Hits and misses of 2013

I am finally getting around joining in reflecting on my Top 5 of 2013. A little late but our annual beach holiday began earlier than normal and went for longer and I ran out of time to post before we left. 2013 was a challenging year for me sewing wise. Returning to work full-time after only working part-time since having kids was sure to cut in on my sewing time. I did manage to sew 51 garments, only 10 less than 2012.Surprisingly, I did sew more garments for me (and way less for the kids!). Here is a breakdown of garments:Sewing for kids - 13Dresses - 9Skirts -2Pants and shorts - 5Tops, tees and jumpers - 8PJs - 4Undies -10



HITS




1. BLACK SHEATH DRESS - I finally had an occasion to wear this. It fits perfectly. 2. BLACK WHITE AND YELLOW DRESS - I received so many compliments when I wore this to the awards ceremony at work, it was wonderful.



3. PONTE DRESS - While not the best quality in fabric, this was my first taste at ponte and I was impressed. 4. GREEN KNIT DRESS - love the colour and a step out of my comfort zone style wise.

5. BLUE KNIT SKORTS for my daughter -it feels good to draft a pattern again.



MISSES



Oops, there are a number of projects I never got around to blogging about, and some of them belong here!1. GREY LINEN SHORTS - Really fabulous apart from the waistband stretching out during the day.2. PURPLE PRINTED TEE - this worked out okay, but after a year of not that much use, the fabric is becoming limp.3. BLUE AND WHITE PJ TOP - this is a little too big, the straps fall down constantly and it reveals way too much. It would be relegated to sleepwear if it wasn't already a PJ top. I have realised how much I like knit PJs now.4. GRAINLINE TINY POCKET TANK - I really like the look of this but it just isn't right for me. The dart was way too low and even after raising it for a second go, the bust area just sits funny on me. Kind of pointy-outy. Besides, it is very low cut and I felt exposed when I trialled it at work. I prefer my Sorbetto pattern for my body. I where this tanks to bed now.5. GREY WOOL PANTS - another photo-less garment. The pattern I used was quite loose. I had to take the side seams in a heap and then the pockets were no longer functional. I wore them once and then gained some weight and they were too tight. Blah. One of my on going goals each year is to use more fabric than I acquire. This year I bought 68.45m, with 68.25m sewn. After cleaning my sewing room, I donated a further 8m of fabric, not including remnants. I sewed 13.5m of fabric from stash, and added back 13.7m. This equates to using approximately 80% of fabric bought being sewn. Last year I converted 47% to completed garments, so maybe I was considering my purchases more carefully in 2013. In 2014 I will be challenging myself to be more organised with my sewing. I made way too many trips to the fabric store to pick up zippers, thread etc mid way through a project. Not only is it a time waste, it gives me an opportunity to procrastinate (of which I am fabulous at) and also tempts me to buy more fabric while at the store. I also find that I can over analyse exactly what pattern I want to use with what fabric. This makes me overwhelmed and again wastes time. While I don't want to end up with lots of duds, I generally go with my first idea anyway, so this year I want to just get on and sew rather than over think the planning process.
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