Happy New Year!
Since I don't drink alcohol, don't care at all about college football (sorry Sis), and eat black-eyed peas about once a week anyway, New Year's is ALL about the resolutions for me. And this blog (and my related sewing habit) will not escape unscathed from the resolution juggernaut, oh, no no no.
First of all, if you scroll allllll the way down and look at the right-hand column, you'll see that I started this blog in May of 2005. 2005, people! That's like two decades in blog years. This current blog layout is the internet equivalent of a 1998 Toyota Tercel. Sure, it'll get you where you need to go, but very slowly, and you can't plug your iPod into the radio. So I'm hoping to do a refresh of this blog's "look" before the fifth anniversary. (I'd also like to be better about responding to blog comments/email, even if I only manage to do so once a week ...)
Sewing-wise, I have two resolutions: to set aside a specific time every week to sew (right now, early Sunday morning is looking good) and to sew three things from my fabric/pattern stash for every item that requires new fabric or a new pattern. (See that pic up above? That's about 80% of my current fabric hoard.)
I've resolved, too, to be a better sewing planner -- no more using up precious sewing time running out to JoAnn's because I don't have the right zipper. I'm going to make regular online orders of zippers and thread and other necessary notions, and if I don't have the right color of whatever, well, that project will just have to wait until I do.
I want to be more diligent about adding my project pictures to the Vintage Pattern Wiki and writing things up on Pattern Review -- I hope that's a resolution you all share, too!
It would be great if I could say that I'm going to turn overnight into a more careful sewist -- that all my patterns are going to match at the seams, that I'm never again going to press something into submission instead of unpicking it and doing it over, and that I'll always take my time and make a muslin first. But if I did, I'd be setting myself up for failure ... that's just not gonna happen in 2010.
What are your sewing resolutions? And more to the point, how are you going to keep yourself on track with them? (I need hints!) Leave them in the comments.
Labels: fabric, new-year, resolutions
posted by Erin @ 6:00 AM
49 Comments:
At Jan 4, 2010 6:45:00 AM,
Anonymous said…
Looks like there's some nice stuff in that stash there. My only advice is to sew for now!
At Jan 4, 2010 7:05:00 AM,
Joni said…
NO more new fabric until at least June. None. My stash isn't as big as yours, but... it's getting there. No new patterns, either, unless they are the 99 cent ones at Hobby Lobby.
Matching dresses for my daughters and me in the spring (hopefully around Easter).
Sew some custom doll clothes and sell them in my Etsy shop.
Weed out 90% of my vintage pattern stash (most of them are the wrong size, or the wrong style, or both) and sell those on Etsy, too.
I'm with you on the PatternReview thing, too. I used to be really good about writing up my projects, but I haven't done any reviews in at least 2 years. (And I actually know what I'm *doing* now.)
At Jan 4, 2010 7:06:00 AM,
Joni said…
P.S. New blog layouts are good... but please don't do the thing where all the previous posts are in little boxes at the bottom, so that you can't scroll through them sequentially. That is the Hot New Thing in blogging and it drives me bonkers.
At Jan 4, 2010 7:13:00 AM,
Alyssa said…
Good luck on the layout! Layouts drive me bonkers so I just go as simple as possible. My resolution is to sew 10 patterns from my stash. I seem to never sew from my fabric stash so I generally don't buy fabric without a project (a real one, not a future, imagined one!) And also to actually use my blog :p
At Jan 4, 2010 8:16:00 AM,
Nora said…
Sadly, I don't have any good tips, but I'll love to see what other people say (and look forward to seeing the new blog layout - at first I was afraid that you were going to announce you were stopping Dress A Day!)
I'm resolved to do more sewing and to not buy any more patterns...at least not till I've sewn more of the ones I have! I'm about to move from a cramped apartment to a house *with a designated craft room* so I'm really excited to set that up in a way that makes sense. I think I need to spend some time trawling flickr for good craftroom setups.
At Jan 4, 2010 8:19:00 AM,
smiffy said…
I LOVE your resolutions. I'm going to adopt them for me, especially the one about sewing three things from the stash for every one that needs new pattern/fabric.
At Jan 4, 2010 8:27:00 AM,
JustGail said…
mine are -
1. get in the sewing room every day, even if only to spend a few minutes picking up or thinking.
2. upgrade my interfacing supply and keep track of which one is which.
3. stop beating myself up when things aren't going right
4. document the projects on the blog which I recently started.
as far as stash - your's isn't so big. My view is - if you're comfortable with it and can find what you are looking for - it's the right size for you. For some people, this means having only the fabric for the next project, for others, having enough to open a fabric store. I'm not going to make a "no new fabric" statement, because a lot of what I have still makes me happy, and what doesn't make me happy is going to be used for muslins.
Good luck on the new layout, I'm still trying to figure out how to add the blogs I visit to mine!
At Jan 4, 2010 9:01:00 AM,
Lydia said…
The 80% of your stash pictured there is about 20% the size of mine. Yet I'm still considering buying some more wool because it is so blasted cold here (negative eight as I walked to work today--that's not including wind chill).
As for zippers and notions buying, I've had great luck purchasing lots of de-stash on etsy. I'm not a huge stickler for my zippers exactly matching my fabrics, so I can almost always find something that's close enough to use.
I like the idea of setting aside specific sewing time. I might try that!
At Jan 4, 2010 9:13:00 AM,
Packrat said…
First, I have to say that you do not have enough fabric in your stash. I'm not kidding. :) You need a few basic fabrics like black crepe (or whatever you would use for dress attire), lining fabrics, white blouse fabric, etc. to go along with the zippers, thread, bias tape (ever made your own?).
Hint - when you buy fabric, buy enough to cover a wide range of uses. Also, buy the notions that you might need to go with the fabric. Store those in a zip lock bag with the fabric. (Read this in a book. Thank you to whoever came up with this idea.) It does cost a little more to buy the extra items, but having these things on hand saves so much time when you need to make something in a hurry.
My goals are: to rewash (or dry clean) all the fabric in my stash and set up my sewing room. I have several sewing machines, so I would like them out where I can use them.
Good luck with the new layout, but please not much clutter. I'm in the dark ages so this blog suits me just fine.
At Jan 4, 2010 10:21:00 AM,
The Hillbilly Banjo Queen: said…
I'm going to avoid tripping up on my resolutions by just not making any at all that have a once-a-week, once-a-month feel to them. I am going to shoot for resolutions that don't have a specific ending date or that are more nebulous. For instance, I have resolved to sew more this year and I have even picked out how many things I would like to sew this year (8) but they will have an end goal of Jan 2011 instead of having a monthly deadline. I seem to sew like crazy in the summer and not as much in winter and this year I am going to try to be ok with that instead of worrying that I didn't sew anything last month at all. And who knows? Next year, I may avoid the hassle of resolutions altogether by not making any at all because it seems that I don't reap feelings of accomplishment, rather I seem to reap feelings of regret and guilt. We'll see how this year goes.
At Jan 4, 2010 10:55:00 AM,
fabricgirl said…
I resolve to spend at least a bit of time each day sewing, planning, etc. And get some 40s & 50s style dresses up in my etsy shop. Celebrate your stash!!
The best thing about having a big stash is that I can often 'shop' from there. Most of mine is in those lidded file boxes (which stack perfectly), and labeled as to the contents. No damage from light or dust, and when I pull the lid off there is always 'something' that I forgot that I had. Estate sales are a great thing for picking up a bag of zippers and misc. notions, and sometimes vintage fabric, which I can't resist.
At Jan 4, 2010 10:59:00 AM,
fabricgirl said…
p.s. Also on my resolution list is to get involved in the Vintage Pattern Wiki and PR - thanks for the nudge!
At Jan 4, 2010 11:17:00 AM,
Jen said…
My resolutions:
The hardest (worst) is to make all those ALTERATIONS (which I notice that NONE of you have listed so far!)that are hanging on my 'to do' rack.
The easiest (most fun) is to GIVE AWAY a ton of stash -- no joke on the scale of this project!
At Jan 4, 2010 11:21:00 AM,
Erin said…
Ooh, good point about doing estate sales/eBay for notions. I do love metal zippers ...
And point noted about not "improving" the blog design to the point where it's not readable. :-) I promise to keep it simple!
At Jan 4, 2010 11:35:00 AM,
lucitebox said…
1) Get sewing machine fixed.
2) plug in machine.
3) learn to sew.
At Jan 4, 2010 11:49:00 AM,
Anonymous said…
I resolve to:
1) fix my sewing machine
2) rebuild my fabric stash
3) sew a dress a month
Love your blog!!
Amblin
At Jan 4, 2010 12:03:00 PM,
Sarah said…
My sewing resolutions are:
1. Make the June, June, and Junie wardrobes for myself and my daughter: http://www.rhinestonesandtelephones.com/2010/01/make-your-own-bias-tape.html
2. Use stash fabrics first. After that, use vintage or thrifted ones.
3. Set aside dedicated sewing time.
4. Work this all in to my Thrifty365 Pledge: http://www.rhinestonesandtelephones.com/2009/12/thrifty-365.html
Love your blog! :)
At Jan 4, 2010 12:08:00 PM,
When Ladies Dressed said…
Erin, oh the irony of it... I have a skirt completely finished EXCEPT for the zipper, because I don't have the right one. But I degress... My sewing resolution for this year is to learn how to use my serger. I'm shamefully admitting that I've had a beautiful, Huskeylock 910 since JUNE (a b-day present) and have not yet taken the time to learn how to use it! It's sad, but true... also, I'd like to encourage you to write up your reviews on PR! I love reading and writing reviews over there. What is your account name there? Happy sewing in 2010!
At Jan 4, 2010 12:09:00 PM,
beangirl said…
uh....
wha...
...eighty percent?...
(wanders around in a daze muttering some more)
eighty PERCENT??
note to self: see therapist for out-of-control fabric hoarding issues.
Oh, and Happy New Year!
At Jan 4, 2010 12:13:00 PM,
Jenny said…
This year will be the Year of the Border Print Dresses for me, with a few experiments with stripes and directional prints as a pattern layout challenge bonus. I know this because I will be sewing from my stash all year. The only exception to my plan is a few attempts at sewing for children - a vintage coat and hat for Henry and some sugary sweet dresses for the baby girls in my life.
I'm currently hemming a Frank Lloyd Wright (Coonley Playhouse window design!) double border print dress that was a test dress for my Tetris Dress until I realized how supremely unattractive the dress is on me. Another pattern search, another muslin, and then the Tetris dress. That's three border prints dresses on my list already!
At Jan 4, 2010 12:17:00 PM,
Erin said…
beangirl, don't forget -- I moved back in August and got rid of more than half my fabric before then!
At Jan 4, 2010 12:41:00 PM,
Katharine in Brussels said…
Packrat, nice monniker! I think that advice is from one of the P/P books. But I just bag up fabric and notions for projects in progress or about to start, or else I'd duplicate my thread stash even more than I already do since I sew within a palette. Everything kinda works with everything else and I find doubles of threads just by accident anyway, as I always buy thread when buying fabric. One PR member put her thread stash on her PDA, smart lass!
At Jan 4, 2010 1:29:00 PM,
Cel Petro said…
Happy New Year, Erin et al.
Just so long as you keep blogging! NEED my dress a day fix
My only hint for making sure to have all notions, etc. is to have a list or at least paper and pencil handy and write it down. Even if I don't have the list w/ me when I shop, having written it down I tend to remember...
At Jan 4, 2010 3:31:00 PM,
weezieduzzit said…
I added over 200 patterns to my personal stash in 2009 with the criteria being that it was something I really would make and wear and that it be my size- no patterns no matter how wonderful that I would have to resize. I think I'll have to make stricter rules and go through them again listing the ones I destash in my Etsy store.
I also need to finish several items that only need a hem or buttons, etc. All small things that I do have the notions for. So... I'll make a rule for myself that all of those projects need to be finished up before starting new ones.
Since I really only buy vintage fabric other than solid color cottons as needed to go with something I already have, I never limit my fabric consumption, I wouldn't be able to. I'd be really sad if I had to pass up great vintage fabric that I might not find again.
At Jan 4, 2010 4:07:00 PM,
Cookie said…
That pic of Erin's closet reminds me of a DOABLE resolution...I have to reorient my bedroom closet. The back of it is connected to a bookshelf in the livingroom, separated by plywood. (I think it was once an extra door, in 1921.) If I tear that out and make the shelves shallower and reassemble, I can get an extra pole in the bedroom closet and make that closet actually WORKABLE.
Does anyone have an extra circular saw????
At Jan 4, 2010 4:11:00 PM,
Erin said…
Cookie -- is there a tool library near you? You might be able to borrow one!
At Jan 4, 2010 4:38:00 PM,
Lynn said…
Wow - and I've been reading you for a few years, too - so Ima True Bleader for what - maybe a decade in Blog years? Your Tercel analogy was so funny - I *had* a 1996 Toyota Tercel because I always wanted a RAV4 but thought I couldn't afford one. So I bought a used RAV4 anyway just over 2 years ago that is in great shape and am very very happy with it. So happy that if I am visited upon by the Prize Patrol, I will keep my RAV4 and not get a new crossover. My point? Just do what you always wanted to do and it will be perfect. We bleaders trust your good sense and taste!
At Jan 4, 2010 4:44:00 PM,
Millie said…
Yours are almost the same as mine! And I don't drink or care about college football either! I'm setting aside time weekly to sew, full stop, and I'm putting a priority of finishing things I've started or have fabric for. Your idea about keeping things like zippers and thread on hand is well taken -- I used to always get thread whenever I bought material, but once I got a good range of thread colours, I sort of stopped, and now I find myself often running out in the middle of a project. I have no idea how I'm going to stick to this other than realizing that this is important to you, so I need to be organized and do it, but I might need to adapt it along the way.
Also, er, I've been reading your blog for years (it's fabulous!), and I think this is my first comment. Hi!
At Jan 4, 2010 4:45:00 PM,
emmy jay said…
My stash is larger than yours by geometric degrees. I feel terribly guilty and have(once again) resolved to pare it down, and to do that I will need to regularly spend more time in the sewing studio. I've been too much of a binge sewer lately, and that just isn't working out well.
At Jan 4, 2010 4:51:00 PM,
ellen said…
This year, I will finish one project before starting the next....and will just start instead of letting them pile up.....
At Jan 4, 2010 6:38:00 PM,
Susan said…
Finish the dress for my granddaughter that is made from the same pattern her mommy loved as a little girl.
Make the Vogue jacket I have everything for (thread, interfacing, snaps, etc.) I have no excuses.
Post a few gorgeous patterns on Vintage Sewing Patterns.
At Jan 4, 2010 7:40:00 PM,
Diane said…
I'm a fabric whore-der too. I think I have reached fabric saturation for now. My goal is to not buy any new fabric unless it is something that has been on my list for a long time.
And to sew faster.
At Jan 4, 2010 8:19:00 PM,
Stephanie said…
This is the year where I will not be a Quitter - when the going gets tough, I will NOT just throw the whole mess away in a temper tantrum!
At Jan 4, 2010 11:44:00 PM,
Kelli said…
I'm afraid I have more fabric than that, and I live in an RV! You're not doing too bad. :)
My 2 main resolutions this year (other than the ol' standbys of gaining money and losing weight - almost typed that backward, which is what I did all 2009!) are:
1. Learn 1 new crafting technique per month. I want to improve my applique skills, fair isle knitting, free form crochet, embroidery, etc. I like giving myself a month to try something new, and it'll also help me get through quite a bit of my fabric and yarn stash.
2. Stop the ENVY. I have such a bad habit of looking at other people's blogs and comparing myself to them and feeling like a big fat failure because so-and-so is a professional knitwear designer, but then there's so-and-so who's a dress designer, and why haven't I gotten all that done yet too!?!? Which is just sick and masochistic. So I'm stopping. :)
Oh, and one of my other resolutions is to dress more in my own style. As you can imagine, I don't have a ton of closet space, and I'm a freelance writer and designer, so I tend to spend the day in my pjs. Not good. I love being stylish, and even if I go to the grocery store, or just to look nice for my beau when he gets home from work, it's nice to be fabulous. And it doesn't take all that much effort, especially with some of the gorgeous dresses you feature on here!
Thanks for the blog - it's one of the only ones I check anymore. :)
At Jan 5, 2010 9:42:00 AM,
WeirdRockStar said…
I intend to clear out my walk- in closet and transfer that onto a sewing nook.
I´ll take some space for my Babylock and another for sewing machine.
I´ll fit my dressform and two large dressing mirrors there.
And all of my sewing gear.
I´ve already thrown out 10 trashsacks ( each eat up 240 litres ), that equals 2400 litres of old junk out the door. Many bags of which were full of fabric. Old fabrics that have not been sewn for over a decade and a half.
I´ve also ransacked my half- dones.
I still have work to do there, in the closet but I`m beginning to see the light and the floor. The entire closet needs to be repainted in crisp white, too.
I will need inspirational pictures of Edith Head and Coco Chanel on some pretty frames. I`m going to need to find some Rafaeli Angels on the ceiling.
The thing is, I´m a tained dressmaker, I have tailoring skillz to drive one crazy. I´m making all of my own clothes, and many of my son´s.
But somehow I´ve fallen on this swamp of devoted motherhood that everything else comes first, and then I`ll sew if I have time.
Well, ladies. No mo´.
I`ll make myself important too.
At Jan 5, 2010 10:52:00 AM,
Kristen said…
Not to start anything new until I've finished all the projects that are half done! Yikes!
I also need to learn how to use my serger. I can do the basic stitch, but I know there are more cool things this baby can do...
At Jan 5, 2010 11:05:00 AM,
Anonymous said…
My big goal is to make more for myself. For years I have been sewing for other people and would really like something nice for myself. I have a lovely pattern or two that would be good to explore. Also if you have a desire to sew from your stash make something for giving away, anonymously, it is a good feeling
At Jan 5, 2010 5:13:00 PM,
Chantelle said…
I need Beangirl's therapist, too... that's 80% of your stash? I have way more than that and more on the way.
So no more fabric shopping for me, unless I'm shopping for a particular project and I really don't have the right fabric.
I'm also vowing to work on creating thing - whether by sewing, knitting, or making jewelry - at least three days out of every week.
At Jan 6, 2010 8:22:00 AM,
Sarah said…
yeah, your stash is tiny! :D I have discovered a great local group to donate fabric to, it's called The Bag Project. Groups of sewists get together to make fabric shopping bags for some of the locally owned stores, which have discontinued disposable bags. I have given them a few garbage-bag-fuls of fabrics that I know I'll never use. If you aren't in western Mass, start a bag project where you live!
At Jan 6, 2010 2:19:00 PM,
Allison said…
I resolve again this year to work mostly from the stash. It's amazing how much I have in there (**and** I moved just over a year ago ... yikes!). I've been sewing from the stash for a while now: managed to make all the handmade Christmas presents from stash! Very satisfying.
At Jan 6, 2010 10:38:00 PM,
Anonymous said…
I resolve to actually sew something this year and that doesn't include the mending I have to catch up on! I have been coveting and lurking on other people's blogs too too much for the past 3? 4? years. Ugh!
JenL
At Jan 8, 2010 2:56:00 PM,
Nancy said…
My sewing goals (I don't DO resolutions; somehow I always feel like I'm setting myself up for failure) for 2010:
1)Sew from stash! NO fabric buying this year, since I reached fabric SABLE a while ago. This may seem harsh, but I set the same goal for my knitting & crocheting last year, and didn't purchase a single skein of yarn for myself all year.
2)Learn to use my serger; I'm glad I'm not the only one needing to do this.
3)Make at least two articles of clothing for ME. (Starting slowly here!)
4)Get my sewing room moved downstairs and set up the way I want it, so I can actual accomplish 2) and 3).
At Jan 8, 2010 5:40:00 PM,
Bellelass said…
You ladies are so inspiring!
Let's see... I work in a fabric store, so last year's resolution was not to buy fabric without having something of a plan for it- whether an idea, an event, or a pattern. That was hard to stick to at times, but I can say I only bought fabric just to possess it once last year. I do stash, but each piece has at least one possibility attached to it and I work through my fabrics fairly quickly. Works for me.
This year-
1) Sew more for husband. He is a field ecologist. He needs a new field bag, he could do with some linen field shirts and it wouldn't kill me to make him some cargo pants, again for field work. He likes that I sew for him.
2) Take a tailoring class. I dove into tailoring last year with novice results, I'm dying to get some good instruction. I'll make another jacket for me, but my end goal is to make a beautiful, well-fitted jacket for husband. He has a hard time finding good jackets because he is slim and the masculine equivalent of petite.
3) Get serious about the book. Research sustainable fibres, shop around for the publisher. Make it happen, girl.
4) A dress a month. I see someone else has the same resolution. I'm covered for Jan, I made a little black dress. Fully lined, fitted to a "T" and piped all to hell in one day. I won't be doing THAT again soon. I think one a month is reasonable, I must make myself tackle those gorgeous dress patterns that I've been "too scared of ruining" before. Pish posh.
At Jan 8, 2010 5:46:00 PM,
Bellelass said…
Also-
5) I will make at least 3 quilts this year. Last year I made 2, the year before, 1. 3 seems reasonable.
At Jan 9, 2010 4:09:00 PM,
llama,llama not yo mama said…
That's 80% of your stash? OH my... I feel awful now. I've got probably 4 or 5 times that. And I seriously need to sew it up, too. I like your idea about sewing 3 from the stash for every 1 new.
At Jan 11, 2010 3:25:00 PM,
moom said…
Actually get up and knit the patterns I've been looking at and thinking of. I'm in progress with a waistcoat already (my first actual adult-sized garment), but I've got wool and patterns for a stole and tam o shanter and have a couple of patterns I'm dying to knit.
Well instead of looking at patterns wistfully and wishing I could knit them I'm going to jolly well have a go at knitting them. Sure it broke my heart to rip back an over half-finished garment, but it taught me a lot and has shown me that even if I don't know enough to do that pattern I do know more than I'd thought.
Oh and teach myself the ukulele.
At Jan 11, 2010 8:05:00 PM,
Kristina said…
Thanks for your wonderful blog; I enjoy it very much. My plan for 2010 is to continue my strict practice of finishing all mending & repair before starting any new garment, the only way I have found to get husband's shirts buttonable etc. And to use my stash first, to try to get it to fit into my new sewing room, instead of creating the Plastic Tub Maze from Hell and a room I could hardly turn around in, which is what I had before. I am going to try to do what a friend suggested, a very talented and accomplished coutouriere (which I aspire to be but haven't got there yet): purge your stash to get rid of the stuff you really, really, won't use like the old sheets you got at a yard sale to make muslins with. This, she said, makes room for the new, for the better quality you are now capable of doing. Also removes the excuse, "oh well, crappy fabric didn't deserve best effort so never mind if it doesn't work..." Good fabric, good results, extra effort pays off. That's the goal, anyway. I took many big sacks of large remnants to a senior citizens group that uses them for crazy quilts, small projects and special orders. The tub maze was really awful, a nightmare to run from.
At Jan 13, 2010 8:44:00 AM,
Eirlys said…
Happy new year, Erin and my fellow sewsters! I plan to evict more dolls from doll's houses so I can stash more fabric thus:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/scrapiana/4037954382/
Oh Cookie! I have a spare circular saw, but it's UK voltage! So near and yet so far.
At Jan 18, 2010 4:01:00 PM,
MinaW said…
1 I was buying batik fabric even during the years I wasn't sewing; sew some stuff from it. One a month is a reasonable goal. Lined-reversible please.
2 I now have one pattern reasonably well fit-tested-&-adjusted (princess), start working on the next style (empire). And make a dress from the tested-on-tops pattern.
3 Now that I know I'm staying here a while, instead of thinking I might have to move at a month's notice, rearrange stash. The cardboard boxes, open-fronted on open shelves, are good for seeing & being inspired (& ready-to-move), not so good for the fabric.
4 Complete reorganization of stash by size, (long dress-length, long skirt-length, long sleeve top or jacket, short-sleeve top, 1 yd trim etc.) keeping the project items together, (trim, lined-reversible pairs). Maybe a box of looking-for-a-mate fabrics. This is working well for me.
5 Make a couple of engineered fabrics for dresses at Spoonflower http://www.spoonflower.com/profiles/mina
Bordered fabrics, and bordered-for-flared-skirts. Plus a few more self-bordering designs.
6 Get a few of my Spoonflower fabrics and make something from them!
7 Keep up better with blog. Yes, life happens, but still... And with making new Spoonflower & Cafepress designs.
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