It's always good to think about the positive things you have achieved to keep you motivated, and sewing is no different. It can be easy to forget about the progress you've made - remember when you had to read the instructions for how to understitch facings every single time you did it for the first year and a half of your sewing career? (yes - personal experience here).
Image from here
Here's what I think my best achievements are this year:
Bronze: Getting a better idea of how to fit patterns to suit me - a significant achievement but still requiring some work!
Silver: Learning to make pretty realistic sewing plans and sticking to them. Planning certainly isn't everything, but I've found how to make it work for me. Read my sewing planning tips here.
Gold: Finding patterns I love so much that I want to make them again and again. Witness Simplicity 4903 here and here and my one seam skirt here and here. This comes through getting to know my own style better and learning what I will actually wear - each item has been worn at least once, if not multiple times.
So what about you - what achievements are you proud of this year? Do share!
K x
Love this idea!
ReplyDeleteHands down making a tiered top for my granddaughter. I get nervous when I sew for someone else as it is, but I have never sewn a gathering stitch all around tiers and tiers of tiny clothes. The top came out really cute, but it is not a pattern I would sew with again.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds really tricky, well done for making it work. I agree, it always seems more stressful sewing for someone else!
DeleteThat's so funny about understitching facings, I couldn't sew them without instructions for ages too and still think of sewing them without as one of my major achievements! Or inserting invisible zips....If my coat making runs smoothly then that will be my biggy for this year, and if I get my head round bound buttonholes then that will definitely be my gold medal! x
ReplyDeleteI know - what is it about understitching that seems so baffling?! Good luck with the bound buttonholes, they will look fantastic on your coat.
ReplyDeleteMy gold medal: Mastering Sewaholic Cambie - lining, trimmings, invisible zipper.
ReplyDeletehttp://sewbusylizzy.wordpress.com/2012/07/26/sewaholic-cambie-pox-and-some-selfless-sewing/
Silver Medal: Making pants. Fly front, welt pockets
http://sewbusylizzy.wordpress.com/2012/08/06/not-enough-junk-in-my-trunk-sewaholic-thurlows/
Bronze: Altering a girls dress pattern for my daughter. Attaching a waist band, adding a full skirt and underlining the entire shell fabric
http://sewbusylizzy.wordpress.com/2012/07/30/the-cherub/
Highly commended: Colette Hazel. Altering the pattern by cutting the skirt in two panels on the bias to achieve a chervon effect.
http://sewbusylizzy.wordpress.com/2012/06/19/hazels-naughty-little-sister/
Well done to you! Your Hazel is a masterpiece of pattern matching.
DeleteI have also recently been thinking about how amazing it is that it's already August - it really is! And I do like this reflection you've prompted...
ReplyDeleteI would say that my gold is definitely the dress I made for my brother's wedding - lots of pattern changes, underlining, boning, ruching, hand beading, chiffon, 6 layered bodice - killed me, but I love it! (http://zosews.com/2012/03/04/my-floral-franken-dress/)
A silver would be starting my blog - not a sewing skill as such, but definitely sewing related and such good fun.
And Bronze goes to actually thinking about patterns and how they'll work on MY body. As opposed to, 'oh wow that looks amazing on the model/in an illustration so I'll make it and now it doesn't suit me and I hate it.'
That dress is a total knockout, Zoe!
DeleteThis is such a great idea! I know recently it seems like every new project is my best, but I love the idea of going back and rating. I really think my latest 50s dress is the best thing I've made so far, but a yellow jersey dress I drafted is close. It gets silver though because there's still a few fitting issues through the waist. Bronze is a toss up that I'll have to think about...
ReplyDeleteHmm, medals is a good idea! I'm often too hard on myself and won't give myself credit for my efforts...
ReplyDeleteBronze- starting a blog and connecting with other sewists :)
Silver- working with chiffon for the first time!
Gold- gotta be being persistent with muslins. Still got a lot to learn about fitting though!