Jumping on the 2012 review bandwagon....

Yes I know I'm a little bit late to the party, but I've really enjoyed reading all the 2012 review posts and I couldn't resist sneaking in with one of my own!

Looking back over my blog posts from the last year I was surprised to discover how many things I made in 2012. In April I started a new job which involves a moderately long commute and cuts down my sewing time considerably. I expected this to have a drastic effect on my stitching, and while it has meant that I have perhaps cut down the number of "big" projects I have completed, I seem to have balanced this out with a fair number of smaller projects. Below I have listed everything I have made this year split in to sewing and knitting:

Sewing

2 Pendrell blouses (here and here)
1 Truffle dress
1 New Look dress
3 Renfrews (only one blogged here)
1 Minoru jacket
1 pyjama bottoms

Sewaholic Minoru jacket - probably my most worn make this year

  
iPad case
4 knitting needle rolls
Childs apron
Tote bag

Knitting

1 snood
2 jumpers (1 currently unblogged)
2 bunnies
Owl cushion
3 meerkats



Knitted meerkats for my friends wedding

In terms of clothing, the vast majority of my makes were from Sewaholic Patterns. I have mentioned my love for Tasia's designs many times on this blog. It is great to have found a series of patterns that I know fit me well with minimal alterations!

At the start of 2012 i set myself a number of goals for the year. So how did I do?

1. Sew more basics
This one I stuck to - sort of. I made a couple of Pendrell blouses and Renfrews which are routinely worn. However I could do with sewing even more basics, in particular for the bottom half!

2. Stashbust
Erm....yeah. Both my yarn and fabric stashes are bigger now than they were at the start of last year. Opps. What can I say, I just cannot resist beautiful things (or a good deal!)

3. Interact more with the blogging community
This one I definitely stuck to! I took part in 2 meet ups, one of which I co-organised, as well as two other sewing gatherings, including one where the fabulous Dibs taught us some milinary skills. I hope to attend more meet-ups this year - there is nothing better than a day of fabric shopping and nattering about stitching with people who understand! I am so grateful for the wonderful people I met last year and cannot wait to do it all again. Who knows, maybe a summer Birmingham meet-up is in order?

Birmingham bloggers meet-up

4. Be more patient
Sort of. My Minoru jacket was a slow burner and I did enjoy the leisurely process. However, I still do tend to set myself stupidly tight deadlines (I may have been finishing up the meerkats in a hotel room on the morning of my friends wedding, for example!) which is something I need to work on. Sewing should not be stressful!

5. Take part in a craft fair
This one did not happen unfortunately, due to starting my new job I just did not have time. However, 2013 is another year!

So I did so-so with my last years goals. But this will not deter me from making new aims for 2013 - no no it will not. However, I will restrict myself to 3:

1. Make more time for stitching
If i don't have time to do the things I want to do, I get grumpy. However, most of the time it is my fault. Instead of waiting until I have hours to spare, I would like to make the most of the time available. 15 minutes here, 30 minutes there - it will soon add up!

2. Take better photos for my blog
Often I am lazy and snap a few shots on my iPhone rather than taking out my camera and doing things properly. This shows on my blog, and I feel guilty about not giving my makes the great presentation they deserve. There are many blogs I admire which have fantastic photography, and I think this really makes a difference. So this year I would like to stop being lazy and make an effort to do my handiwork justice!

3. Make progress on a hand-stitched work wardrobe
When I started my new job I purchased a small number of grown-up work clothes with the aim to add to this number with me-made garments. This never quite happened, aside from a few tops. This year I would like to work on more everyday garments that can become staples of my work wardrobe, in particular dresses which I love but lack!

What are your goals for the year? Does anyone else out there share any of my three? In particular, I am interested in anyone who plans to make more time for stitching this year - it would be great to share tips and follow how everyone gets on as the year progresses!

Happy New Year everyone - I hope 2013 is happy and healthy for you and your loved ones :)

K xx