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.

My Top 5 Hits and Misses of 2017

I’m once again linking in with Crafting a Rainbow’s Top 5 of the Year. So here’s my top 5 - both hits and misses in this post. They are roughly in order from the start of the year, rather than being in favourite order. I've included a link to the original blog post which will have details of pattern used and more details of construction etc. I've used different photos - I think the actual blog post has better photos but for some reason I couldn't pick them up today. I had to cut down my labels as there were way too many characters.

Top 5 Hits

1 Orange padded gilet for my grandson

In February, I made a padded gilet in class and asked for the pattern to be sized to fit my grandson. He liked it and it did fit. It’s too small now of course - he has grown so much in the last year! I’ve included it here because I learned such a lot making it. I have some fabrics for new ones for him and his brother but would need to identify a suitable commercial pattern. I'd use microfleece for the lining next time around and bought some in a  lovely lime green. I don't think I ever blogged a photo of the completed garment. An earlier post where I tried it on him for fit is here. 

2 Check self-drafted tank

In March, I made a simple sleeveless top using a block I had made. Armholes and neckline bound with contrasting, visible, bias binding.

I like this top and wear it regularly - but I would choose a different fabric next time around as this is a bit ‘spiky’. I would make it in a natural fabric - this is polyester.

I’ve included despite not being 100% happy with it as it looks good and taught me a lot. This was my first venture into using a print on a print (contrasting tartan bias strips). I loved the result.

Blogged here.

3 Nettie bodysuit

Nettie worn with trousers and a cardigan. Long sleeves next time.

In the summer, as part of my class on stretch fabrics, which ended in July, I made a very successful Nettie bodysuit. As this was done in class, I followed class instructions rather than pattern instructions and made a couple of modifications. I intend to make more but haven’t got around to it as yet. I would want to add sleeves to the next one.

Blogged here.

4 Murder Mystery weekend garments

Under this one heading, I’m going to include 3 separate garments, all of which were made for our murder mystery weekend in November

• Yellow jeans for David (in photo below). David likes these and has worn them since and intends to go on doing so. I previously made him jeans from my own pattern (part of another course) but this was from a commercial pattern, which made it easier for me. I made a couple of tweaks and would alter more next time around. Blogged here.

• My colourful jumpsuit (in photo above). My son-in-law loved this and I wore it again over Christmas, especially for him!! Actually, I love the jumpsuit - it’s just that there aren’t many places I can wear this bright a fabric! However, I will make up another more ‘sober’ one! I don't often wear my own handmade garments as I'm so critical about finish and fit. Blogged here.

• My ‘flower power’ dress. I love it. I would make the smaller size next time, though. It was comfy, cosy and warm with plenty of space for Christmas pudding eating! I guess I would do the sleeves as per pattern though as these aren't very practical for working around the house! Blogged here (with better photos).

5 Red Silk Dress for Helen

I absolutely have to include Helen’s red silk dress even though it’s less than two weeks since I gave it to her!!  I know this will be worn and worn and worn, like its RTW predecessor. She loves it and it fits. This is, incidentally, my entry into Designin' December, conceived and run by Linda of Nice Dress Thanks I made It!. There is currently voting on her blog and on IG. Blogged here. This link is to the 5th of a 5 part blog! Previous posts were about developing the pattern, toiles etc.

Others

I have had a few successful makes, both garments and craft type makes but the ones above are my edit.

Top 5 Misses/Failures

1 Bias Cowl Top for my Mother

You can see that it's falling off the shoulders

The first has to be the bias cut top I made for my mother’s birthday in January 2017. I had made the same top for me for the PR Sewing Bee (but didn’t pass beyond the second round) and as my mother loves a cowl neck and I had some fabric that she gave me, I thought this would be a good idea. The fabric was fine.

My mother told me the top was lovely etc. Some months later, I had the opportunity to see her wearing it - what a disaster! She told me she hadn’t wanted to say…

The fit was awful. I recently suggested I remodel/remake but I think she has got rid of the top.

I should say, my mother has lost a considerable amount of weight (weight that she can’t afford to lose) so that has contributed. Also, she has a marked ‘dowager’s hump’ (I hate that term!), which I did try to take into account when I made the top.

So it’s not the pattern, or the fabric but fit that’s the problem here. Issue - fit. Blogged here - but obviously needs updated to reflect the fact that it didn't actually fit her!

2 Two UFOs which I completed but which aren't a success:

The first is the lace cardigan I made in February 2017, photo above. I just don’t like it. It had been a UFO and perhaps should have stayed that way! I modified the pattern from the original so can’t really comment on the pattern.  Issue - simple dislike. I find it too 'floppy' and insubstantial. Blogged here.

The next was also in February, above - another UFO. This time a cotton skirt. It just doesn’t work as it clings.  I did try to wear it as I like the fabric and felt the skirt fitted but was put off by the clinging. It isn’t lined but needs to be because of this. Again, the pattern is fine, fabric fine, but lining needed and probably fit tweaked further. Issue - need lining with this fabric. I may well get around to doing this as summer approaches. blogged here.

3 My Merry May MAGAM Top, sadly

I loved the pattern on the fabric. I wear a lot of cardigan type jackets.

In June, I made a top from the same pattern as my successful sleeveless tank. The fabric choice was poor, however much I loved the pattern. Snags and runs appeared in the fabric (rips that is, not colour runs)  and despite trying hard to ignore them, I couldn’t. It was binned. Issue - fabric choice. Blogged here. You can see it without the cardigan on the blog.

4 A checked skirt which gave me migraine

My eyes crossed as I tried to sew with this fabric. I gave away what I had left (quite a bit)

In April, I made a skirt. It was finished but I didn’t like the fit and tried to modify. I also didn’t like the fabric. Never worn - and not just because summer was coming up. Issues - fabric choice (the pattern on the fabric even more than the fabric though it was too heavyweight) and fit. Blogged here. There are much better photos on the post

5 Grainline Morris Blazer

My Grainline Morris blazer. Least said the better!! I will, however, try again as I think the biggest issue here was fabric choice. Issues - fit and I think I would like to line it. Blogged here. 

There are other failures, too, some of which didn't get to the stage of taking a photo and certainly weren't blogged. Forget about them, Anne!

Others - UFOs or WIPs

1. I have a Linton tweed Chanel-type jacket almost completed. I just have the lining to hand sew. I might do this as we catch up with the Star Wars series. David got movies 1 - 6 for Christmas. We have previously seen them, starting when the first came out in 1977 but it will be useful to see in story chronological order. This is certainly a WIP - and nearly finished.
2. I started but didn't complete culottes for myself. I may or may not complete them - I do like the fabric but culottes might well be out again. Issue - time available. This is a UFO.
3. My interminable trouser toiles did get to block stage but I haven’t made them up as yet. I plan to make up in navy wool and navy gaberdine (?)
4. My bodice and skirt/dress  toiles were not completed to my fit satisfaction. Lots of work here! I will tackle again in the new year.
5. I have another jacket at toile stage ready to make up. It’s definitely on the back burner. UFO.
6. I plan to make up a Grainline Morris blazer in lightweight boiled wool. I think this could be a useful and versatile jacket - if I get the fit right.
7. There are others….

2018 Plans

I will be putting up my 2018 plans in a separate post