  But I really think sewing, sewcial media, bloggers and sewing friends helped me through it (without wishing to take away any credit from family and non-sewing friends of course!).  Sometimes it's just great to have an escape from reality and chat to other people who are as excited about the latest indie pattern release or fabric sale as me!

I joined Twitter (@jolittletime if you tweet too!) after resisting for a long time and found a fantastic sewing community on there.

I went to the epic blogger meet up and met some fabulous people and starting following lots of new blogs.

I started meeting the Spoolettes as regularly as I can (given family commitments that's not as often as I would like!).  What a great group of ladies that are excellent fun to spend time with, whether drinking, dancing, bowling or fabric shopping!

3) I sewed (mainly) for the life I have


Particpating in Me Made May showed me that my wardrobe needed plain separates and knits and I focused on sewing those.  I know a lot of people don't like to sew basics, but there's only so many party dresses and summer frocks my lifestyle calls for, especially in a country when the sun shines for about a month of the year.  I love (and wear) dresses quite a lot, but I'm likely to grab a comfy knit one to throw on for work and I have sewn a lot of those this year!  But we all need a bit of frosting from time to time - however I want to make what I wear most often.  I also sewed much more with plains (and I'm including spots and stripes in plains - they are practically neutrals) which I have enjoyed more than I expected.  It's good to be able to see nice design lines and focus on the fit rather than hiding behind a print as I did when I started (all those lovely printed cottons...)

4) I really need to conquer trousers



I wear jeans and trousers a lot, especially in winter and it's a huge gap in my me-made wardrobe.  As mentioned in my Hits & Misses post I traced Colette patterns Juniper in my usual size following Sunni's trouser sewalong, added extra seam allowances, thread traced every seam, and threw the muslin in the sewing box to think about what it had done when it didn't remotely fit. It hasn't come back out yet but it will this year! I also want some me made jeans.

5) Sewing with a plan works well for me



I'm quite a planner by nature, but I do have a tendency to get distracted by newer shinier things (squirrel!) like new pattern releases, sewalongs, sewing challenges, competitions etc.  I have made a conscious effort only to take part in these if I would have done it anyway!  If I have bought a new Cake pattern and there's a sewalong, then I will plan to join.  If the Sewcialists are doing Red October, I will join in as I love red.  Green December not so much.  I didn't love the Laurel pattern and realistically I don't think the shape will work for my shape, so I was proud of resisting the competition.

The sewalong that worked really well for me was the Fall Essentials sewalong.  I planned out the garments I wanted to make within a colour palette I love and so I could make sure I had all the notions, zips, thread, buttons etc that normally hold me up on finishing a project.  I mainly sew in the evenings so rushing to the shop for more thread isn't going to happen!  I made so many more projects in that 2 month period than I ever expected so a big thumbs up for planning sewing!

Inspirations and goals posts coming up soon!

11 comments:

  1. Excellent reflections. 1) Hear, hear to sewing what you intend. I like the challenges because they keep me on track, but I don't want to sew something just for the sake of sewing it. 2) My Thurlows are having a time-out in the corner too. I *will* finish them this year. And jeans. You and me: jeans in 2014. 3) There is no such thing as a gratuitous pug.

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    1. let's make each other do it! probably won't happen in Jan for me but how about trouser feb?

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  2. I agree - I can't keep up with all the posts! But it eas great to meet you and all the other Spoolettes. Here's to more meet - ups in 2014!

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    1. definitely. i would love to see you all more often this year!

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  3. Number 3 is great, it's where I'd like to get this year. Regarding sewalongs, I'm feeling the same way, if I would've done it anyway I'll join (if I dare to commit). I'm hoping to join at least one sewalong this year, I've actually only done one before.

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    1. glad you like it helena! it's so hard to resist all the new shiny things and patterns and sewalongs don't help. but i am being practical!

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  4. Happy new year! I hope 2014 is a happier, healthier year for you & yours. Numbers 3 & 5 really resound with me, and if you do decide to make the Juniper's up I'd love to join you, though with a newborn I fear making trousers for the first time might be overambitious!

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    1. happy new year kathryn and thanks! i am definitely going for the junipers. probably will be feb as i am committed to a couple of other things in jan - my minerva make and a jacket for hubby that he's been waiting for for ages (and which got bumped for my last minerva make!). maybe we should make it a thing? congratulations on the bubs - i think doing any sewing with a newborn is amazing! but there's load of help and resources - maybe i should pull some together for us!

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    2. Thank you! Well I'll see how the sewing goes in January & hopefully trousers will be possible in February. If so I'd love to make it a thing!

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  5. Hey love,

    It's been a blinking pleasure and a half to meet your goodself. I knew we would get on like a house on fire when you told me how much you liked Pulp and when I saw your navy and red Mad Men number it was a done deal. I'm so sorry that 2013 has been so tough and it continues to be difficult but I'm really happy to hear that sewing and its people provide a good release. Much love to you and yours honey and I look forward to seeing you soon xxx

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    1. Right back at ya lovely! Always a pleasure never a chore. It's been so great to get to know all of you this year. Here's hoping for many more great days and nights out in 2014!

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