I know everyone says it, but, HOW DID THIS YEAR GO BY SO QUICKLY?!? It was simultaneously long and arduous but over as quick as lightning. Funny how that happens.
On a personal note, the new job I started last December quickly turned sour. It was about 5/6 weeks in that I realized I'd made a mistake. And I tried to do everything in my power, but you can't change someone else. I left in April and soon after found my actual dream job. I've been there since mid-June and it has been an amazing transition.
I've faced some really tough family issues this year and have been in therapy consistently all year. But I am seeing progress as the year comes to a close. Hopeful for better, brighter days.
My little grandson? He became a Big Brother 21 days before his 1st birthday! :) Those boys are so sweet, so well-loved (and well fed!), and an absolute joy.
So 2021 did indeed bring many joyous moments: DD was able to walk at commencement this year (she graduated last year but it was virtual), my parents visited for 2 weeks this summer, I had a girl's trip with my closest friends, I started an amazing job and welcomed a new grandson and that's where I will keep my focus.
My 2021 sewing goals? Blergh. LOL! I had 9 goals:
- Sew a trench coat
- Sew more jackets/blazers
- Sew bras/bralettes
- Sew 2 pieces of silk from stash
- Make at least 1 machine knit project per quarter
- Sew a set of travel bags
- Sew a blazer for my husband
- Sew jeans for my husband
- Sew a quilt for grandson
Yeah, no. LOL! I started a jacket that's a UFO, I muslined a bralette pattern (I am realizing I just don't care about sewing lingerie, unfortunately), I sewed one piece of silk, and made two items on my knitting machine.
2021 Totals:
- 41 items (8 gifts/33 for me)
- 24 from stash (59%)
- 68.75 yards
- 33.75 from stash (55%)
- 50+ yards donated
I was conservative in my estimate of donated fabrics but will say I donated 4 plastic Mood Fabrics bags worth to my kid's former HS for their theatre program. And considering I almost always buy fabric in cuts of 2 to 4 yards, I think that's a decent rough estimate.
- 68.75 yards sewn
- 50 yards donated
- 67 yards purchased
In the first 9 months of the year, I had purchased just 25 yards of fabric. My ratio was great! I think donating that fabric sent overboard, LOL! I purchased 42 yards of fabric from October-December. So technically, I brought in 56% of the fabric I used/sent out. I'll allow it :-P
This collage includes: Burda bias cut cami (rated love) * Simplicity top (rated okay) * Burda UFO jacket * bralette muslin * Burda hoodie (rated love) * Burda dress (rated love) * Simplicity tops (rated love)
Garment status
Digging deeper into the 33 items I sewed for myself, I rated them:
- 13 items that I love, including:
- Burda 1/2021 cardigan
- McCall's 6744 floral dress
- Burda 1/2019 polka-dot hoodie (pictured above)
- Burda 2/2013 trousers (current WIP)
- It's worth noting that 7 of the 13 are Burda magazine patterns
- 3 items that I like, including:
- 5 items that are just okay, including:
- Simplicity 8529 black/olive top (the olive fabric is a little too drapey)
- McCall's 6754 blue floral dress (It's a little too short! wah!)
- Simplicity 8337 emerald green top (pictured above, I don't love the ruffle)
- New Look 6651 dress in blue print voile (it may be a tad too matronly, yet to be reviewed)
- Burda 1/2018 black and white print cotton skirt (Minerva crafts project - fabric just too firm)
- 6 UFOs (I don't have a requirement of myself to finish UFOs, some may become FOs, some might become wadders):
- Burda 6/2018 black & white boucle jacket (pictured above). I just got burnout on the project and then it was too small, and now it fits again so I am hopeful that I'll finish it
- 2 skirts from my TNT Butterick 5760 (one needs a hem, one needs a lining)
- McCall's 7920 dress (I chose a white fabric and instead of looking sleek and chic, it looks kind of nurse-ish)
- Burda 5/2020 dress (it is a fitted garment and you know, Burda means FITTED. I cut my regular size and when I basted it, it was WAY too small. So I'll revisit in the late spring/early summer and determine if it's worth finishing.)
- Burda 5/2020 skirt (I always end up with a fitted bottom at the basting stage during PMS week. ALWAYS! And I put this aside and didn't come back to it, and then it was cold. I will finish it because I love it, but it is definitely not a winter garment so it'll be revisited.)
Of my 5 wadders, the real disappointments were the red & white striped cotton jersey I paid an arm and a leg for from Marcy Tilton that bled all over the place, the clip-dot voile McCall's 8042 top, and the recent fail that was the Simplicity 9373 chartreuse cardigan.
I always sew more tops than other garments. What can I say, I'm consistent! Also worth noting that of the 14 tops I sewed, 10 of them were either Burda magazine or Simplicity, which is consistent with the pattern brands I think fit me well.
Garment Type
Of the 33 garments, there were:
- 14 tops (4 wadders, 1 donated because it was too small)
- 8 dresses (2 UFOs)
- 5 skirts (3 UFOs, I intend to finish all)
- 4 cardigans (1 wadder)
- 1 jacket (UFO)
- 1 pant (WIP)
ONE PAIR OF PANTS?! That's insanity! I think I spent a lot of the year hoping/planning to lose weight and ended up buying a few pair of pants to get me through. I'm excited to sew a few new pairs, soon.
Pattern Company
Of the 33 garments sewn for myself, I sewed:
- 13 Burda Magazine
- 8 McCall's
- 7 Simplicity
- 3 Butterick
- 1 New Look
- 1 Burda envelope
I sewed a Kommatia pattern for my daughter but otherwise, no Indie patterns this year. I really don't feel like I missed them either. I did purchase a handful of Viki Sews patterns during a sale (I got 6 or 7 for ~$30) so we will see if any of them are sewn in 2022!
I should have my Beatrice Form very soon after the new year and I'm curious to see how it will change my sewing life :) I definitely do not plan to touch those VS patterns until I have it. It'll be so much easier to see the fit changes needed with the form!
Goodbye, 2021!!
This collage includes: failed top due to pattern and fabric (Burda 8/2016+Marcy Tilton cotton jersey) * machine knit sweater for grandson * golf club covers for my brother * S9011 dress * Burda 3/2014 top sewn for the Rebecca Page sewing summit * M7061 hoodie * Burda 1/2021 (I LOVE THIS TOP!) * M6016 baby shirt * matching shirt for dad with M6044
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I worked on this blog post Monday afternoon and then my energy started to plummet. I chalked it up to a long morning of interviews (we conducted 4 back to back) and a big lunch. Tuesday morning, I had 4 more interviews to conduct and really started to drag. Plus, I had crazy congestion, sneezing and coughing. I jokingly asked my husband, "Do I have COVID?" I scheduled a test and just over 24 hours later, discovered I was indeed Covid positive. I am fully vaccinated and I do believe my case is considered mild. It's uncomfortable, for sure, but mild. I am isolating and doing all I can to take care. I'm pretty salty that my long holiday break was tainted! I was ready to do some serious sewing!
I'm going to work on my 2022 planning post while I have the energy :-)
