Thank god it's finally 2010!!
1 January 2010, 08:10The worst year of my life is finally over, hurrah! Celebrate!! Woo! I always try to live each year so that it’s better than the one before, and I don’t think I’ll have to spend much energy to make 2010 a success by that yardstick! Still, my cathartic sewing output hasn’t been too bad, especially considering I spent a full 8 weeks/2 months in a hospital bed!
(Click the composite photo to zoom in, and have a look in the Gallery to read more about any of them. Except the last few, which you’ll see in greater detail next week.)
Here’s 2007’s and 2008’s roundups, for comparison.
Let’s find some highlights in what was an otherwise incredibly sh*tty, sh*tty year….
- Expanding my sewing machine herd from two to four with the addition of my tiny red portable machine and the coverstitch machine
- Making my first ever coat and following it up with a second tailored coat and an ultra-luxe faux fur coat
- Made my first ever bra and underwear!
- Sewing a lot more for other people, like the two dresses for my mom and stuff for the moorings kids
- Finding out exactly how generous all of you are when I needed boredom busting(!!)
- Learned to make bound buttonholes and finally perfect welt pockets
- Controlled my fabric buying urges and really aimed for quality rather than quantity this year, and as a result I sewed way more natural fabrics that synthetics
- Turned 30 and became a British citizen
- Discovered Ditto Fabrics and the joys of ex-designer fabrics
- Learned to slow down and not hate hand sewing quite so much thanks to relearning hand embroidery
- Sewed more from KnipMode magazine than Burda WOF (only by one pattern by my count though!), and sewed way more from foreign language sources than from ones with instructions I could understand!
- Sewed more in a group, taking part in the Great Coat Sew Along as well as four Pattern Review contests
I don’t keep track of yardage used vs bought like some sewers, but I thought I’d try my hand at a year-end tally of finished garments. By my count, I believe I made for myself:
- 20 tops
- 10 dresses
- 6 pairs of trousers
- 4 jackets/coats
- 4 skirts
- …and a lot of other things like handbags, kids clothes, menswear, home furnishings, gloves, hats, baby gifts galore, etc, etc
I think my favourites of this year are:
My Faux-Fur coat – I fel like a gangster’s moll whenever I wear this!
My Patrones duffle coat – It goes perfectly with my yellow handbag and gloves and the colour works beautifully in Spring and Fall.
My KnipMode boyfriend jeans – My favourite pair of jeans ever!
My Silk tartan overblouse – What happens when fabric and pattern find a perfect, perfect marriage!
And lucky for you, 2010 is going to start off right, with some pretty photos of James’s new sweatshirt, my fleece jacket and a silk blouse (as soon as the weather clears up long enough to take photos!).
tags: reflectionsComments:
Winter 09 KnipMode Roundup Marni silk blouse - muslin cold feet
It’s great to see what you have sewn this year. I still lust after that faux fur coat and wish it were mine! All the best for 2010!
— Sue Jan 1, 10:34 AM #
so great to see what you’ve made – I’ve been reading all along, but the round-up really brings home how much you do sew throughout the year! Here’s to 2010 being way better than 2009 :)
— Ruth Jan 1, 11:14 AM #
Happy new year Melissa! One of my sewing related highlights of 2009 was definitely fabric shopping with you in London. Hope you get a much better 2010!
— Johanna Lu Jan 1, 11:44 AM #
What an excellent look back! I hope 2010 brings you health and happiness every day!
— Shannon Jan 1, 12:59 PM #
Wow! is all I can say. You rock, girl!!
— Mom Jan 1, 06:47 PM #
Happy New Year, and wishes for perfect health and happiness every day of the year!
— Digsd Jan 2, 12:25 PM #
Happy new year Melissa. I found your blog earlier this year and have been silently following ever since. I’m quite new to sewing and find your sewing updates truly inspirational so keep it up.
Here’s to a happy and healthy 2010.
— Rachel Jan 3, 05:20 PM #
Awesome! I like the fur coat too.
— Karen M Jan 3, 07:35 PM #
belated Happy New Year! Hope 2010 is healthy and even more productive for you!
— racheljm Jan 3, 07:39 PM #
Happy new year!
You have really been very productive. My favourite of your favourites is the tartan blouse. A good mariage of fabric and pattern indeed!
— Teddie Jan 3, 09:16 PM #
Amazing, amazing, amazing. I wish you a happy and healthy 2010 and much more wonderful sewing!
— Selfish Seamstress Jan 5, 05:17 PM #
Happy new year!!
Yes, there was a really shitty part to last year, but you know if one only reads the sewing parts it still sounds really great and inspiring :-). And at least you finished the year sewing which, considering, is quite good in and of itself.
Adore your new running stuff. That green was missing in your headgear array too :-). And at least it’ll keep you from getting hit by a car in the UK blizzards – sigh.
— Marie-Christine Jan 6, 11:45 AM #
Good for you for having such am amazingly positive outlook. Wishing you a happy and healthy 2010.
— allisonC Jan 7, 12:57 AM #
Firstly wishing you every happiness for the New Year.
Secondly, thank you, thank you for the link to Ditto fabrics. I’ve bought from them before when I lived in the South, now I live in Lancashire I don’t have a great selection of fabric shops and had forgotten the name of the shop. You’ve saved me!
— Evie Jan 9, 06:13 PM #