9th Day of Christmas - My Year in Review

I do enjoy writing up my 'year in review' post.  I find it acts as a great reminder of what I have been making throughout the year and it is fun to walk through my recent history.  I have a terrible memory, so this is a great update!  It usually is a longer post - so feel free to skip this if it is not your idea of fun!

January:

Ah yes, this is when I started playing around with making jeans, starting off with Ginger Jeans.  I also made 4 pairs of work trousers - I had lost weight and my previous ones were too big.  Sadly I have put the weight back on so these are a little on the snug side :(

There were also two cardi's, a pair of handknitted socks, a teeny tiny wallet, a foxy scarf and 6 sets of 'Princess and the Pea' using lots of felt and Altoid tins!

Total: 9 garments, 7 miscs (toys and wallet)

February:

February was the month of jeans cardi's for me, and I made 4 cardis from Simplicity 2154 and 4 pairs of jeans using my TNT pants pattern and the Ginger pattern.  I also managed to throw in 4 wide mouthed pouches that were auctioned for charity.

Total: 8 garments and 4 miscs (pouches).

March:

This was the month that I 'discovered' Lagenlook and Tina Given's patterns.  This discovery was to lead to my SWAP entry for 2015 (more about that next month), and in March I made 6 garments in this style and a waistcoat for my Dad that he wore for his Canadian Citizenship Ceremony.

Total: 6 garments

April:

I finished and submitted my SWAP entry this month - and was absolutely thrilled to be voted into third place.  Amazing!  I made another 6 TG pieces to flesh out the SWAP Collection.  As Tina Givens sells the patterns that she uses for her 'Couture' Collections, I thought that it would be fun to 'price' up my collection and compare.  On average, her garments cost $291 each, whereas mine calculated out to $26 per item.  This is a totally useless, but quite fun fact!

I also made 4 more partial band bras, a bra fabric pouch and 3 iPad holders.

Total: 10 garments and 4 miscs (pouches & iPad holders)

May:

This month I continued making more Lagenlook garments, mostly using TG patterns.  Using the gorgeous rose fabric I made a vest top and jacket, as well as a cream top, pants and jacket.  I also tried my hand at necklaces - and made quite a few interchangeable ones that I am constantly wearing.  I finished off with a couple of infinity scarves - all in all a great month!

Total: 5 garments, necklace, 2 other (scarves).

June:

I played around with skirts in June and made a couple with a double layer - the outer one that could be 'hitched' up.  I made some more jackets in blue and white linen and a rose 'Zelda'.

Total: 5 garments.

July:

In July we had visitors, so I did a lot of travelling around our gorgeous Province - including a trip to the mountains and to the Dinosaur Museum in Drumhellor.  I completed a couple of patterned jackets (at least I think I did, they don't appear to mentioned anywhere else!)

Total: 2 garments.

August:

This was the month that I tried out the Cara pattern by Tina Givens . . . and made three tunics in pale blue, white and cream.  I also made another necklace.  A great month!!

Total: 3 garments, 1 necklace.

September:

I made some lovely bags and pouches in this month.  The 'bra' ones were for the lovely ladies in Hamilton who host the Bra Makers Supply Courses that I attend - it was a little treat for them all as they look after me so nicely!

Total: 7 (bags)

October:

I went on my next bra making course - no photos yet, but I have LOTS of pretties to make new bras!  2016 will be very pretty!  But, it was another bags and wallets month . . . . . and I only blogged about some of them!

Total: 5 (bags and wallets)

November:

I made stuff but didn't blog about it, and the lovely Nico came home with us from the Humane Society:

so straight onto to . . . . .

December:

This was a HUGE catch up month!  So much to tell you about!!  I made my Christmas outfit (skirt, tunic, jacket and petticoat), a pair of jeans (the zipper broke during the final fitting so they are currently sitting in time out) some green corduroy trousers that just need the buttonhole,  turquoise Feather top, Sorbettos in black and brown, Patricia skirts in black, brown, plaid, 3 longline cardis (plain black, coral, cream with blue spots), 3 Zip 'n' Go bags, 5 wine bag holders, 3 pairs of socks, Cortland Mitts, Cowl, retreat bag, and I'm sure that there are lots more that I have missed . . . .

Total: 19 garments, 9 bags.

In summary, my posts were down in total this year - 41 in 2015 as opposed to 52 last year.  That was mainly due to computer issues around August/September time and losing my will to post.  As far as items made, the totals are as follows:

Garments: 67
Other: 39

I am sure that some people will think that this is wasteful - but for me, this is my main hobby - I clothe myself and make items for others, I have not bought any shop bought clothes for over 3 years.  Not being defensive - just stating facts!

So that was my year - how was yours?

2014 - My Year in Review

Last year I wrote up a post, summarizing my sewing for 2013.  Although it takes quite a while to write/sift through photos etc., I find it very interesting to see what I did/didn't achieve in the year.  So I am going to do the same again :)

January

The start of January was very cold, and I made myself five garments during that first week.  I love TNT patterns!  So here we are, two pairs of lined pants and two cardigans as well as a fleece jacket.  All these items were worn frequently - sadly the cardis were made from some ponte fabric that pilled, but I made more as you will see later in the year!  Total: 5 garments.

 February

This was a really busy month - looking at my posts, it is hard to believe how much I made, but when I get going, it can be like a production line in my sewing room!  I turned out four pairs of PJ's, two pairs of pants (one grey wool, one houndstooth), two dresses for my SIL and five, yes FIVE more cardi's - using cotton jersey rather than ponte.  I wear the PJ bottoms frequently, but the tops were just too big for comfort and surprisingly warm.  The cardis and pants were all worn a lot until I lost weight . . . . .   Total: 17 individual garments!

March

This was another good month, I managed to finish three pairs of socks, as well as three cardis, three sorbettos and black jacket that went straight to wadderville.  Total: 7 garments, 3prs socks

April

Ah yes, April.  A sad month as we said goodbye to our lovely collie, Jess.  This meant that I really wasn't that interested in sewing garments, so I made 'mug rugs' instead!  17 of them.  At least.  Total: 17 crafty items.

May

This was a another month of socks and quilty stuff.  I have found that if, for some reason, I can't decide what garments I would like to sew, then I'll make something quick and easy.  Like mug rugs, 17 wallets, wall hangings etc.,  So May was a month of 'quick and easy'!  Total: 2 pairs socks, 17 crafty things.

June

This was a pretty quiet month.  I had started to lose weight, so I wasn't making many clothes for myself.  Instead, I made a few items for the Galgos del Sol and Alibar Dog Knits - they raise money to help rescue and re-home spanish galgos - similar in looks to greyhounds, but smaller.  Oh, and I made some socks for my brother.  Total: 1 crafty thing, 1 pair socks.

July

Oh July, how I loved you so.  You see, July was the month that I went to Hamilton in Ontario for a week for Boob Camp at Bra Makers Supplies.  It was fabulous!  Like, OMG fabulous.  I made three bras that week, and I think that I now have about 20 - we will see what the count is like as I continue throughout the year! 

And I made a few bits for Alibar as well.  They were auctioned, or sold via their Facebook page.

Oh, and two pairs of socks - the other pair is here!

 

Total: 2 pairs socks, 5 crafty things, 9 garments (bras)

August

Yep, you got it, more socks and bras!

 

I think that there is a pattern here!  Total: 3 garments (bras),one pair of socks

September

Oooh, interesting - although I took a sewing class this month, I did not complete any items . . . .

October

 . . . but I certainly made up for it in October!  I completed two pairs of socks, three 'box bags' that I use as project bags for my sock knitting, and four pairs of trousers - ones with flies, pockets and waistbands!  Total: four garment items, three crafty items, and two pairs of knitted socks.

November

This month was a 'bras, bags and socks' month.  I love small projects!  Total: two garments, two pairs of socks, two crafty items.

December

Now, I know that I was busy this month (and happily so!) and made waistcoats for both my father and Mr. SDSC, socks, various crafty items - box bags, a jewelry pouch, hot plate holders etc.  Total: four garments (waistcoats), three pairs of socks, eight crafty items.

In summary; 51 garments, 16 pairs of socks, 53 crafty items for a total of 120 items.  And I know that I have missed one pair of socks and there are three pairs of trousers that need blogging about . . . . !  Phew, I'm exhausted now!

Although I have not blogged as much this year, my production has been pretty high and there is a lot of repetition of patterns - this works really well for me and my wardrobe.  There were a few wadders (PJ tops, March's black jacket) but on the whole, most other items have been in regular rotation.  I took a couple of classed (bra making and trousers pockets & flies) and have put this knowledge to good use.

Well, this is one monstrous post, and is enough for today - how was your year?  As productive or enjoyable as you would have liked?