I have to say, this is one of my most favorite times of year in the sewing world! I just love reading everyone's wrap-ups and statistics and all that!!
2015...WOW this year flew by!
My pace certainly didn't slow in any way (as I thought it might). I sewed around 200 yards of fabric this year! My official record says 194 (including some unblogged items and two in-progress items). However, I realized that some things I made for my daughter weren't recorded so we'll just assume I got darn close to that 200 mark. Mmkay? Alrighty.
I sewed 88 items for myself. Holy cow. And about 20 items as gifts (primarily for my daughter).
Still, tops are my most sewn item. However, with the job change and the ability to make skirts and dresses a part of my daily wardrobe, those categories jumped for me compared to last year.
I sewed:
1 2-piece swimsuit and 1 robe (misc)
2 jumpsuits
11 skirts
11 pants and jeans
32 tops
16 dresses
8 jackets
3 cardigans
2 outerwear items
Repeats:
- B5760 skirt: I sewed 3 and had 1 wadder. The wadder was due to my own error. I did not realize the fabric stretched!
- B6183 top: I sewed 2 and had 1 wadder. The wadder was due to choosing the wrong fabric
- B6169 jacket: Love them both; the grey one is now too big and the floral one...I can't get rid of it but I have such a hard time finding stuff to pair it with.
- M6886 dress: Love them both!!!
- S2246 dress: LOVE them both! (black one has never been photographed but has been worn tons!)
- M6964 tee: Love them both. I need to make more.
- M6996 cardigan: 1 is a love (navy wool jersey) the other is meh (striped french terry)
- NL6261 dress: 1 is a special occasion dress and the other is finished and unworn.
- V8805 dress: both are wardrobe staples but are a bit too big through the hip now
- Style Arc Sandra jeans: BOTH of them are too big :(
- V9032 pants: sewed 4 pair this year!
Well I had 100% success in the outerwear category - that's gotta count for something! :)
I made the Simplicity 2508 coat and absolutely adore it
And there was also the Sewaholic Minoru which is really an amazing pattern!
*****
On cardigans? Not so good. I made 3 this year
M6708 is a UFO because of a button issue...however I do not love the neckline on it. But I love the fabric soooo much.
M6996 in French terry is so blah. I keep it because it's cozy but it's strictly a throw-on-at-home cardigan. I tried something else with French terry and have determined that it's just not a fabric that I like.
*****
In the dresses and jackets categories; I am surprising on the fence (OTF) about M7244 and the striped B5926. I've worn them both once. I really thought I would love both of these but...meh.
*****
Tops...Sigh. Last year I had a 40% success rate with tops and this year it's 60% so that's a good thing.
I had 3 wadders and 4 that I tossed. The distinction (for me), wadders never get finished. They're abandoned before they're complete. Items that I tossed were completed, in the closet, but then got tossed for whatever reason. I had 2 that I put in the donate pile and 4 that I'm OTF about.
One of those being the lovely red V8979
*****
In skirts, I'm not surprised that I was really hit or miss as it wasn't something I was sewing often before this year. A couple I'm OTF about...a couple wadders, 1 ruined in the wash...
Speaking of 'ruined in the wash'...I got the lovely wool/lycra woven from Fabric Mart to make an interview suit (remember that?).
Well, apparently I decided not to launder it and to subsequently dry clean the finished items. But I rarely dry clean and almost always machine wash my fabrics. So what happened? One day all 3 pieces were on the dining room chair (clue!) and I walked past them confused as to why they were there. The next time I did laundry I tossed them in. Ruined all 3 pieces. I think I almost cried. No, seriously, I almost cried!
Lastly, of the 88 items sewn there were about a dozen patterns that were used multiple times. So, suffice to say, I just really like sewing new patterns!
There is appeal in having TNTs, but there is the allure of something new. And I don't draft/hack/etc. I don't want to spend time trying to create a new pattern (I know, I know...but the interest just isn't there) so I will find a pattern that fits what I want and sew that!
The benefit of new patterns is that you never know where you'll find a piece of information that will change the whole game!
Sewing a Burda envelope pattern changed my entire understanding of fly-front zippers. Now I never (seriously, ever) need to look at any instruction again, I have a method that works great.
Sewing the Birkin flare jeans taught me a couple of super handy tricks that I hadn't thought about.
Of course, the Big4 dominate for me, but I also got good use from my Burda magazines this year and sewed a handful of Indies. My pattern catalog is dominated by McCall's so no surprise there. I am surprised at how many Vogue patterns I've sewn this year! And that does account for multiples (e.g., the V9032 pants are only counted once).
Whew!
I still have a little bit of 'wrapping up' to do; I want to discuss my 2015 goals and how I did on those and of course decide on a direction and goals for my 2016 sewing.
Hope you have a very Merry Christmas if you celebrate and if you don't I hope you have an amazing long weekend!
