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.

Hits, misses and neutrals in 2018

I seem to have been quite busy with sewing this year but with very little to show for it! I have quite a few craft items which have been successful in their own category and some knitting - oh and repairs and refashioning. As there is so little to show, I’m doing one post for both successes and failures for the year. I'm not including failures that didn't get as far as being made up - and there are quite a few of those!

I will do them in order from the start of the year, all together in one category. Click the title to get to the appropriate blog post where the pattern number and details will be listed.

As before, I'm linking to  Crafting a Rainbow’s Top 5 of the Year.

January

Kimono - success

In January, I made a kimono for myself. I like the kimono, feel it fits well and do wear it. There is a but - the colours are not right for me and I have been intending to remake with a fabric more suited to my colouring and my other clothes. I tried to get a similar fabric but haven't been successful. Nevertheless, I consider this a success.

Chanel-type jacket - neutral

In January, I finally finished the Chanel-type jacket I had been working on for some time, after starting it in a two-weekend class I attended with Margaret of The  Crafty Creek in the autumn of the previous year. I think the jacket looks great but I haven’t really worn it. This is mainly because I feel it is a bit snug (I have put on weight, alas). I feel it is snug around the biceps and it lies with the two fronts quite far apart. I learned such a lot from this exercise, though - very much including what I would do differently next time. The main thing I would change would be to overlock raw edges before started construction. I’ll have to say this is a neutral as it hasn’t been worn in the way I had intended – so neither failure nor success.

February was a very unsuccessful month with several items and pieces of fabric being rejected. March was a more successful month

Jasper sweatshirt - success

It was cold in March. We haven't had much cold weather yet this winter.

I made the Jasper sweatshirt and have worn it a lot though it’s only getting cold enough now to think about it again. I like it but it was criticised on the style website I’m a member of for being too dark for my colouring - while I didn’t want that to influence my view of it, it has to some extent. I plan to make it again but in slightly lighter weight fabric

New Look 6481 tops - 2 x successes 1 x fail

I’ve worn these tops a lot. The fail was as a result of using a fabric with insufficient stretch and it was too tight for me. It went to my daughter who wears it, as far as I know so not a total failure. Operative error.

Blackwood cardigans x2 - successes

Regularly worn. I like one better than the other - the one that has slightly more stretch - as it feels more comfortable. Same fabric as the NL 6481s

Trousers - epic FAIL

For the whole year, well until autumn really, I was trying to make well-fitting trousers. The closest I got was making up a pair of trousers that I was forced to wear for golf matches as I had no other suitable trousers which still fitted me. I did get to wear them but they were neither stylish nor comfortable.

I intend to solve the problem in 2019!

 

I have so many awful photos of the various stages - this was the least bad
I haven't linked to a post

Self-drafted top - failure

I finished this but have never enjoyed wearing it. The fit just isn't right.

Cashmerette concord Vneck tunic - neutral

I made another Cashmerette Concord, this time with a V neck, tunic length. I’m not really wearing it - I think because the neckline is a little loose/stretched and a bit low for my liking. Operative error again.

Items for my daughters - successes. Probably

I made another pair of culottes for Joanne. While she was visiting for Christmas, I made some repairs to a much earlier pair of these culottes (she loves this style) and has told me she hasn't started to wear the most recent ones as yet.

I also made another silk dress for Helen. 

I am sure these will be successful but it’s too early to say as yet.

Gosh, that’s not much to show for a year! The trousers took up a lot of my time and made me feel completely despondent so I had to give up. I did a lot of garment refashioning, garment repairs

Machine embroidery - successes

I started to use my embroidery machine and enjoyed it. There is quite a big learning curve that I haven’t mastered yet, but I’m beginning to produce items that I have enjoyed making and the recipients have liked receiving.

Classes 

I attended a few classes - working with leather; silks and sheers and corset making. I have taken something from each class. My oldest daughter likes the corset I made (a standard size 12 with a D cup, clearly not for me!) and even though it is a sample speedily made up a couple of days before Christmas, she has taken it home with her. My youngest daughter found a little too much space in the cups - she added a couple of cooking apples to fill the cups out! She liked the waist shaping it gave her, though - she has a fairly straight figure

WIPs

I have some WIPs, ready to restart in January

Make Nine Project - failure

I signed up for the make nine project and have not succeeded in making anything like 9 items. This is because quite a few of my items were going to be trousers/pants and I haven’t got the fit right as yet. Is it possible that I won’t be able to? I didn’t make the jacket as that was to go with the trousers.

RTW Fast

I have been more successful with the RTW 2018 Fast, depending on how you measure success! I have done the fasting - but have not managed to fill the gradually increasing holes in my wardrobe.

7 Steps to Style and Evolve Your Style - failure

I intended to put everything into this but found I just didn’t. This was partly because I was on the RTW Fast and so wasn’t buying new clothes (or even charity shop clothes for refashioning). I had a huge bundle of old clothes that needed restyled but they got me down, I had little idea how to proceed (Lots of trousers) so I abandoned that idea.

I haven’t seen much point in buying new fabrics when I have huge stash or new patterns ditto. So this coming year, I will concentrate on making what I have manageable and reflect me.

Plans for 2018

Plans for 2018

Comment - I had major problems with formatting the text - the end piece is awful but no matter what I do, I can't correct it - it just seems to get worse! At first it was lack of line wrapping but in this post, it's to do with bullet points. I trust you will overlook this!! I don't want to remove the post altogether.

RTW Fast

I have joined Goodbye Valentino’s 2018 RTW Fast. It’s easy for me not to buy RTW as it doesn’t fit - far harder for me to sew things I need. I’ve bought so very little over the last 3 years - the only thing, other than bras etc, that I can remember is my MOB outfit for Helen’s wedding in summer 2016 - I had planned to make my outfit for that but ran out of time - but still have lots of ideas and some beautiful fabrics. I tried to go sale shopping in advance of starting the fast on January 1st  - the only thing I actually bought was a cup of coffee! There were a couple of ‘nearlies’ - a cashmere pullover which was maybe a 7 and a dress which was maybe not the right size but I liked the fabric. I decided not to try either. Reference to ‘7’ - if each item of clothing you are contemplating buying is rated out of 10, you shouldn’t really buy if it’s less than an 8! That takes into account appearance, style, colour, fabric, fit etc. Obviously, if you’re desperate for something, you might have to become less discriminating and might drop to 6. This was not necessary for me so I declined purchasing.

7 Steps to Style

I am a member of 7 Steps to Style and evolve Your Style and will be trying to ensure that I stay true to my best colours and styles.

Patterns and garments

I will be working on creating blocks/slopers as already started and TNTs from commercial patterns. I will choose a small selection to work on.

Fabrics

I intend to use up (or at least break into) the special fabrics I have in my collection - dupion silk, other silks and lovely wools. These were bought for MOB possibilities. However, I am happy to buy good quality fabrics for projects as they come up. I’ve made more mistakes over unsuitable fabric than I can tally up. No more!!

MAGAM
The year will be largely devoted to sewing for me. If time is short, I will prioritise my sewing rather than that for others! I’m so selfish! (David says it’s time I was doing this as I sew for others and do very little for myself) I will try to put in a garment each month for the MAGAM challenge hosted by Sarah Liz - but I won’t sew something ‘for the sake of it’ eg for a contest or challenge.

Garments planned

I plan to make pieces which work together, based on a navy neutral and a grey (or just possibly burgundy) secondary neutral.

I have reread The Vivienne Files, Starting Out and 4 x 4 and plan to base what I do loosely on that.

As there are quite a few garments here, I decided to link into #2018makenine. As far as I can see, it’s simply to post plans for 9 garments over the course of the year. No penalty if you don’t achieve 9. Only thing is, they seem to be largely Indie patterns and I will mainly be sewing with the Big 4or my blocks if I can get them sorted.

I’m going to jump into my sewing this year with a repeat of the kimono I mad for Joanne. I modelled it as Joanne wasn’t available and really liked it. I have enough of the fabric left. It’s not quite in my colours - it’s black and wine, but I still have wearable black trousers. It’s an easy make. It probably needs a suitable top underneath - the black top I used for the photos was too drab.

This is Joanne's but I think I have enough fabric to make another

I modelled it

Trousers/pants - these will either be based on commercial patterns or my block. Perfecting a pair of trousers is my key aim for 2018

·        Navy trousers - at least two pairs. I wear trousers almost all the time. Maybe 1 in heavier and 1 in lighter fabric for our version of summer. I might use my block but I think it could be easier to get Vogue 9189, which comes in tall (as well as petite and regular) to work.

• Burgundy or grey trousers. I have burgundy wool suitable for trousers but I’m not sure I have any grey.
• I can’t afford to make too many pairs as I MUST lose weight.
• I may try to make Style Arc Barb. I have the PDF with 3 sizes so that might work.

Jeans

·        I’d like to make a pair of jeans for myself. Not sure as yet which pattern I would use. Possibly McCall’s 5894 ‘The Perfect Jean’ and I’m sure I have another and of course, my block. I don’t have any Indie patterns for jeans. I have some denim I bought to use last year. Navy with stretch. Also, David wanted a pair of grey jeans and I bought the fabric - I might have to requisition that!

McCall's 5894 The Perfect Jean by Palmer/Pletsch

Jackets - commercial patterns

·        The Chanel-type jacket is navy based and will work with these. The jacket also has black, blue, pink and white in it, colours I’ll be able to pick out in accents. I’ll finish that by the end of the month and I should be able to post a completed version then - too many things going on in January to think I could be faster than that. It's my mother's 90th birthday this coming week and the whole family is getting together to celebrate. All this hand sewing is SLOW.

·        The Grainline Morris jacket - probably in cobalt/royal blue boiled wool. However, I’m still not convinced that the fit is quite right. So I might not do this at all. I would like a really casual  jacket.

Cardigans - x3

• I’m not sure what patterns I will use here as yet. I have a couple of Style Arc patterns and I haven't tried this brand as yet. These will be worn with trousers and top, a style with which I am very comfortable. So one will be navy. One perhaps grey. And I’ve just purchased online a double faced navy/grey wool - this may be for a heavier jacket. I will wait to see how it feels when it arrives. I also have McCall's 6844 which I’ve used before. I made a peplum version that time but would forgo that this time.

McCall's 6844 - I'e made this previously and it's very popular

McCall's 6966 - similar but less popular.

Style Arc Abby. I've never used SA. This is a single sized paper pattern and I don't know if I have the correct size!

Blouse/tops/tunics

• I intend to use natural fibres to make two, maybe three tops, if I have time. I have a number of RTW tops that still have life left in them so I don't need to go overboard. These will go with navy trousers and some with burgundy or grey. I have plain navy silk, though not much so maybe just enough for a tank; a lovely navy based silk; a baby blue crinkle silk (might be too pale for me though) and maybe a couple of other navy based prints that I bought when I was going to do PR’s wardrobe contest last year. It would have been great to do but I can’t sew that fast!
• Navy silk tank - probably using the pattern I drew up last year.
• One other item that I recognised was missing from my wardrobe was a plain jewel necked long sleeved tee shirt type top dressy enough for use under my blue checked jacket. I’m not sure what fabric this would be - preferably natural, preferably with some stretch (are the two compatible?) and in a fine smooth luxury fabric. Which pattern? I'm not sure - I don't think I will/I won't use the Cashmerette Concord though.

Special occasion

• Dress and indoor type jacket (I haven’t decided on pattern to use as yet). I will use Royal blue dupion silk.

Shirt dress

• I’m not quite sure which of my commercial patterns I’ll use. I have got a lovely fabric which has blues and greys and an almost peach-skin surface in mind for it. Also some classic chambray.
• I'd also like  to make a casual every day dress in ponte de Roma - I could perhaps use the PR Winter Street Dress which I have made previously

I've made this 3 times previously, or is it 4? I've made the required modifications to the pattern (which were many!)

For others

Although I have said I plan to be more selfish this year, I also have some items to make for my family

• Alison - I made a dress toile but hadn’t seen her in it and she told me she had gained a bit of weight. At Christmas, we were able to confirm I could go ahead with the dress. She had thought that as what I had sent her was a ‘toile’ she couldn’t wear it but I confirmed that she could, provided she liked it. The skirt part of the dress is a thicker fabric than the original but Alison confirmed that she liked that. I don't have the fabric for this dress as yet. A navy background rather than black is the plan. She has to wear black at work, but navy is her preference. When she tried it on for me, it was clear that the sleeves aren't right - I’ll ask advice about that when my classes restart next week.

• Joanne - I will make her a pair of shorts. She wants black, as before.

Shorts identical to previous ones. I have the pattern. I’ve made it twice previously. It fits. It shouldn't take too long once I start. I’ve ordered the nicer of the two fabrics I used previously and the lace trim  - from Minerva fabrics.

• Helen - a green silk dress. I’ve said she needs to buy the fabric for
  

  this herself. She has much better opportunities to buy as she lives in London.
  I got the last lot in Goldhawk Road and though that takes her over an hour to
  get there, that’s still far less than it takes me! I remember they had a nice
  green at the time I bought the red silk.

  
  

The long-awaited red silk dress. The green silk dress should be identical 

Also, the tartan skirt using our family tartan that has been on the cards for a couple of years now. Helen still hasn’t chosen the style - so that might be for her birthday or Christmas in 2018:

Style 2 - not our tartan

Style 1 - not our tartan

• David - graphite jeans, another pair of brushed denim jeans and a checked shirt. I have all these fabrics. I also have fabric for a jacket but don't think that will see the light of day! David is in no hurry for any of these.

  
  

  
  
• Grandsons - not sure really about whether to go ahead with shirts and gilets as contemplated.
• Probably not!
• Crucially, I plan to track my fabrics, patterns and makes rather more thoroughly in 2018 than I have done up until now!
  
  
  
  We had a number of trials in 2017, which I won’t go into, and hope that 2018 will be better from that point of view. We are hoping to downsize and move in this coming year so that will have an impact on sewing time available. I will take into account availability of classes/sewing tutoring available when we are deciding where to move to as I will really miss what I get just now.