Kicking off 2019

Happy New Year! 

This space was totally neglected in 2018 but I still love blogs and think they bring something different so I'll do what I can to reinvigorate it in 2019.

Like last year I've loved seeing all the #2019makenine lists popping up on Instagram, but this year I'm not going to participate.  I want to try something a little different - if I can make it work you'll see it here on Feb 1.  I may not have a list of projects but I do have three simple goals:
 

I have a large sewing room with very generous storage space and my cupboards are overflowing with beautiful fabric.  It's a great problem to have but I want to use the fabric while I still love it.  Ditto for my pattern collection. 

I tend to have a very practical approach to sewing and generally focus on making items I need.  This year I want to add a little bit more fun to my wardrobe and sew some frosting. Can't wait to make a start towards this goal!

So how did I do with my #2018makenine list?  Not very well.  I made 2 of my 9 planned garments, the Lodo dress and Archer shirt.  The Lodo dress ended up as a cropped top due to a sizing error but I do love it.  Neither item got blogged, but there is a picture of my lodo top on instagram.   I sewed my Archer in September and just had to add buttons.  I finally sewed those on yesterday so hopefully I'll get that up here soon.

I actually still love all of the items I picked last year so maybe they'll get made up in 2019.

I love being a very small part of this amazing community of makers and I'm excited to see what the new year will bring.  Do you have any sewing/creating goals or resolutions for 2019?

Fasting and goals

Happy New Year to you all.

This year I am joining in Goodbye Valentino's RTW fast.

In 2014 I won't be purchasing any RTW clothing.  I've been debating whether or not to sign up since I first saw the invitation and I've decided that sometimes you just need to jump and work out the details later!  I kept trying to work out why I wanted to do it and the answer came to me when I was getting dressed for work.  I couldn't find anything to wear (yes, yes I know, we all say that as we stand in front of a full wardrobe).  In all honesty I have kept so many clothes that I don't wear because they don't fit me/aren't my style that it's a real struggle when I get dressed.  I end up donating a lot of what I buy.  I need more clothes that fit me.  So today I'm sorting through everything that doesn't fit or feel good, donating it and then writing a big sewing list!!

My sewing goals for 2014 are pretty simple.  

1. Be realistic.  I work a full time job and have three kids who each play a whole lot of sport.  I don't have many spare hours to sew.  I shouldn't expect the same type of output as someone who sews for a living!! (Comparison is the thief of joy, right?!)
2. Use the lingerie kits.  I now have five beautiful lingerie kits, another two on the way and several patterns in my stash and I haven't sewn one bra.  I will remedy that this year.
3. Sew BWOF #105 9/2008.  It has been on my 'to sew' list since it came out.  I have the fabric and the buttons, and I even started it in 2012 but stopped when I realised it was way too big.  Time to get it done.
4. Make a versatile, really warm winter coat.  With all the kids sport there is going to be plenty of weekends and nights spent outdoors and I'm not going to shiver because I don't have a warm coat.  I have the fabric, I have the pattern. 
5. Get off the couch and into the sewing room.  There are too many times when I flop on the couch at the end of a long day and blog surf.  Then I complain to Wade that I have no time to sew.  I need to use my time better.

That's it.  Short and simple but I'm sure it won't be easy, especially number 5.  Do you make resolutions/goals?  If you do, how do you keep on track?

Happy New Year and a new dress

Happy New Year!  I hope 2012 treats you well.  We saw the new year in with our neighbours watching all the fireworks in the area.  They really were quite beautiful.  Instead of a wrap up of 2011 I decided to start the year off with a new dress.

This is the Jamie Christina Mission Maxi.  I bought this fabric with view C in mind (it has a godet in the back), but there wasn't enough so I made view A instead.  This is a great pattern, it has a lovely shape and sews up so quickly. I made a size 14 and the only change I made was to lengthen it by 5 inches and leave it unhemmed.  I still want to make view C so you'll probably see this pattern again before Summer ends.  Which brings me to some goals for 2012...

This year I'd like to use more new (to me) patterns (except for this one, I'm making an exception for it!).  If I like something I tend to make it over and over again.  I think it's time I challenged myself a little more and that includes trying to make things I've never attempted before like bathers and underwear.

So I'm wishing you all good sewing mojo for 2012 and I'm looking forward to continuing to share my sewing journey with you.

A new woman

Do you like my new do?  Maybe I don't want to know the answer to that!  My 30th is coming up and it felt like time for a change so I thought chopping off all my hair was a good idea.

On the sewing front I feel a bit overwhelmed.  I have so many ideas running around in my head but no energy to get anything done.  Does that ever happen to anyone else?

I've got a pair of pants on the go - the fly is in so the rest of the pants should come together really quickly, two dresses and a jacket cut out and a pile of fabrics and patterns all ready to go.  Now all I need is an extra couple of hours in the day. 

I did manage to finish and post my contribution to Quilts for Queensland - it's not perfect but I really like the way it turned out and hope the eventual recipient does too.

I was posting to get rid of all the pictures of me and instead I've just added more :)

Happy New Year!

Welcome 2011 - have I got big plans for you!

Lots of lovely ladies have been listing their goals for 2011 so I thought I'd put a few out there as well.

1.  I'm going to make 2011 a fun year.  Somewhere along the line 2010 became all about hard work and we forgot to just relax and enjoy ourselves.  We're off to a good start on this one.  We spent yesterday (I know it was still 2010 but I'm claiming it anyway) swimming at the beach, relaxing at the cinema and seeing in the new year with a casual BBQ with good friends.  It was absolutely fantastic.

2.  Sew more regularly - I love to sew but found it very difficult to do regularly when I had to set everything up on the dinner table and then put it all away when it was time to eat.  I spent more time setting up and packing away than I did sewing, so with my new room hopefully that will all change. 

3. Choose my fabrics more carefully.  Sometimes I can get carried away with bargain fabrics and forget that they're not something that I would actually wear or use.  Need to focus only on things I love and will really use.

4. Don't make orphans.  If I make something it needs to go with something else, that's as important when I'm sewing for others as it is when I'm sewing for myself.

5.  Pay as much extra off the mortgage as possible.  We're in a brand new house with (for us) a really big mortgage so I want to pay it off as soon as possible and making extra repayments in the early stages makes such a big difference over the life of the loan.

6.  Look after myself.  I turn the big 3-0 this year and celebrate 10 years of marriage so I want to be in great shape. 

Pretty simple goals really.  Wishing you a fantastic 2011.  Cheers!