Happy New Year everyone!!
Have you made any resolutions? I don’t tend to make them… I’ve never kept one. A year is a long time!
But what I have decided to do is jump on the bandwagon and make some little promises to myself to either improve my sewing or broaden my skillset.
I feel that I have improved a lot since April when I started sewing regularly. I’ve started dressmaking, for one! I’ve made bias binding; I’ve sewn with a few tricky fabrics; I’ve made gifts I’ve been happy to give. [I’ll share some of these soon!] But I still have some way to go until I consider myself a fully fledged seamstress!!
So here are the things I propose to accomplish this year:
Sew something every week. Finish a project and start another. Just keep sewing all year!
Use A LOT of the fabric from my stash before buying new. This means I need to make some small things because I have a lot of fabric about the size of fat quarters but not a lot that’s bigger than 1m. I don’t have a big stash compared to a lot of other bloggers, but I also don’t have a big house!!
Make a quilt. That’ll use some small bits up 🙂
Refashion a few items I have hanging around – a (stretchy!) maxi skirt, a sweatshirt, some t-shirts.
Make my daughter a costume for World Book Day instead of sticking her in a ready-made one (unless her favourite book is genuinely one of which she already owns a costume for!) [Never have I done this!]
Sew with knits. Make a Coco dress and/or top like everyone else in the sewing world!
Try some embroidery. The little bundle of embroidery skeins that came in my Sewing Santa gift really was the little push I needed to try embroidery. I have embroidered in the past – years ago – but I have never actually embroidered a whole picture. I have done some little cross stitches in the past, actually… you can make really sweet motif etc., can’t you. And I will this year!
And a bit of studying when my hands need a rest: learn more about different fabric types. I learnt everything in school but remember very little of the jargon now. I do find it hard to buy the right fabric for dressmaking.
I think that’ll do! Oh, one more – finish a project before starting another one!! Ha, I will try!
So will you make some sewing resolutions? I wonder if I could pinch any more ideas…
Beth x
After Dark Sewing 
I like the making a costume for World Book Day goal! I need to add that to me list too!
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And I did that yaaay 🙂 I’m going to do a 6 month check at the end of June (if I remember!), I need to look back on what still needs attention…
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Looking forward to that post. I need to do one as well…..
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I love making goals! I think of it as a chance to examine my life and make sure I’m getting the most out of my days. My sewing goals for this year are mainly to sew a lot 🙂 and whittle down the fabric stash.
You’ll love sewing with knits once you get the trick of it. Knits are more forgiving than wovens.
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Definitely agree. Everyone wants to whittle down their fabric stash!! Good luck with that!!
Ahhh I can’t wait to sew with knits! Knowing me I’ll probably just get the hang of it at the beginning of summer though!!
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I’ve just re-read your resolutions, and pretty much without exception they could (and probably should) all apply to me as things I should be doing! Although I would have to make my own WBD costume to wear to school – a scary thought! All great ideas, and I look forward to hearing how you get on 🙂
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Ooh hopefully we’ll both achieve a lot this year. Good luck making an adult world book day outfit, I would love to see what you come up with if you do!
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I definitely agree with the fabric stash thing – I can’t help but add to my fabric collection, even though I have more than enough already! I’d also love to sew more often – not sure I could manage to sew something every week though!
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Sorry, I totally missed your comment! It’s so hard not to buy more fabric! Oh dear I guess I can sew often because I don’t get out much, haha!!
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Good luck with your goals! I probably ought to use more of my stash but it’s never quite what I need… 🙂 Patchwork, quilting and embroidery will soon become addictive!
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Haha … I hope so 🙂
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Whilst stash busting is a necessary task, I do so love to see a growing pile of pretty fabric waiting for the perfect project! Look forward to seeing you tick some goals off your list – there’s nothing quite like public declaration to motivate you!!
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That’s so true! Haha yes it is the best motivation! Thanks 🙂
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Just scrolling through your comments and saw my name, made me smile 🙂 I actually find knits almost easier now, and certainly a lot quicker. The Coco’s certainly a good starting place, but I’d also put a Mabel on your list too! Happy New Year and good luck with your stash busting…
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Hehe you have made a fair amount of clothes with knits and always pull them off! OK I hope to make a Mabel in 2015 too 🙂 Thanks!!
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You make me think that I should quantify what the goal of “sew more” looks like.
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Haha yes that is a bit ambiguous…
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Good luck with your goals! I’m hoping to use up my stash too this year, and to sew more. I hope it goes well for both of us!
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Thanks 🙂 Doesn’t every sewer want to use up their stash… and every sewer struggles to actually do it! Well, we will see… good luck to you, too! 🙂
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Excellent goals! We shall have to stay strong in our stash busting pledges: I’ll look forward to seeing how you use up your little bits and pieces. And defo try knits: they aren’t scary again and they will change your life! SO COMFY!
Have a fabulous 2015 x
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I really want to see how knits will change my life and the comfy factor is certainly motivating me 🙂 Hmm, I will actually need to buy some knits to achieve that goal, therefore I will have to ignore the stash-busting goal… whoopsie… I will still try my best to use a lot of the little bits up! Thank you – and you 🙂 x
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I think you can just have a woven stash busting goal: a girl’s gotta have knits!
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Yes! That’s exactly what my goal is going to be 🙂
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Good luck with the last goal – I’ve failed miserably on that front. It’s inspiring to know you only started sewing regularly in April and have produced so much!
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Thanks, I have made so much! I hope 2015 is just as productive – if not more 🙂 I’m not sure I will make that last goal at all!!
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These are great goals! Many of what I had thought of too…..though knits still scare me A LOT!! :-0
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Me too but sometimes you’ve just got to go for it!! Theresa (navybluethreads) has made some beautiful clothes with knits so she’s really inspired me! It is doable!!
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