I haven't posted much this year because I haven't sewn much this year. I haven't even purchased a lot of fabric...probably the first year in a long time that I haven't worried about my yardage in/yardage out counts. I just haven't had a great desire to sew or a need. Years and years of sewing so many garments have paid off with a very full wardrobe.
So what did I make this year?
The other items are...
My first Hope Dress which I made as a Funeral Dress and sadly wore twice this year for that reason.
McCalls 7969 in a black and white border print.
A MimiG Katie tunic in a Julia Allison Cost bold sunflower print.
Two Knit Wexford Tops from the Cashmerette Club
I had one failed Wexford top that inspired the next two. And I have three unfinished items...The Woodland Jacket, a border print Myosotis dress, and a 1/2 finished Hope dress that I don't think I even documented here. My goal is to finish them in 2024. The Myosotis dress just needs buttons and buttonholes. The Woodland Jacket is halfway done so I'm sure it will be finished in time to wear this winter. The third Hope dress is a spring/summer dress so I will bring it back out for spring/summer sewing.
That's the extent of my sewing in 2023. Which is amazing in how few pieces it is since for years I've churned out garment after garment. However, this year I've never felt like I didn't have something to wear because my closet is very full.
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To my unbelievable honor I had two amazing things happen in the sewing community:
First a conversation with the Threads team...
Second I was named one of the Top 5 Innovators of 2023 by Sew News.
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What I did do this year is READ!
I read to hide from the issues of the world. The incidents that have sucked the creativity right out of my body because there is nowhere to escape the horrible things that we as human beings do to each other.
So I read ALOT...at last count 240 books. I started reading a new genre - romance books. I read from a lot of the substrates and found a few that I really loved. Contemporary Romance Novels and Dark Mafia Romance are my new jams. I found authors that I enjoyed and read as much of their back catalogs as I could cram in this year. More of those back catalogs will be read in 2024. I've read some popular authors but a whole lot of less promoted authors, often times finding their books more interesting than the "popular" authors.
A few stats...
Final thoughts...
I really want to make some new crocheted lap blankets for the couch in 2024. My grandchildren and I use them often and the originals are looking a little ragged.
I'm planning to revamp "The Sewing Room/Office" because it's junky and hard for me to sew in now. I've plans to do that this week while I'm on vacation. The new furniture is here. I've roped in my daughter and granddaughters because I'm hoping that by giving myself a better space it will jumpstart some of my creativity.
I will sew in 2024. Sewing is the essence of who I am and while I haven't watered it that much this year, a seed of it still remains in me. However, I'm sure that I'm not going to turn out tens of garments anymore because that stage of my life is gone. It will be on a need basis - both a creative and wear based need.
I will keep blogging. I can't promise how frequently it will be. I'm not ready to stop documenting my sewing journeys even though they've become fewer and farther between.
Thank you, thank you, thank you to all of you who have followed my sewing journeys all these years. You are appreciated more than you know. Thank you for continuing to hang with me.
I'm wishing you all a very happy and joyous Holiday season. May 2024 bring you peace, joy, contentment and many hours to sew, create, craft or read!
...as always more later!