Now it’s time for some naval-gazing to review my year with reflections, inspirations and goals
Reflections
- My second year of sewing didn’t go too badly. I started blogging; kickstarted by participating in Me Made May. I worked on key skills like neatness and calm efficiency; mostly helped by my buying a serger which has made a massive difference to the quality of my garments. And I practiced fun techniques such as french seams, invisible and exposed zips, sewing in sleeves flat and drafting my own Peter Pan collars.
- I’ve been quite naughty with my fabric and pattern stash but comparative to other sewers I think I’m doing okay on that front. It’s still fairly contained and tidy but has definitely grown exponentially!
Inspirations
I discovered pinterest this year. I have pinned so much since I joined. Its awesome fun! I also recently started to get full on addicted to Modcloth which fuelled further pinning.
I have also been really inspired reading about Edith Head’s career and I love Project Runway for its endless creativity and humour.
I’m so so impressed that my friend Charlotte is starting up her own business as a professional seamstress after years of teaching. She is going to do brilliantly.
Finally and most obviously I have been most thankful for the wonderful blogs I read with so many talented sewers and pattern makers out there to draw inspiration from.
Goals
Right, 2013 is the year I get serious.
- Tailored jacket course. I have been gifted a 2 day Chanel style jacket making course which will hopefully produce a sophisticated jacket and teach me tailoring skills.
- Blouses. Collars, buttonholes, cuffs… I’m gonna conquer them all!
- Jersey. I want to make lovely jersey items as they are so comfy and flattering. Feedback indicates tension issues may be the reason for my jersey fails this year. Surely this is achievable in 2013?!
- Sew with more cotton. Sounds simple enough right? So why do I keep gravitating to chiffon, crepe and polyester?? Cotton may be my new best friend in the new year.
- Stop rushing. I need to stop imposing stupid short deadlines on myself and take longer so I make fewer mistakes. I have been good at trying this throughout the year but feel I can get better at calm efficiency with more practice.
Almond Rock 
I am so with you on the last point – stop rushing!! I am always so impatient to get things done within stupidly short self-imposed deadlines that my makes suffer. I need to chill out and enjoy the process!
Great resolutions! I’m a new sewer, so I look forward to your posts/projects throughout the coming year. But I’ll second (or I guess third since the above comment also mentions it!) no rushing! I’m a stickler for details, so I think it will be very necessary for me to take my time!
You’ve had a great and entertaining year! I will join you on the ‘stop rushing’ train- it would help me too!
Another passenger for the no Stoopid self imposed deadlines here too!
Hear hear on the no rushing! Self imposed deadlines make for less enjoyable sewing! Can’t wait to see your 2013 makes, especially the jacket!
You have some great targets there. I would like to build up my TNT’s instead of reaching for wacky patterns that invariably do not turn out well, and I’d also like to master men’s shirts! Now I have a really good reason for that – if I have to buy fabric for hubby’s shirts, I can slip in some lengths of fabric for me too!!
I look forward to seeing your progression next year!
Stop rushing is definitely one I can relate to! Just had a quick look through some of your other posts and your tops and dresses are lovely.