Wednesday 31 December 2014

2014 sewing review

I started the year with something for me, and didn't stop there...


And there is one T-shirt, a blouse and a pair of pants that haven't yet been photographed. The hits and misses?

Well the first dress, the one that looks and feels like a camel bred with a settee; definite miss. The Coco? Saved only by the fabric, it's still getting some wear. The Coco top didn't even make this picture collage. The Lisette denim jacket made me realise just how fussy I am about inside finishes. I won't make another jacket without lining it. Live and learn.

The jersey knit dresses have been the standout successes and are in very heavy rotation. The silver sparkly Weekend Getaway has come out for a couple more parties recently and is just the easiest thing to throw on but still look very dressed up. (just realised I still haven't worked out what to do with Grandma's vintage silk)

I remain quite clueless about fitting myself, but since I'm hooked on sewing and wearing knits, I'm mostly getting away with it.

The kids love their knits too....


If P were here to ask what his favourite of the year was, there's no doubt he'd say the Knight Hoodie. Man, he loves that sweater! All of the T-shirts have had heavy wear. He especially liked his Robert Morris Sculpture T, but we never did get around to visiting the art gallery while wearing it.

The duds? Well, sewing so many pairs of navy shorts and pants for school was always going to get boring. As much as he loved the Sandbox pants initially I think he found the drawstrings too fiddly, and since they're a heavy knit, I suspect they may have been falling down a bit.

The insane straw boater project ended up being a touch too small once the Petersham ribbon was added. Worn once, but worth the effort just to prove to myself I could do it.


Much harder to predict is what A will like, or wear, or not tolerate at all. After declaring her favourite colour was purple for most of the year, she surprised me by seeming to be most fond of the brown Hopscotch dress, and the brown Japanese leaf dress. Happy surprise, but a surprise nonetheless.

The things I really like that she simply won't wear are the Apple Picking dress in that sweet  Alannah Hill fabric that J Wo gave me, and the red wool peplum. Oh well, they'll be as good as new when they get passed on to someone else.

And what became of the insane beaded deer project? She declared it "too bobbly" for a long time and then finally decided to wear it one day. I snapped the picture above, and then we headed out for the day. We ended up at a country school fete which had a bouncy castle. No sweat, she's a pretty timid bouncer... Next thing I know she's graduated from the little bouncy castle to the giant inflatable slide next to it and she's going down head first! Needless to say, the larger beads didn't survive, there are bits of frayed beading thread everywhere and the sweater itself is filthy. Still, I had a lot of fun making it, and it was pretty hilarious watching her fly down the slide. Clothes are for wearing, right?

The only kid's clothes I bought this year were some school uniform shirts for P and socks and underwear for both kids. Otherwise I went 12 months without buying anything for either of them.

On to making things just for the fun of it: Here are all the gifts and accessories and Little Things To Sew projects I made this year. - Correction: I didn't make all of them. The kids did some sewing and made the butterflies (with help). The blue one on the card was made entirely by P and was a gift for his prep teacher. Thanks to Heidi for the inspiration and link to tutorial.


Admittedly a few of those gifts were projects from the Little Things To Sew book that I was making because of my challenge to sew the lot, the recipient just happened to be in the right place at the right time. But shhh, don't tell them that.

For Christmas, Flipper got a couple more pair of lycra booties and some little phone cases made out of old PUL nappy bags. It's on my list of things to do to share the cycle shoe cover pattern as I really don't think you'll find another like it on the web anywhere (You've been searching too, right?!)

The other gift that hasn't yet made the blog is the Newcastle Cardigan that I made for Roger. I took some photos of it on the hanger, but missed seeing Roger at Christmas, and I know you'll be hanging out for modelled shots. That's his New Year mission, and perhaps, a condition of receiving the gift! :)

I had a lot of fun with the blog this year. Hosting the Little Things To Sew challenge was so enjoyable, and only a lot of work because I suck at formatting Excel spreadsheets. Being a contributor to the Kid's Clothes Week was a blast and quite an honour. I landed a dream job with Oliver + S contributing to their blog on a regular basis. I think my job description is to do interesting things with their patterns and occasionally something a bit out of left field. I loved the Valentine's gift exchange and I'm hoping Sanae and Ute host it again, and I'm branching out into blogging advertorial and have a new Thread Theory pattern to show you very soon.... (I think you know I'm brutally honest about what I think about a pattern and that there won't be any cash for comment on this blog!)

Thanks to everyone who has visited the blog in 2014. I hope, by documenting what I make, the brilliant bits and the balls-ups, I can amuse or inspire you in the new year.

Have a Happy New Year!

27 comments:

  1. Wow you made a lot! And reading through it was indeed very inspirational.

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    1. Thank you. I thought i'd made less this year... Putting it all together for a collage proved otherwise!

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  2. wow, so much sewing! i'm always impressed that you mix up sewing for you and sewing for your kids, and definitely love how you spin O+S to make awesomeness. cheers to a happy 2015!

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    1. Thanks Kristin. I still think of myself a kid's clothes sewer. probably just to take the pressure off when I do make something for me! happy new year to you too!

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    1. It's surprising when it all gets put together like that. It just feels like a nice way to spend an evening most days!

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  4. That is awesome!!! You have made a ton of things, and mostly great stuff! Very few fails overall! Well done! Thanks for the round-up, I love these! (Now to work on mine ... )

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    1. Thank you! It is a nice time to tour people's blogs and see the snippets of bits you may have missed during the year.

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  5. It's been great reading your blog this year! Too bad you live on the other side of the world; how much fun would it be to cycle around, chatting about sewing?? :)

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    1. Oh wouldn't that be great?! I do quite a bit of thinking while on the bike (it's the only time I'm awake and not working or answering kid questions non stop), and I have to stop myself from turning to whoever's nearby and telling them how I could make that curved hem work if I used a facing....
      Obviously we'd have to stay away from the hills as I can't climb and chat anymore!
      Happy new year!

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  6. That's an incredible amount of sewing, and such varied and beautiful things, too! I'm especially impressed by the things you've sewn for yourself. Very inspirational!

    And I tried to congratulate you a couple of times on the O+S gig, but my comments didn't go thru. I've enjoyed your posts on their blog and I think your contributions add a much-needed bit of spark and humour. Well done!!

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    1. Thanks Marisa. I'm happy to say I'm wearing my me-made clothes all the time (but sad to say that means I'm still too big for my previous wardrobe :( )
      The O+S gig has been a great outcome as it's just the kind of thing I do anyway. All that's changed is that I have a deadline every now and then and I get paid in patterns! Awesome. I'm glad you enjoy the posts.

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  7. That's a lot achieved in one year!

    I'm really glad you commented on my blog, I've enjoyed reading yours.

    Love the straw boater outfit. : )

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    1. Thank you! That's how I find new blogs to read too, by clicking on people's names when they visit. It's such a lovely way to find people.
      If you ever want to make a straw hat I'm here to say it's perfectly doable. Just give yourself more than a three day deadline!

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  8. you had an impressive year, Shelley! I look forward to seeing what you make in 2015! Happy new year!

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    1. Thanks Rachel. I can't see myself stopping anytime too soon!
      Happy New Year to the Stitched Together clan.

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  9. That is an inspiring, practical, and fun year of sewing! I look forward to seeing your 2015 creations, reading your pattern reviews, and seeing how you mix things up with pattern variations!

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    1. Thanks Elizabeth, I really appreciate everyone who stops by to read the blog and say hello. best wishes to you for a happy 2015

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  10. Impressive work! I'm looking forward to another year of amazing creations and honest sewing tips! Keep up the great work. :-)

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    1. thank you Taryn. I need to remind myself to be honest with the fails as well. Perhaps a mid year recap of what's fallen apart, been ruined in the wash (I really suck at laundry!) or just lost behind a drawer somewhere!

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  11. Very impressive portfolio for 2014! I'm a little broken up about the reindeer sweater. I might have been tempted to frame it rather than wear it! The straw hat is another one of my favorites.

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    1. Thanks, I'm a bit sad about the Deer too, not because it's ruined (it isn't) but because I know I'll want to get around to repairing it, and mending is soooo boring! When A was still refusing to wear it I spoke to the woman from the beading shop and she suggested I hang it in the shop with it's show ribbon attached. Perhaps I should have!
      The boater hat may have been one of the most satisfying clueless projects ever. Best kind really.

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  12. What a productive year of sewing you had!! You must have a huge sense of accomplishment. I'm super impressed with all the sewing you did for yourself. The beaded deer, knight hoodie, & Venice boy are some of my favorites. And I REALLY need to make some of those fabric butterflies!

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    1. Thanks Rachel, it's funny I didn't think I'd made that much until I put the pictures together. There were much fewer "pretty dresses" than previous years and they're the things you remember best. Thank you for facilitating the Oliver + S gig. That's been a real highlight for me!

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  13. You have had the most amazing year. I have loved seeing all your projects.
    Thank you for doing the LTTS Challenge, without it I probably wouldn't have made the Explorer Vest and the girls love wearing it.

    Keep up the sewing!!

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  14. Damn, you're prolific!! I'm especially inspired by all your grown up sewing...so much great stuff. I can't wait to see what you've got up your sleeve for 2015!

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  15. Congrats on a great year of accomplishments!

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