A quick look back at 2018 plans and a think about plans for 2019

I’m not going to call these sewing resolutions (or re-sew-lutions) - rather aims, hopes, aspirations

 

I need to finish this UFO

I started by re-reading my 2018 plans post from early January last year.

Let’s see how I did (spoiler - badly!):

RTW Fast

This was easy. As I said, it’s difficult for me to buy clothing. Even more difficult to make it!

I’m not formally continuing with a fast but I’m not likely to buy much if anything either. Sarah isn't continuing the Fast in 2019 but the FB groups will remain open

7 Step to Style/Evolve Your Style

I didn’t manage to complete the steps in Evolve Your Style (EYS). I’m afraid I just wasn’t sufficiently interested in some of the challenges.

I’m aware of my ‘best’ colours when buying fabric or making things up but this is not always possible.

I don’t post much on the closed FB group but enjoy reading it.

Patterns, Garments, Blocks and TNTs

I didn’t move this forward very much. I did a little work on the blocks but I feel they need a complete overhaul as they really don’t fit. Now, I’ve out on even more weight. Sigh.

I had one top I thought was a TNT and made up a couple of versions but this was not a success.

I will try to carry this into 2019

Fabrics

Partial success. I have not managed to cut into my special fabrics - hopefully in 2019

I have, however, been better with fabric choices.

Now I’m going to cull many unsuitable fabrics from my stash

MAGAM

I don’t think I managed a single post. Next year, however, there is an overall theme (mine is capsule wardrobe with a secondary stash busting aspect) and this fits beautifully into my plans

2018 Make Nine

Pretty disastrous! No pressure, though.

I managed a kimono for myself.

The dress I tried to make was a huge wadder. No photo. I made a few tops.

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Several of the items were pants/trousers/jeans - and my attempts to create a fitting pair were not successful. I did wear one pair, out of desperation as I needed navy trousers for a golf match I was playing in - the worst bits were hidden under my top and the belt I wore helped them stay up.

 

don't look too closely!

Making well-fitting, nice looking trousers is a key theme for 2019.

Sewing for Others

I completed a green silk dress for Helen for her Christmas - see recent blog post

and another pair of culottes for Joanne.

I bought the fabric for Alison’s dress but haven’t progressed. There are big issues with the sleeves.

I haven’t done anything for David - he says that I should concentrate on myself as he can easily buy what he might need. He really doesn't need anything.

I’ve sewn a number of craft items for others and embroidered some items, including a tee shirt and a hoodie.

Book pillows

Zipped notebook

Embroidered hoodie

Monogrammed pocket on tee

I've also done a fair bit of refashioning, repairing etc.

Moving House

We have decided to postpone this.

What are my plans for 2019?

Organisation

This is a big issue. When we were thinking of moving, we realised we had so much ‘stuff’.  I also still have a lot of stuff of my mother’s including a dining room table and 6 chairs which we can’t use, plus a number of other tea chests.

We have a big house and use it (someone cruel might say we use it as a storage area!). With my hobbies and David’s, there was no way we could consider significantly downsizing, which we would have had to do to afford the area we were considering. We need to downsize our clutter before we can downsize out home - there is no way we would take it with us!

I have started getting rid of patterns that I will never sew. I am happy for anyone to have them (I will take to class or give to Renee for her charity shop). I’m not into selling. I still have a lot more to go. I will keep a few patterns in each category but there is no need for multiples.

Some of the patterns were from sewing magazines; I was getting several per month, often repeats, often the wrong size and often merely just another version of a sheath dress. Some were just not my style. Occasionally a magazine could have 3 patterns with it! There were a couple of gems, though, that I will hang onto.  I decided to cancel my magazines. I still subscribe to Threads and Sew Today (that’s Vogue magazine in the US) - the latter mainly to keep up with what is around.

Magazines create their own problem and I need to get rid of those too. I have started to look through them to see if there are things I wish to keep. With all the books I have and the Internet, I guess there won't be much need to keep any though. Books aren't being culled just yet!

Fabric! I have already mentioned that I am just going to get rid of fabric that I don’t like, wouldn't make up or isn’t suitable.

When I say ‘get rid of’ - I will take these to my sewing bees and will likely find willing recipients.

Sewing

Trousers for me

I need to complete the fitting process of the basic pair to let me move on. The 'wearable toile' showed up a lot of issues.

Anything else is less crucial. I’d like to use my dupion silk for a dress. A couple of cardigans would come in handy. I’d like to make a jacket, maybe another Chanel-type or maybe not - but this comes after the trousers. I have a blouse UFO and will complete that and also make a shirtdress.

Blocks

This year I will redo my blocks

Classes

I would like to watch more of my Craftsy classes. I enjoy then and would hate them to disappear before I had the chance to watch!

For others

I do enjoy sewing for others but need to balance this better with my own needs

Alison’s dress - this has risen to the top of the 'for others' list. I have the fabric, have reviewed the pattern but still haven't sorted out the sleeve problem

Joanne’s dress - chosen years ago but she asked me to put off until she was the right shape. I even have the fabric. I also have fabric for more versions of her culottes. I'd like to look out suitable guipure lace of a different colour, say maroon, but can't find any without massive shipping costs from the US.

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Mini skirt in tartan for Helen - school style with narrow waistband and kick pleats. I have the fabric!!!! No pattern as yet. Any ideas?

Machine Embroidery

I am enjoying this. I have no definite plans but will continue to learn how to make decent items.

I may make some more Celtic Owl notebook covers

I will make my mother a sleep mask for her birthday next week. I’m not sure how helpful it will be. She gets botox injected into her eyes for medical reasons and at the moment she can’t close her eyelids, even when she’s asleep.

Health

I must lose weight for the sake of my health.

I’m less mobile now than I was before breaking my foot – my foot is still painful, particularly during certain movements. This has meant that I haven’t golfed since October, haven’t gone on my rewilding walks (though they stopped anyway - I missed the last two) and haven’t gone on photo shoots. I visited my mother less often and postponed visits to my daughters. I’ve missed 2 group trips and haven’t felt able to travel to London to visit the V&A etc.

David has been inconvenienced by this, too. He is unable to drive for medical reasons and relies on me for taking him certain places - though he has a bus pass and can travel on the bus to other places. Fortunately, I have been able to drive as my car is an automatic.

In January, we’re going to start going on our own walks, with a view to taking photographs. We had planned to do this when we heard the rewilding walks were stopping. We can stick to what I’m able to do as we won’t be reliant on others. I do hope the walks start again, though, as I enjoyed meeting the others on the walks and we found a lot of new places we didn't know.

I was using walking shoes - like waterproof trainers. However, I now feel the need of some ankle support during walks (some of which got a bit rough) and yesterday I bought a pair of mid-rise walking boots - not too high, just enough to feel I have a bit more ankle support.

Above all, I'm not going to put pressure on myself. Sewing is my hobby.