02/10/2016

I DID IT!!!!!!!

YIPPEEEEE!!!  I made it a whole damn year sewing almost all of my own clothing!!  Holy crap you guys I'm pretty damn proud of myself.  I did cheat a few times (whoops!) and didn't quite get everything I was hoping to get done, done.... but I managed to sew myself a fairly substantial wardrobe!  If you're new to the blog and wondering what the heck I'm talking about, head on over to this page and see my original goal.

Here's a quick breakdown of what I made (for a full list, hop on over to this page!)
  • 8 tops
  • 9 dresses
  • 7 skirts
  • 5 pairs of leggings/ sweats
  • 1 trench coat
  • 1 duffle bag
  • 1 set of PJ's and one pair of PJ shorts
  • 3 bathing suits
  • 1 robe
  • 3 bras

That's 40 items total!  HOLY CRAP!!  On top of these, there are also a few items I just haven't gotten around to blogging, or totally forgot to blog about in the first place... so I'm thinking the grand total is actually closer to 45 or 50.  That's nearly one item a week!  There were definitely times where I wouldn't sew for a week or two, and then blitz things in one weekend (I think the record is 4 completed items in one weekend), but for the most part, I was fairly busy with sewing non-stop.

Now... the cheats!  I bought a total of 7 t-shirts.  Mostly roller-derby related, and one the other day because I really wanted it (ha! terrible impulse control, much?)  I also had to buy "golf clothing" to wear for my company's annual golf tournament, as I decided to attend somewhat last-minute and didn't have time to source fabric or patterns for something appropriate.  Underwear and bras don't count, and I did restock on those throughout the year.

There were a few items I had been meaning to sew before the end of this project, but just didn't end up getting to.  I had hoped to have a pair of jeans done (I seriously need to get on that soon...) and I was going to attempt some underwear.  I had thought about sewing a few cardigans, but I don't have a button-hole function on my machine, and the right sweater-knit is really hard to find.  I never got around to sewing some camisoles... but I imagine that would actually be a huge pain in the ass.  And of course, there are all the other dresses, skirts, pants, and tops I have swimming around in my head that I just didn't have enough time for!

As for the blog... I learned something important about myself.  I really don't enjoy it as much as I thought I might :/  In starting this project I was really excited to put myself out there and share some stuff on the internet!  I had no idea how much work it can be to regularly pump out blog posts.  Good gravy!  Mad praise for those of you who keep regular blogs... OOf!  I think the hardest part is just getting nice photos of my makes done.  I never built up the confidence to got take photos of myself outside, and getting the right lighting in my apartment can be tricky at times.  Also, usually when I have time and the lighting is right, I'm spending the weekend in my sweats and don't feel like changing into outfits and making myself look nice!  I much prefer sharing my makes on instagram where it can be a quick on-the-hanger shot.  Heck, maybe I'll just switch to that for sharing photos here on the blog.  I will from time-to-time keep updating here (after a bit of "re-branding" perhaps?) but don't be surprised or upset if posts really start to slow... Or who knows!

Anyways!!  I'm calling this project a total success!  I've developed a totally new love of sewing, learned a TON of new skills and techniques, and I've really enjoyed following along with the online sewing community - you're all absolutely delightful!  Thanks to all of you who followed along with my little project  😍