Hibernation 2014: Wherein I Angst

Say, did you know that this isn’t technically speaking a sewing blog?

It isn’t even, technically speaking, a crafting or making blog.

Technically speaking, it’s a green blog. If you’ve read back through the old entries, you know this. If you haven’t, why would you? I just spoiled the ending.

Technically speaking, the whole sewing/making thing was a one-year blog experiment to see if it helped me cope with last year.

And now 2014 is ending and I need to decide what to do with it. (The blog, not the year. The year has its own ideas and is carrying them out without my input. Inconsiderate, really.)

I like blogging about sewing, even if I could pack all of my readers into a moderately-sized bathroom. I plan to keep doing it. At the very least, though, I need to change my category handle.

I suppose angsting is a strong word for what this post actually contains so far. Let me add some extra hand-wringing:

2014 is almost over and my sewing blog category has been all about 2014 and I don’t know what to dooooooooooooo!

There.

~~~~~

What I made this year:

• Four pairs of pants
• Seven dresses
• Three pairs of pajamas
• Seven t-shirts
• One sweater
• One leather purse
• One cross-stitch project
• Two pairs of shorts
• Two jackets
• Two button-down shirts
• Three skirts
• One pair of blue jeans

What actually gets used:

• The pants, especially the Jasmine pants, one of which I am wearing as I type this.
• The pajamas, which Frances wears all the time, including all non-scheduled downtime at home.
• Most of the t-shirts. Frances wasn’t too keen on the first t-shirt I made her but later iterations fit better, and she wears them all the time. And my first Renfrew wasn’t a raging success, but I wear my pleated Butterick tees and the Emily top all the time.
• The purse. Every day, until it got cold and I switched to the winter bag.
• The fancy shorts.
• The button down tops.
• The second Moneta dress, when it’s hot.
• The jeans are new, but I suspect I’ll be getting a lot of wear out of them.

What I have learned:

• More pants/shorts, fewer dresses/skirts.
• Always add 1.5″ to the rise on a new pants/skirt pattern
• Always take at least 1.5″ out of the sleeve length on a new shirt pattern
• Always raise the waist on a bodice at least 1.5″ on a new pattern.
• Conclusion: In terms of pattern sizing I am essentially I am a short woman with long legs.
• Don’t cut out the collar pieces until after you’ve adjusted the shoulders and neckline on a new pattern, because it’ll probably be wrong.
• Pullover tops made of woven fabric do not work for me, bias-cut or not.
• Significant shirt alterations are easier with princess seams than with darts.

What I want to learn next:

• A really good blazer pattern, and proper tailoring with sew-in hair-canvas and pad stitching and the whole shebang.
• Can I make Frances a blouse that she will wear on purpose?
• Sewing very curved seams on leather, without puckering or stretching
• A really good non-stretchy work pants pattern that goes up to my waist and down to my feet that is warm, comfortable, and would work well in a suit combo
• Some basic pattern drafting. I have it on good authority that Santa is bringing me Pattern Magic for Christmas (mostly because in my house, I am Santa. Ha!). (And here we are celebrating Christmas tomorrow, since Frances was at her dad’s for the holiday this year.)