Top Five of 2023!

 What were my favourite makes of 2023? For the last few years, I have put together a Top Five post of my faves -- it's a good way to see what worked and why, and what to try next! This year I'm lucky, as I have 6 Top Makes. I was unable to whittle it down any more than that. 

Without further ado, here are my fave projects of the last year: 

Yanaka Jacket by Liesl & Co

This is my favourite make of the year! I made it last January and enjoyed the challenge. Looking through my stash for matching remnants, using up fave fabrics, finding a good lining and getting the fit right were all challenging in the best way. It's comfortable, colourful, and I feel good wearing it! 

Hot Pink Burda 105-04-2018

I just finished this one before the end of 2023 but it's a definite favourite. I was pushed to finish it by the deadline for the PatternReview Fitted Blouse contest -- where you can go and vote for this make, until Jan 10 if you are a PR member. 

Butterick 5987 (Willi Smith blouse)

I made this in February for the Black History Month Pattern Designer Challenge. I had this 1979 pattern in my stash, and used a fabric I found in the drapery section of the fabric store. It was a perfect marriage and I LOVE this shirt. It goes with a lot in my wardrobe, too. 

Antonia Dress by PatternDivision 

This is such an easy to make dress -- 3 pieces and a quick sew. But the fit is also great, and the pockets are nice and big. I love this one, and plan to make a solid version, or two. 

Talulah Dress

I made this inspired by the Literary Sewing Circle -- the pattern has been on my list for a few years! I wasn't sure about this profile on me but as it turns out I adore it. Love this dress and the colours are fun also. 

I AM Barbara 

I had to include this one as I found it a challenge and was happy with the results. It's such an unusual design that even if the whole thing isn't perfect I still love it. I have to go back and tweak a few things, but I've worn it, enjoyed making it, and am delighted by the idea of it. 

The less successful projects this year are ones that I don't like the fit of, or I just haven't worn. There aren't many that I actively dislike, thankfully! Most of my favourites were made as part of challenges and/or sewalongs, which is quite unusual -- the reverse of what usually happens for me. It was a good sewing year!

I also took a look at my year of sewing and found some interesting info :) I made 33 items (most of them shared on the blog).  There was a mix of 15 indie, 14 big four, and 4 Burda. 

I make most patterns only once, but there were a couple of repeats this year. I made Burda 105-04-2018 for the second time, and repeated Burda 6074 back to back. I made both the top and the dress view of the Liesl & Co. Santa Rosa and I made another Mandy Boat Tee to add to the ones I've made in the past. 

And I used Liesl & Co the most for my sewing this year, with 5 makes. Closely followed by a tie between Butterick and Simplicity with 4 each! 7 out of my 33 projects were made with new (or new to me) fabric; all the others were from fabric that had been in my stash for a while. Hoping to use up more of my stash this year! 

Most of my sewing this year was enjoyable and I hope to continue making things that I'll enjoy wearing -- it's so much easier to choose projects when you have a good sense of the fabrics and the shapes you will like. I look forward to another year of challenging projects!

2022 Reflections and Goals for 2023!

 

It's the time of year to look back and also look ahead. This is my summary of how I met my goals for 2022, and the creation of new ones for 2023.

Reflections

Last year's goals were mild, and not overly challenging. Exactly what I needed in a year of Rest, after that last few years of chaos. I really needed to relax and just take time to myself, and I managed to do that as much as possible. 

This year I feel like I have a bit more room for bigger goals, but still don't want too much stress. I am trying to find balance so that I have the energy for sewing and the creativity I love. So overextending myself, even in the sewing room, is something I have to watch out for.

Last year's goals were:

Stash Management: I feel like I did pretty well on that this year, although there is a lot more organization to do in the upcoming months. I got a handle on what was in my stash, and gave away a lot of old fabric that I didn't want anymore (and also cleared out my summer wardrobe to make more room for new projects). I need to do the same to my winter wardrobe and to organize the fabric that is left is a more logical and accessible way.

Wardrobe Planning: I kind of faltered on this but would like to get back to it and create a new wardrobe plan for 2023. I'm still feeling the bright colours and work wear vibe but have to rethink the projects and fabrics I want to use. 

and my last goal of 2022 was to Enjoy! I feel like this was the most important goal, and I did enjoy nearly everything I did this year. I slowed down, sewed and reviewed fewer things than usual, even if I was still sewing for the Liesl Advisor's Circle and for Fabricville. Neither of those groups are onerous and I had fun with the projects I made for them. 

2023 Goals

Sew from stash

I want to continue clearing out and organizing my stash - I just received a very generous gift of fabrics from a friend, of wonderful wools, silks and cottons from her late mother's stash, and I want to use most of that before I buy more. I also want to use more of my own pattern stash, including my large number of Burda magazines. 

Finish some art quilts

I've started taking time from my garment sewing to work on some small art quilts. I really enjoy the different experience of creating art from fabric, and while I've finished a couple of smaller ones, I'd like to focus a little more and finish some of the many half made and imagined quilts I have going. To help me do this I've signed up for the SAQA Conference, which is being held in Toronto this year. I couldn't miss it being so close as it hasn't been in Canada before. 

Take classes & learn more

I'd also like to take some classes this year and improve my skills in an organized manner. I've bought the Jasika Blazer class from Closet Core, and hope to work through that this spring to develop some better tailoring skills. I'd also like to give a bag or hat a try this year for something new!

Do you have new goals for 2023? Feel free to share them in the comments or drop a link to your own post about your plans. 

2022 Top Five Hits & Misses

For the past few years I've been looking back at my year via the Sewing Top Five meme started by the Sewcialists way back when. I don't see it making the rounds this year, but I emjoy doing it so am going to share my Top Five sewing Hits & Misses with you again! 

2022 was a bit of an odd year but I still did a fair bit of sewing. I spent a lot of time cleaning out my stash and wardrobe (though still lots more to be done) and thinking about what I really wanted to make and wear. (Also a work in progress)

From all of that, I've chosen my top five projects. These are the ones that I liked making, was pleased with when finished, and which I've actually worn since making them! 

Burda 7169

I finished this in mid December and have already worn it three times. It's the perfect mix of 80s style and comfort for me!

Burda 04-1990- 143

I made this dress from an old Burda magazine I got from a friend - the 90s style fits me well and the stash fabric just seemed perfect. I've worn this a lot both in summer and in fall with tights & a jacket. Think this is one I might make again - the fit, and the pockets, are great. I love this one.

New Look 6525

This multicoloured knit swing dress was finished right at the start of the year, and I have worn it a lot. It goes with nearly all my coloured jackets, looks good on its own, and is very forgiving to wear. So comfy & colourful.

Burda Book Jacket (Burda 108-2-2021)

This was made thanks to one of the challenge rounds of the PatternReview 2022 Sewing Bee, and it was a fun one! I loved combining the fabrics. Once I came up with the idea for a project featuring buttonholes, this project went very quickly. I love it - but am thinking about removing the collar so it gets more wear. 

Suki Dress by Tilly & the Buttons

This is a very simple pattern, from the book Make It Simple by Tilly Walnes. It is a basic shape, but the belt feature is interesting, and it's a great pattern for a busy pattern. I made this as part of my blue and yellow sewing in the early months of the year and I really love it. Comfortable, chic and so bright.

And now for the sadder side, these are my top five sewing misses this year. Actually I couldn't really decide on five, because I didn't really make many duds this year. I did make some that I haven't worn much, but I think with some small adjustments, I'll wear them a little more. 

Simplicity 9115 - I made the top and skirt from this pattern, and have worn the skirt a little more often than the top. I need to take in the top a bit, and also remember that this set needs ironing - it's not just one to grab in the morning, it will take planning ;) That's the risk you take when you use old sheets to sew clothes with; far more pressing required. 

Liesl & Co Fira Top - I think this one is very cute, and enjoyed the scrappiness of making it. But I just don't reach for denim as my first choice very often so haven't given this the airing it deserves.

Butterick 4969 - this little jacket was made from an 80s pattern, and it's nice but I haven't worn it much. Partly because it's the same sheet fabric as the Simplicity pieces, thus needs to be pressed prior to throwing on, but also because I made it in August near the end of the summer season. Perhaps I'll wear it more this coming summer!

And that's it - my top five faves and top five less faves ;) I hope that your sewing year was weighted toward favourites and that 2023 also treats you well in the sewing room.

#SewingTop5 Goals and Reflections

 

The turn of the year is a great time to reflect and to plan. I've been doing this as part of the Top Five series hosted by the Sewcialists for a number of years, which is now defunct, but originator Gillian of Crafting a Rainbow is doing a bit of it on Instagram so it spurred me to add it here once again. 

2021 was a tough one for me. There was a lot in it, and as many people have noted, it felt endless and a week long at the same time. When I look back at it, I fluctuated between steady sewing and no sewjo at all. But my sewing did keep me going, especially as Fall arrived. 

I had made a number of enthusiastic goals last December -- I only really met one, sewing 50 metres from my stash. I was participating in a sewalong at PatternReview, which helped (and you can join this year's same challenge now). 

So when I was thinking about my goals for 2022, I realized that I don't have many. My main goal is simply to have no expectations and take things as they come. I want to really scale down and protect my time and mental space. So my little goals for the upcoming sewing year are quite manageable, nothing too ambitious this year. 

1. Stash Management

I did pretty well with this in 2021, using a lot of my stash. I still have lots to do though, since it doesn't look much different. I'd like to actually organize it this year and really get a handle on what's there and the space it is taking up. 

2. Wardrobe Planning

I really enjoyed doing the Seamwork Design Your Wardrobe process this fall and learned a lot from it. I have already made a few items from the list I generated during that process, so my goal for the first quarter of the new year is to make a few more of the patterns I chose for that wardrobe. And to use the process for planning my summer wardrobe too -- I found it really helpful to narrow down my choices among my hundreds of patterns and stash fabrics. 

3. Enjoy!

That's my overarching goal. To keep the enjoyment and excitement of sewing as a hobby going. Not to overextend or overplan, but if opportunities come that look manageable I'll take them :) I find that sharing my sewing is a big part of my enjoyment, so definitely continuing to blog and IG my sewing too. 

So not a hugely ambitious year, but one in which I hope to find balance and  joy. 

Happy 2022 to you all! 

Top Five Hits and Misses of 2021

 

I've always enjoyed doing a roundup of my yearly makes, and I just noticed that Gillian is hosting the Sewing Top 5 again, this time via Instagram. So I'm joining in :) 

This year was a decent sewing year for me -- I could have made a top 5 selection in different categories this year, and I've really liked most of my projects over the year. There are at least 12 other projects I was considering for top picks. But after winnowing through my list of faves a few times, I've whittled it down to the very top five projects! 

My faves of the year are: 

 Celeste Dress by Itch to Stitch

I loved the fabric and how easily this dress went together. It's 

comfortable to wear and has great pockets!

Metamorphic Dress by Sew Liberated

I loved making this reversible dress as a project for the Amatka round of the Literary Sewing Circle. It was just so perfect for the book, and it's comfortable and gets great comments when I wear it.

Burda Jumper

I love a good jumper, and this one has really cool pockets. Plus it's the first time I sewed with stretch gabardine, and this pattern was just right for it. I love the print and it's one I've worn a lot.

Harmon Top by Sew Different

This pattern was inspired by The Queen's Gambit, one of my fave shows of the year. And I was so delighted at how it turned out, using this floral linen from my stash. Love this one. 

Rochester Dress by Maven

Of course I must mention my Rochester dress which I made for my 50th birthday! I like this  pattern and love this version in such a fun print. The first Rochester I made as a kind  of tester is also one of the tops of the year ;) 

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As for the Top 5 Misses of the year, they all seem to have come in a clump this summer, right when I was having a hard time with a lot of things in my life. Big surprise there! The things that I made and tried hard to remake to wear them but that just didn't work out are:

Self-Drafted pull on trousers. Just didn't get that fit right at all. 

A McCalls 4591 and matching Peppermint Magazine Pocket Skirt. The blouse was the wrong fabric and just couldn't be rescued, the skirt is just so not my style, I've only worn it once. 

Penrose Top from Sew News magazine. A free pattern but I made it way too big and I just do not like it at all. May reuse the fabric for something else, though, because I do like the print.

And finally a green rayon McCalls 7712 that I made in September and was underwhelmed -- tried to fix it but still don't like it and have never worn it. Think I need to find a friend who wants it! 

Overall this was a year with lots of great sewing, and this fall when I did the Seamwork wardrobe planning exercise I really got my sewjo back and have been slowly working away on some skirts and a suit jacket. Enjoying that a lot! I'll be posting my plans and goals for 2022 shortly, and suits will definitely make an appearance in next year's sewing...

#SEWINGTOP5 Reflections and Goals

 

Well, 2020 is nearly over. How do we reflect on such a year? I don't really feel like looking back at some of it, but there were lessons and high points even in such a long and stressful year. I feel like there were things to learn, and so I've tried to reflect on those elements. And I've also looked at the goals I set around this time last year, and tried to decide what any future goals should be. 

Reflections

Looking back at my favourite makes and my highlights of the year, I realize that continuing to try new things and maintaining a sewing community are really important to me. This year that took place in new ways, but finding a way to continue rather than just dropping all connections was super valuable. 

I also found that doing meaningful things with my sewing, like working with Amnesty International and even starting a Boomerang Bags group to help reduce textile waste and plastic use, was satisfying in a concrete way, so will be looking for more ways to do things like this. 

Taking care of myself physically to increase energy and enjoyment of life was a key discovery this year. Exercise was a stress relief and sanity saver for me, alongside my sewing -- I made 47 items this year, a fair bit more than I usually make. I think being at home for a few months and having the materials and time to sew made a big difference there. And, I still really love colour and print, and prefer more natural fabrics -- so I'll be continuing to sew with things that make me happy.

Goals

Somewhat surprisingly, on looking back at my 2020 goals, I seem to have met most of them at least in some small way! 

I had set a goal to sew from stash -- I ended up sewing 51 more metres than I brought in. Joining the 50 Yard Dash challenge on PR really helped me track this. Of course, having fabric and thrift stores closed for so long likely reduced my consumption automatically as well. But I also planned to Slow Down my sewing; with lockdown I sewed more than ever before, making 47 items this year. Only three of those are wadders though, so it works out overall. 

I'd also set the goal again, like I do so often, of sewing some menswear. But this year I actually did it! I sewed my husband a pair of summer shorts to replace his aging ones, and he likes them, and wears them -- a success. Plus I made him a fancy cravat just for fun, and a matching mask or two. 

I also planned to go through all my Craftsy classes -- well, with the Bluprint implosion this year I ended up speed watching all my pattern drafting courses before things settled somewhat and we were told that Craftsy was rising again and we'd still have access to our classes. I still haven't gone back to do all the work in those classes though. 

My last goal for 2020 was to draft a pattern for myself. Well, I did draft a very basic pattern, and am now tweaking it to get it just right. I've made a prototype and am planning on a couple more to get it perfect. Then I'll see what I want to do with it! 

So what about 2021? What are my goals? I've really been pondering this. After this last year, I'm not in the mood to set as many big goals -- who knows what life will be like? But I do need some goals to work toward and guide me, and like always, I don't feel bound by these goals, they're just suggestions to help me stay on track. With that said, I did come up with a few things I want to do in 2021. 

1. Stash Management

I was able to sew up 51 m. from my own stash this year, and in doing so I really explored what I have in my house. I have too much for my own comfort, and lots of it is from so long ago I don't really want it anymore (ie: quite a bit of poly blend fabric). So my 2021 goal is not only to sew from stash, but to really clear it out and organize it, so that what I have in my house is fabric that I really want to use. 

2. Pattern Drafting

This is really two goals in one: 

a. Work on my current simple pattern and get it finished to my liking

b. Do the work with my Suzy Furrer Craftsy classes and the Sara Alm flat pattern making book I bought, and learn what I need to learn. 

3. Embroidery

I've designed a number of simple embroidery patterns, which I really enjoy doing. I'd like to get them digitized this year so I can share them/sell them. 

4. Social Action

This year I really enjoyed participating in opportunities to highlight social causes, using my sewing. So I'd like to search out more opportunities for the same in 2021 and use sewing/embroidery/crafting to work together with others to make change. To alter the social fabric, so to speak. 

I think that after the year we've had, some reasonable, concrete goals are where I'm at. So that's my plan, and let's hope that all our plans for next year aren't derailed by any other unpleasant surprises. Wishing all the best in looking back and looking ahead for all of you as well.

#SEWINGTOP5 Highlights of 2020

 

Today's theme for the Sewcialists' Top Five roundup is "Highlights". This is usually sewing adjacent and/or unrelated-to-sewing highlights of the year. Of course, 2020 is a tough year to note highlights for! 

Thinking over this topic has made me glad that I have a page in my bullet journal for the wins of the year -- sometimes, especially in a hard year, you forget the things you've done that worked, or that brought joy and excitement. Well, at least I do. So it was good to look that over and think about what actually went well this year. And so, here are my Top Five Highlights of 2020.

1. BurdaStyle Academy classes

My word of the year for 2020 was "Complete". So I decided this fall that I should finally take the BurdaStyle Academy Teacher Certification Course that I've been looking at for a few years now. I've finished the first course and am now about halfway through the Advanced Course. Aiming to be mostly done by end of year! I've really enjoyed these classes and am glad I finally went for it.

2. Stratford Garment Guild

Although our local Guild had to cease meeting before even a full first year had occurred, I'm so glad we were able to pivot and start meeting online quickly. And that members have stuck with us for our Zoom based schedule this year -- and I'm also quite pleased that we were able to host the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario in November. Definitely a memorable guest speaker! 

3. Art Show

Way back at the beginning of 2020, before everything turned upside down, I had an exhibit of my photographs of Kyiv at my library. Of course, I am the Community Art coordinator so it wasn't too unexpected ;) But I really enjoyed going through the process of selecting the images and getting them all printed up and framed, and seeing them hanging together as a collection. You can see some of the photos in the backgrounds of my posts about the Laundry Day Tee and the La Brea woven tee. 

4. Amnesty + Craftivism

I had the chance to work with our local Amnesty International group this year, creating a large banner to highlight Berta Caceres, a Honduran water defender. Reading about her life and her work, and developing the design with some other local artists was really meaningful, and powerful. Unfortunately we couldn't display it as planned in April and May, but it is ready for use when able. 

5. Exercise

I never thought I'd ever say that I enjoyed exercising. But early this year, during the lockdown and then while being laid off, I took to exercising to manage the stress levels. I only have a mini rebounder and some 2 lb hand weights, no other equipment at all, but I found some great exercise channels on youtube and have been regularly working out since April. I find it very helpful for stress management, and have toned up -- I can even fit into some of my older fave me-mades again. 

I love the dance cardio channel Up to the BEat Fit, and GymRa for their rebounder workouts. I've also just found Naomi Joy Fitness, whose beginner rebounder workouts are kicking my butt! If you have any fave youtube channels to share in this area, I'd be glad to hear about them. 

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Thanks to the Sewcialists for giving me the nudge to do this post -- I hadn't really remembered all the meaningful, enjoyable moments or newfound joys of the year in the overwhelming feelings of all the miserable parts. It was really great to think about it and realize that there were still some high points of the year despite everything. 

#SEWINGTOP5 Hits & Misses

 

It's already that time of year again...the time to look back with the Sewcialists and share your own series of Top 5s of the year! 

I love to start with the highlights -- so here are my five favourite items of the year. It was very tough to limit myself to five this year, I had so many things I made that I loved, especially the whole raft of dresses I made in early spring. 

However, looking at what I really loved and what I actually wore often, I was able to come up with five things to highlight. Links are to the original posts.

Laundry Day Tee by Love Notions

I tested out this free pattern with one of the fabrics I put onto my MakeNine list, a houndstooth knit. I love the fit, the amazing cowl neck, and this fabric is both beautiful and comfortable to wear. I think this is probably the item I've worn most this year. 

Vogue 1671

I made this dress as part of the Fabricville blog network, and chose this rayon fabric as soon as I saw it. I *love* this dress. The fabric is so, so lovely, both the print and the feel of it. And the pattern was challenging but doable, with a great result. I did make some changes to the lining steps, for a better interior finish, as detailed in my original post. But I love this one! 

Burda 105-09-2019

This cozy dress has a relaxed silhouette and is easy to wear. I also just love the fabric, a fun glen plaid style flocked print. I also enjoyed making a matching belt for it, though the search for a buckle took a little longer than I'd expected! 

Style Arc's Lacey Dress

This is the second version I've made, and it just slightly nudges ahead of the whole batch of delightful dresses I made around the same time since not only is the fit great, but the fabric is wonderful -- both as a print and because it belonged to a lovely lady who passed on last year, and each time I wear it I think about her. Makes it extra special. 

Jalie's Florence Top

I have to count this one in because it surprised me by how much I loved it immediately upon finishing it. The elements came together as more than the sum of the parts, which were each great in the first place. I don't usually make simple tops like this when there is a dress view -- I default to dresses. But in a year in which I made a whack of fabulous dresses, this top took me by surprise. I absolutely love the fit, the fabric and the overall 80s aesthetic of it. And you know I'm going to make a dress version in 2021!

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And then there are the misses....I didn't have too many this year, and most of them were just the wrong fabric choice, although there were some big fitting issues too! Here are my 2020 flops. 

Owyn Pants by Lotta Jansdotter

I like the pattern and the concept, but my pants fitting skills are pathetic, and these don't fit at all. As Esme says on the Great British Sewing Bee, they were "a little hungry in the bum". I've now read a ton of fitting books and might try another muslin to see if I can get it right. Maybe. 

La Brea Tee by Halfmoon Atelier 

I love the woven La Brea Tee I made, but when I tried the knit version, I both made it too large and used the wrong fabric choice for the binding. It's a wavy, sloppy mess, really -- but it's great for exercising in, so there's that! 

Dionne Duster by SewAlteredStyle

I haven't blogged this one yet, but I used a thin poly knit that didn't want to behave, plus I had some issues with the pattern markings and, well, this attempt at a long vest didn't work out. At all. 

There were a couple of other items I wasn't entirely happy with, but that I wouldn't consider real misses -- just ones I haven't worn much because I just don't know why I don't really like them. I think I'll have to move those on to someone else who might like them. 

photo via Unsplash

How was your sewing year? I'm so glad I had too many Hits to easily pick five, and so few Misses that I couldn't even find five. In a tough year, my sewing really came through!

#SewingTopFive Reflections & Goals

Reflections

Making up my list of hits and misses, looking at my various highlights, and thinking about the goals I set myself last year at this time all helped me to see how my sewing rolled out this year.

My hits were mostly things that were of a little higher quality, whether cottons, linens and knits -- both new and thrifted. They also fit my body well -- while most of my misses were made of poly or there was a poor fabric/pattern match so that the fit was off.

So one reflection is definitely that I need to stick with better fabrics, and greatly reduce the amount of poly in my stash. This is both for sustainability purposes and for better wearability too.

And I need to think a little harder about the silhouettes I'm choosing. Maybe it's time to do a Wardrobe Architect kind of project, to narrow down what I most like wearing.

But one more reflection is that I really enjoy bright colours and fun prints. And I'm going to continue using them because they really make me happy!

My highlights show that getting together with other sewists is something I really enjoy, and making is definitely my favourite thing to do. Easy to continue focusing on that for 2020.

And looking at last year's goals...well, I haven't really met them all. I hit my targets for sewing more from stash and blogging more, but not sewing menswear, working through my Craftsy classes, or creating more textile art. I only entered one textile art call this year, not the four I was looking at. But there is always next year :)



Goals

1. Sew from stash

I joined the "50 Yard Dash" sewalong on PatternReview this year, and just having that goal really inspired me to sew up some of those long held pieces of fabric. It didn't stop me from buying more new fabric, sadly... so I am going to be trying to hit that goal of sewing at least 50 metres more than I buy this year. That is really only about 4.5m. a month, so it is doable!

2. Menswear

This is always my goal but I never seem to get around to it! I *will* make something for my husband this year.

3. Craftsy Classes

I bought the whole series by Suzy Furrer on Craftsy before it became Bluprint. I am planning to work my way through them all this year and really up my sewing game.

4. Draft my own pattern -- at least one!

This is tied to my previous goal! If I can do the pattern making classes on Bluprint, I will work along and hopefully come up with something I can create, from design to drafting to wearing.

5. Slow Down

This is counterintuitive -- but I hope to take more time with my projects and consider them from fabric to finishing, and try some new, more complex techniques in 2020. Also to think about the fabric more, right from the beginning, and choose better quality. This is tied to my desire to be more sustainable overall in my life.

That's what my 2019 looked like, and what 2020 is shaping up to be. I hope you feel as excited about what you can accomplish in the next 12 months as I do!

#SewingTop5 Sewing Misses

Into every sewing life some misses must come...and here are my five most disastrous pieces of the year! Well, perhaps not that dramatic, but they are the five pieces that I feel were least successful of anything I've made over 2019.

New Look 6164 skirt

First on my Miss List is this houndstooth skirt. While I love it in theory -- the shape, the print -- in practice I cursed the static every time I wore it, and could not figure out a way to reduce it. Darn polyester! So I think I will pass it on to someone who won't mind so much. If I can find someone like that!

Mandy Boat Tee

I like this pattern but haven't worn this one too much -- I'm pretty sure it's because the sleeve is uncomfortably tight. My goal is to remove the lower sleeve and replace it with a larger one, and then see how I like it! Fortunately I have quite a bit of this fabric leftover. 

Spotted Sorbetto

Although another Sorbetto made it to my tops list, I haven't worn this version at all. I think it's fabric choice here -- it doesn't fit right, and the neckline is a little stretched out too. I have a friend who might like it so I think it will be leaving my closet soon.

New Look 6519

I took a lot of trouble over this muslin, so much that I lost interest in actually making a real version! I had to make a ton of adjustments to this simple pattern, and the prison garb print didn't help to inspire me either. Argh to this one.

McCalls 6510, unblogged

My final Miss was so bad I didn't even blog it. I took a photo as evidence and then I gave the pattern away too. LOL! This style is NOT suited for me. Lesson learned!

#SewingTop5 NonSewing Highlights

Community Art Program

Something at work that is tangentially connected to sewing is the Community Art Project that I started last year. It's been running for a year now, and is so much fun to organize! At my library we feature local artists who want to share their work in an open public setting. I have featured pieces from my local quilt club, as well as paintings, photos and more over this year. I have big plans for 2020, too! I've even been able to share some of my own textile work :)

Sewcialists Wordpress Ad

How exciting was this? I got to attend the filming of a Wordpress ad featuring the Sewcialists, as part of their campaign highlighting how Wordpress can facilitate community online. It was a really fun night catching up with sewing friends and being able to help out :)




Winning a PR Contest

I have entered quite a lot of contests over at PatternReview over the years -- it is usually fun and entertaining to have a 'brief' of sorts to sew to. But this year I actually won a contest! I won the Match Your Shoes contest for this outfit. Prize of more patterns, the best ;)

Stratford Garment Guild

The Stratford Garment Guild is a new thing I started this year, along with four other local sewists. It's been a fantastic group!! We've just started meeting in September but already have a large group of regulars. We feature special speakers, social events, and are planning to start hosting sew-ins and/or classes in 2020. It's just so great to get together with other sewists who love to talk sewing! I'm really enjoying the planning and the social nature of this group so far. We can only grow from here.

#SewingTop5 Sewing Hits

I always enjoy participating in the year-end Top Five roundup that Gillian at Crafting a Rainbow has been hosting for the last few years. This year she's moving it over to the Sewcialists blog so there will hopefully be even more participation! I'm still joining in :)

I believe in starting on a high note -- so here are my Top 5 Sewing Hits. It was really hard to narrow these down this year; I made so many things that I've loved wearing. But I've managed to filter out a few that I think are my most successful, most loved, or most worn things.

McCalls 7834 Purple Polka Dot Shirtdress

I love this one for its print -- typeface and dots! -- and the colour too. Also, it fits so well and is super comfortable to wear. Good pattern, quality fabric and a nice fit make this a real winner for me, one that got worn a lot.

Style Arc Adeline

I finally made an Adeline this year, and used an upcycled linen blend tablecloth in pickle green to do so. I love the silhouette, and the colour is so fabulous. I always feel cheery in this!

Embroidered Sorbetto

This top took some work: I added an embroidery pattern to the front pleat of the Sorbetto pattern, and made it up in a favourite grey linen/cotton blend. It took some time but was worth it. I appreciate this top even more for all the work I put into it.

Burda Swing Top

I loved this top, intended as a test garment but turning out to be a fave! It matches the skirt and I love this outfit!  In fact, I liked it so much, I made it again -- I'm sort of cheating here with two wonderful makes of the same pattern, by including my second floral version as well!)

Terrace Dress

Another Two-For-One, I first made the Terrace in a summer print and won a PR Contest for it, too! I loved the quick process, the thrifted fabric, and the fit. All so great! I liked the pattern so much that I used it again for my Literary Sewing Circle fall project, the Sushi Cat Dress! 

There were many more successes for me this year, but these are a few that have really stood out for me, in terms of fabric, fit and multiple wearings. I hope I can create as many hits in 2020!