Top 5 reflections of 2012

I hope you all had a great Christmas!! I'm back after the Christmas excess with the 3rd instalment of the top 5 of 2012.  Today, reflections and lessons learnt during 2012

1. Blogging

I started sewing in 2009 (though I, like many, had done a bit of sewing at school and my mother likes to talk about the appalling shorts I used to make and wear).  I made my first dress in 2010 and then proceeded to become obsessed with Japanese Pattern books and Liberty of London fabrics.  I decided to start this blog around about the time Zoe announced the dates for Me-Made-Me 2012.  I had such a great time during May posting about my outfits that I was hooked on blogging from there.  I admit that sometimes there is a feeling of, yikes, I haven't made anything to post.  There is great camaraderie amongst the sewing community. I have been a devoted follower of many sewing blogs since I started sewing, but now it's nice to be more connected.  I also used to lurk in the shadows and now, I'm probably the other way.  I'm always commenting on posts and the amazing things made.  Next year I'll try and be more thoughtful with the comments though rather than just 'WOW!  I love it!! You look amazing!'

First dress I made March 2010

2. Focus

During the year I was inspired by a post on the Colette blog around how to develop good sewing habits.  I decided that I would make little challenges for myself in an effort to improve some of my sewing skills: August is Buttons, Zip-tember, FrOctober and then November was 'all about me' sewing.  I really liked this focus as it slowed me down (generally) and provided me with the space to make something that I was perhaps a bit afraid of doing before.  I still have a long way to go with zippers and button holes and plackets and especially those trouser button things, to make them look nice so I might consider doing this again in 2013.

3. Photography

This year, I've struggled with documenting what I've sewn. I've had some ok photos but with the present of a new camera for my birthday, I now can't say, oh it's the cameras fault! I really need to improve my skills in this area.  I never seem to get the light right with self portraits and Ben (who is a reluctant photographer at best) doesn't seem to look at what is in the background when he is photographing.   Seriously....he didn't see the blue ball in the photo!!

4. Style

I've blabbed on about this a bit lately too much lately already, but I made a few things this year that I made just because I wanted to try my hand at something - namely more clothing using stretch.  Unfortunately the clothes I made weren't exactly me (unlike that wardrobe full of blouses in Liberty fabrics in the photos which are so me). I've gifted my latest stretch projects to my sister over Christmas who I hope will wear them, but sewing time is so so precious that these projects left me feeling a bit empty.  I love to be carried away by a project but it's also nice to have a gorgeous original wearable at the end.  I've had a great year of making clothes (28 pieces in all for myself including 12 in Liberty of London fabric!).  Only 2 of these were complete disasters and the other 4 I've gifted to better homes, so I shouldn't be too hard on myself.. but in 2013, I will think carefully about the projects I choose.   Oh and only buy and make clothing out of fabric that I really love AND I will love wearing!! 

5. Stretched too thin

Following on from 'Style' trying to do too much didn't provide me with a great platform for sewing great clothes in 2012.  This all came to a head in October when I clearly over committed myself with school fetes to prepare, a birthday, frocktober sewing and  of course KCWC.  Every single post for KCWC was a chore and almost every bit of sewing was a chore.   I just felt like it was a bad time to be doing the challenge, I had too much on my plate and yet I didn't pull out or really pull it off.  To add to my problem with KCWC, I was trying to use up stash and it just doesn't work for me if I'm not into the fabric.   So, I wonder will I be any better with loading things onto my plate in 2013!??