Why Hello There, 2019!

Let's get the most important thing out of the way...

I AM TURNING 40 THIS YEAR!!!! Wooooooohoo!!!!!

I remember being so excited for 30 and am just giddy for 40. I am one of those people who say you could not pay me enough money to go back in time. No, I don't wish I were in HS or 20 again or...No. No. No. No Thank You.

I embrace the passage of time and the growth and change that comes with it. Let's get this next decade started!

Personal goals for 2019:

Read More
I came to the realization that I read very few books last year. I don't know how many but probably only 2 or 3 and it made me sad!

I plan to read at least 12 books this year.

Eat Better
I am basically a small child inside :-p If I didn't know better, I'd live on pastries, cake, cookies, other bread items, bacon, potatoes, tacos, nachos and pizza. Yesterday for dinner I made salmon, risotto and green beans. I ate 2 green beans while I was cooking to gauge done-ness and was pretty sure I needn't eat anymore than that. Vegetables, bleh. :-p

I'll probably start making smoothies for breakfast again. I can eat A LOT of veggies in smoothie form! I have a bunch of recipes I used to make that are low in sugar, which tends to be the tricky part with smoothies.

Exercise More
I hate outside. I hardly ever WANT to go outside. There's a short period between the cool, rainy spring weather and the sticky, humid summer weather...(and a little bit in fall too!) where I voluntarily get outside almost daily. And I don't like gyms either...but love yoga and pilates. So I'll plan to start the year doing videos at home and then look at some local places for monthly membership.

Be Present
It's so easy to be bogged down by all of the things constantly demanding our attention. Also, I have started to become frustrated when I realized I've picked up my phone with zero intent or I've navigated to some site or social media again, without realizing it.

Sewing Goals, Plans, etc

My 2018 plans were:

• 3 outerwear items
• Navy coat sewn, black coat is a UFO and possibly a wadder, trench coat didn't happen.

•  Loungewear and Sleepwear
• DONE! I love all of these items too!

•  Black workwear wardrobe
• Done! But the jacket didn't work out (it fit weirdly around the shoulders), the dress and pants are now too big, I've taken the skirt in a couple of times. I also plan on altering the dress.
• Replace my Birkin Flares
• I did not get this done. I really have the need for a couple pair of jeans but I have never felt like my hand was up to the task of cutting denim. The ivory skirt I just made took 2 sessions to get it cut out :/
• A nude-to-me Slip
• Nope. I did get some swatches from mood but never ordered. Maybe this fall.

  My 2018 goals/resolutions were:

•  No new fabric before May 1 - FAIL! lol!
• Well...that was before I knew I was going to SewCamp. I bought almost 90 yards of fabric between NYC and FM and bought a bunch more because I saw fabrics at Fabric Mart that hadn't yet made it to the website, took note of the stock numbers, and ordered all the things when I got home.
• Buy no more than 18 patterns   - FAIL!!
• I purchased 30 new patterns this year. I did give away the True Bias Landers; I didn't like the crotch curve and didn't want to bother fiddling with it to make them work.
• Tracking - Almost!
• I DID track the patterns I used and realized, using TNTs isn't that important to me yet. Yes, when the mojo is low or I've had a couple fails, I pull out a TNT to break the slump (usually). But I love new patterns. LOVE! LOL! Less than 25% of my 2018 garments were either TNTs -or - used more than once during the year.
• I did pay attention to success vs. fails along the way but didn't discuss that much.
• I lost steam on my outfit-a-day pics. 
• I tracked Fabric in/out totals
• I tracked sewing spending for the most part. I'm almost certain some purchases were missed, like popping into JA to buy a spool of thread for example.
• Sew at least 18 Burda mag patterns - Success!
• I sewed exactly 18. Setting a general goal like this of just making sure I use my mags works better than forcing myself to choose something from each issue. Many, many times, the magazine patterns have to grow on me a bit.
• Sewing community engagement - Ehhhhhh. LOL!
• I'm a cranky old lady at heart...I have been making sure I comment on blogs more. I just haven't found the energy to continue writing pattern reviews on PR though. I've tried to be more positive but I had a crappy year.
• Blogging - I ain't going nowhere! :-p
• I just can't get the same feel on IG as blogs. 

 My 2019 Goals and Plans!

Patterns:

• Sew minimum of 18 Burda mag patterns 
• Sew minimum of 4 Ottobre mag patterns - I have no intention of NOT subscribing so I should use them more. I often stop myself because "I don't know my sizing yet in Ottobre." Well, I'll never know if I don't sew them!
• BUY FEWER PATTERNS. OY! My son said he's going to open up a pattern store in the basement. Wah! LOL! 

Fabric:
Continue to be more mindful of fabric purchases. I feel like I need to cull my fabric as well. Having a stash is great for me and it isn't necessarily that it's too much (whatever that means!), but it's no longer organized and I KNOW there are pieces that just do not move me anymore...

I need it to fit on my Expedit and in the bins I have for it. I rotate out for fall/winter and spring/summer and the current season needs to fit on the Expedit! The out of season fabric needs to fit in the bins. 

And the bin of fabric that I keep in the sewing room for "upcoming projects" needs to fit in the bin!

Whew.

Skill Building

• Sew some menswear! Woohoo! I'm not sure why it didn't occur to me before but I suddenly realized (duh!), *I* can make hubby some jeans and a blazer! He has a hard time buying jeans and I keep telling him he needs a sportcoat. But his proportions are weird! He's 6'2" with EXTRA LONG arms but SUPER narrow shoulders and a small neck comparatively. Seems like it would be easier to sew him one than to find one that fits well or one that is good enough + alterations.
• Outerwear. Again. Aside from my down coats, my outerwear wardrobe is OLD. I have a few things in mind, yes, including the trench! I so wanted that Burda from April 2018 but I traced it off and didn't make it and now I'd have to trace it AGAIN a size smaller. IDK if that's going to happen :/

V1479

I really NEED a dress coat in black or camel or something neutral.

Burda 6845

• A Blazer. Argh! I've sewn lots of jackets. I didn't get to the Lisette jacket so it's going to happen early this year. 
• Party Clothes! Okay the SA dress was PARTY dress...but I also need other cute stuff! At least a couple of fun tops and a dress. 

That was a lot of words so I leave you with 1 teaser photo of my new wool jersey Butterick 6621 dress! :-D

Spoiler alert: I love it <3 I will have 3 dresses from this pattern when I review it! :-O