Doctor T Designs

At the end of the year I like to make sewing goals.  I don’t always achieve all of them, but I think it is interesting to see what interests or needs have been pressing enough that I’ve accomplished them by the end of the year.  From last year my goals were:

“(1) Cosplays.  I have the ideas, and the fabric, and even some of the accessories.  I also have a specific goal/deadline date and a partner in crime.  I also have a much more ergonomic cutting table and an excitement about this project that I haven’t felt in quite some time.”

WIN!  My sister and I did a Frozen Jedi mashup at Wondercon in LA.

“(2) Pants.  I need pants, and I have a lot of patterns I want to try.  This is a purely practical desire.”

Sort of?  I did make shorts!  For the sewing bee.  I still need proper pants.

“(3) An awesome coat or jacket.  So much of my favorite fabric is designated for coat or jacket patterns I’ve been wanting to sew together.  I’m excited to dig into my stash and make something awesome.”

Almost.  I have an awesome coat in progress.  This almost counts.  And I guess my sewing bee coat was pretty awesome?  I did at least dig in the stash for it.  Oh, ok, I’ll give this one to me.

“(4) More Geeky Sewing Projects.  I’ve had the most fun sewing silly projects with ridiculous and fun fabric lately.  Not always the most practical sewing, but doing quick projects has gotten me back in the sewing mode, and I want to keep up anything that has been fun of late.”

Yes?  If my cosplay can double count, then yes.

“(5) A Nice Party Dress.  Or Two.  Or possibly a dress and a sexy jumpsuit.  Lots of exciting events coming up this year (weddings and such) where I’ll be expected to look presentable.  It would be nice to have a few things to throw on when I have to get all gussied up.”

Yes!  I made a dress for my friend’s bridal shower.  Go me!

Stretch Goal: A Corset.  I really want to learn how to make a nice corset.  I’ve watched videos, read books, researched materials…  I just need to bite the bullet, buy the supplies, and just make the thing.

Nope!  Of course I didn’t make a corset, I didn’t even get around to pants!

 

If we use a lot of technicalities, then I almost met all of my sewing goals, despite lack of sewing output.  Which I guess means my goals from last year were pretty spot on?  But probably the most significant thing I’ve done for my sewing as a whole this year is start some actual wardrobe planning.  I’ve followed the planning phases as outlined on other blogs, and I think it has really helped me narrow the focus on what I like, what I want to make, what I should buy, and what I actually wear.  I think that this self-reflective exercise, combined with the reading of Marie Kondo’s The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, has really helped me understand that not everything I’ve ever made needs to live in my closet.  My closet is a closet, not a museum.  Preserving memories is what the blog is for.  I’ve learned something from each project I’ve made; some of them continue to function as clothing, and some do not.  I’m learning to be better about letting things go, and for me, that is a big step.  Of course, folding things by the Konmari method so I have a color order organized drawer doesn’t hurt much either.

Looking ahead, I want to continue to assess my wardrobe goals, and plan my sewing more strategically.  My goals for next year aren’t really items I want to make, it’s more like goals I want to achieve.

(1) Identify wardrobe gaps and fill them.  I made my crazy spreadsheet of insanity earlier this year, when I started my wardrobe planning posts.  I then proceeded through the wardrobe architect series, and I’m finally dealing with the processing of whittling down my excess clothing.  After I finish deciding what stays and what goes, I’ll cross reference my spreadsheet of recommended wardrobe items, and hopefully compile a list of things to buy and a list of things to make.

(2) Play on Polyvore to help me consider how sewing patterns will fit into an overall wardrobe.  As much as I did not want to add another social media platform to my list, I found the exercises creating outfits oddly informative (and entertaining).  I’m still not great at looking put together in real life, but I think honing my skill may help me identify the silhouettes I should focus my time on sewing, and also help me consider which patterns would be most versatile in my own wardrobe.

(3) Attempt to make self-drafted slopers or self-drafted patterns.  I’ve bought several books on pattern drafting, and I think it would be interesting to attempt pattern drafting based only on measurements and not just on fudging around on a commercial pattern to get a decent fit.

(4) Sew more Burda.  Not that I’m done with commercial patterns by any means!  I’ve got such a large stockpile of Burdas growing every year, I really would love to sew more designs from them.  I feel like I’ve seen so many great things from them lately, I’d really love to fill my closet with their styles.  The backlog of patterns will also be helpful with goal #1 of filling wardrobe gaps without having to buy new patterns.

(5) Sew more from the stash.  I really enjoyed participating the Pattern Review Sewing Bee this year.  Not just because of the fun and awesome challenges, but also because the time frame forced me to sew mainly from my stash.  I love my stash, and I really want an excuse to pull more fabrics from it.  I think I’ve done well in terms of sewing from stash this year, and I hope it continues into the next.

Sewing time has become more important to me this year; I don’t get much of it, but I do want to make the most of it.  I often feel too exhausted after work to do anything very creative, but when I’ve got a bit of energy it has lately been the first thing I turn to.  I’ll still have a lot of commission work next year, but I’m hoping to fit a bit more sewing in for me.  I’m also hoping that I’ll be able to have a bit more regular of a sewing schedule, so I can get a little done each week, even if I cannot get sewing in every day.  I’d like it to be a bigger part of my life, but at least it is still a part of it, and that is good enough for now.

Happy New Year!