Looking back at 2022 and Sewing Goals for 2023
2022 was not a bad year at all, I got to grow the channel and I also got to do some great collaborations with Style Maker Fabrics, I got to do a lot of pattern testing for Chalk and Notch along with Jennifer Lauren Handmade which released some great patterns such as the Evelyn Skirt, Max Tee and Summer Tote by C&N and JLH released the Kinfolk dress. I love their blocks they fit me quite well, so it’s always a plus to do pattern testing for them.
Of course, you may have seen that I have been working with Minerva creating some of their sew along videos, and it has been really enjoyable to do as I love creating sew alongs. I know so many people reference them or perhaps you are like me and want someone to sew along with if you get stuck while working on a pattern. There is more to do for this year but I also wanted to talk about some of my sewing goals for 2023.
I always think it’s good to take stock of what worked well in 2022 and what didn’t quite work so well as far as goals go for 2023. So lets look at what my goals and “ambitions” were last year.
Here are things I want to make….
Make a pair of stretch jeans that fit me - I haven’t worn jeans in forever. I can honestly say its been at least ten years because finding jeans that fit is so frustrating. I love wearing them but trying on different types of jeans for hours and hours is not my idea of fun so I have avoided for them quite a while. I think it’s time I made my own pair. I’ll be using Closet Core Ginger Jeans. I expect it to be an odyssey.
Well I did in fact made a pair of jeans, AND just as expected it WAS an odyssey but I have to say I learned so much about pants fitting. It wasn’t a stretch pair of jeans and as I’m making more and more pants I’ve realized that I like my pants to have some sort of give. As in stretch woven (stretch twill I love you!) I need my clothes to move and stretch with me. I didn’t use the Closet Core Ginger Jeans because fitting them was not quite in the cards. But I’m trying them again and trying the Ash Jeans from Megan Nielsen. I feel like I have finally figured out the crotch curve. So armed with this I’m ready to try yet again.
I want to make more dresses ensembles with a jacket or another garment to go with it, that I can wear to work or wear on the weekends for a casual night out. I’m already planning on using an old pattern from Cynthia Rowley that has been on my stash for some time. It’s K2443. I made a few ensembles, I actually made that K2443 pattern and I looked cute during Easter service but I have to say I’m more of a mix and match type of person. One day I may want to wear bright yellow dress with sandals and another day i may want to wear a pair of black long pants with a teal sweater. Separates is the way to go. Ensembles are nice, but it’s not how I pair my clothes.
I would like to try more indie patterns, but will try to focus on patterns that are printed. Call me cheap but I just can’t see myself paying $18 for a PDF pattern and then spend two hours piecing it all together or paying another $15 to have a few patterns printed. Nope! Work smarter not harder. Oh I’ve fallen down the Indie Patterns rabbit hole, (what a difference does a year make!) and gosh I have to say that I can see the value of a printed pattern, but I can also see the value in a PDF pattern. For example think of the Charlie craftan from Closet Core Patterns. The PDF version was 100 printed pages…. hmmm no. Not happening! I still want to make it so I decided to spring for the printed version. But pants and the two million changes that you have to make for pants… I’m happy to have them all in PDF’s.
Make more pants! I love dresses, gosh do I LOOOOOVE my dresses. they are so comfortable. But I also love to wear pants. So 2022 will be the year of the pant. I did really well with this goal. I made the Dani Shorts, Lander Pants, Lander Shorts, I also tried the Morgan Jeans (even though those don’t quite turned out so well), I also learned the Top Down Center Out Method and I’m happy to report it’s a great way to make a quick muslin and keep at it. There are more pants coming into my future. If you want to learn more about the TDCO Method I highly recommend you go follow and watch The Crooked Hem on You Tube.
Slow Sewing- As much as I want to wear my make immediately, I also really enjoy sewing slowly and making sure that things are finished properly. That stitches are straight, that the inside looks as good as the outside and that it fits beautifully. I also did really good with this goal. I made less and I’m ok with that. I enjoy slow sewing. I don’t love taking out the seam ripper and ripping out stitches that are not straight and the only way to do that is when I’m sewing at turtle-with-crutches pace.
Post more of my finished garments, and show you the details. I don’t do enough of this and I should! I hate to say that I didn’t so so well with this one. Honestly I suspect because I don’t want to be judged by the way I look. I have gained some weight (thank you pre menopause) and I have been really self conscious lately on the second half of the year about the way I look. Just know I’m trying. I’m going to try to be better about this and post more of the “sewing along the way posts”.
What I want to avoid in 2022?
Buying patterns that do not suit my body type or they have no-snow-ball-chance-in-hell of me making them. I must admit that I have quite a few of those. McCall’s patterns… I’m looking at you! Yeah I’m slowly learning that there are some things that just will not look good on me…. empire waist dresses, wide leg pants or anything that is top heavy. Which is a reminder that I have to part ways with some patterns that are just big no’s. I passed up on a lot of patterns last year. As beautiful as they were, I just knew that I wasn’t going to make them and I had to be ok with that.
Stop buying fabric without a purpose. If I’m going to spend money on fabric I want to make sure I have a pattern and a plan for it. No buying extra fabric that I don’t need, I don’t care how pretty, how good the fabric sale is or how maybe in some distant future I can make X with it. That’s the quickest way to buy fabric that just sits there…. forever. I actually did ok with this one. I am buying fabric but I do have an idea for what I want to make with it and buying them in the amount. For example… bias skirt 1.5 yards. Cardigan.. 2.5 yards, button down shirt 2.5 yards. blouse 2 yards. I know have a plan and I plan to continue buying fabric this way. I really don’t like having a large piece of fabric after I’m done. half a yard of extra fabric laying around is way too much and its a waste.
Be so hard on myself if something is not perfect. Strive for excellence but don’t get frustrated if it’s not absolutely perfect. I’m going to call this one “confident improver” with room for growth. Remember this critique is about MY sewing and nobody else's. I hate to say this but I can’t unsee seams that are not matching, stitches that are not straight, puckers, I had a few invisible zippers that were not so invisible (and lets just say that those went to the donation pile) and there is a saying by a trainer in Peloton “how you do anything is how you do everything”. It is so true. If you half ass something, then you half ass everything. But if you really try to get better at it, and put an effort, show you will care and get better at it then it shows. But when you don’t, well then you don’t. Thats how you get the seams that don’t match (by the way, you avoid that by pressing) and the invisible zippers that are seen. I want the “Wow, did you make this?!” comment… and trying to stay away from “yikes, did you make this?”. I’m going to say this….nobody is perfect but I really want my clothing to look well made.
Taking on more projects than I can comfortably tackle in one month. I really did well with this one. One project for the entire month of December. It was bliss! Scale back during the summer and get outside for a walk, swim or go take the kids out for ice cream…. it was so well worth it to say no to collaborations or ads for stuff that none of you will need like violent video games or bras that make your bust look five times what it truly is. jewelry that comes inside chocolate… why! Yeah, no thank you. I also said no to some collaborations that although I would have loved to have been part of, I just knew that I didn’t have time or would have created stress. Not about that in my life.
Goals for 2023…
I think the goals above are pretty darn good. I really do.
I will continue doing our using Commercial Patterns to recreate some Ready to Wear styles because of course…. who wants to pay $60 for a pair of shorts when you can make them for $20. We know how to sew and that is a super power as far as I’m concerned.
Some of you have requested more information on what pattern size I’m cutting mostly for the big four. I’m happy to do this right before I do a sew along, tell you about the fabric I’m using, what pattern size I’m cutting and what alterations I’m doing BEFORE I do a sew along. So that would be a separate video before the sew along.
Do Vogue Pattern sew alongs. Vogue patterns tend to be a little bit more in depth so I suspect that when I do these, I will break them down into smaller 30 minute videos. But you get some unique techniques or unexpected pattern pieces or just learning how to line a dress or coat.
Anything else that you would like to see more of on the channel? More Sew Alongs perhaps from Indie Designers? More Pattern Reviews (Although I don’t believe you care for these, it may be just a blog post and not a video), How I fit my garments? Sewing Plans per month?
