2021 Wrap-Up

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:
• Burda 5/2020 silk charmeuse top (the back slit droops which makes it a like, not a love)
• McCall's 6844 cardigan (the fabric is a little itchy, boo!)
• Simplicity 9275 top (I love everything about it except the the pooling in the back

• 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 :-)