Saturday, February 6, 2016

Musings on 2015 and Onward with 2016!


2015, what a sewing year!  I feel a good deal more confident in my skills and am excited to continue on my sewing journey.  In total I made 21 garments with lots of pattern repeats, late night sewing sessions, and quality time with the seam ripper!



Without intending to, I sewed disproportionately from Indie pattern companies. And spent the most effort sewing for special events (6 weddings + 1 bar mitzvah).



I was most pleased with the fit and flare knit dress for an engagement party (blogged here).  Bonus: It was a quick and pain-free sew!

Fit and Flare

Ironically, I was  the most disappointed with my Anna dress (blogged here).  I put so much effort into it and still don't think the dress fits all that well or that the design is very flattering on me. Furthermore I really regret buying cheap lace and silk for the project.

Anna Dress

Did the 2015 RTW Fast save me $$ that I would have otherwise spent on clothes? Nope.  After adjusting for my lessons with Sharon and Camp Workroom Social, I still spent about the same on fabric/supplies as I did on RTW clothes in 2014.   I wasn't surprised by these results, as my RTW Fast was more Goodbye Ann Taylor Loft than Goodbye Valentino. Although I abstained from RTW, I did experience an uptick in shoe spending... Got to get that retail therapy in somehow!

It doesn't look like special occasion sewing will be slowing down in 2016.  But I am aiming to stop underestimating the amount of time it takes to complete special occasion garments.  To build up my casual wardrobe, I plan to buy a serger in the spring.

My husband and I are headed to Vietnam for a much anticipated vacation on Friday (!!!)  I plan to bring several pieces of stash fabric with me to take to a well-reputed Hanoi tailor.  I am hoping that these garments will fill in some of my wardrobe holes and I can avoid stressful 2am sewing sessions this year.

2016 Sewing Queue of My Dreams
I realize that this is a VERY ambitious list.  Ultimately, I will be pleased if I can accomplish 1/2.
Onwards with 2016!