I’ve been having such a great time reading so many different year end sewing blog posts! I’m playing along with Gillian’s Top 5 lists again this year. As I did last year, I kept a running list of all of my finished sewing projects for the year and I just sat down to review them and come up with my top 5 hits and misses. This year my list included 102 finished projects. Some were big; some were small. Some were worn quite a bit and some haven’t been worn as much as I hoped. I so love the process of sewing, learning new skills, and trying out new patterns! I feel confident that my output will be less this year because I have really expanded my handmade wardrobe but I am excited to continue to learn new skills and try out new things!
Here are my top 5 hits of 2015:
5. This is a tie between my recently made Luna pants and my Marianne top. I have worn both so many times. The Marianne top was my first try making this pattern before I used my precious fabric for my Marianne Maxi dress. I loved the fit of this top post partum. The sort of a-line shape made me feel less self conscious about my mid section and thankfully I’ve been able to take in the side seams to keep wearing it now that I’ve lost most of the baby weight. The Luna pants are just so darn comfortable! I love them for days when I don’t feel like wearing jeans but I don’t want to wear my ratty old Hudson pants out in public. (Note to self: make new Hudson Pants in 2016!)
4. All of my Linden Sweatshirts. I made three of the long sleeve, full length view right after I had Caroline and I wore them to death. I still wear them all the time. I have the hardest time finding RTW sweatshirts that fit my pear shape. This pattern was a lifesaver in the first half of the year when I had a newborn and nothing in my closet fit! I have made 2 cropped Lindens with added bands and they are in constant rotation. I know I need a few more of these in my life!
3. White Linen Lisa Top. This was one of my most worn tops this summer. It’s gotten a bit too loose and I am going to have to try to take it in when the weather warms up and I want to wear it again. (Or I may just make a new one. I have some double gauze in my stash that would be perfect for this!)
2. Dotty Chambray Archer. My first Archer! I had been wanting to make this pattern forever and it was on my sewing goals from the end of last year. It took a sewing dare for me to actually accomplish it! The fit of the sleeves isn’t perfect– they are too long and the cuffs are too wide. But I just roll them up most of the time and I’ve adjusted the pattern since then. I am really proud of the construction of this shirt and I love wearing it! Also, I love how the fabric has kind of gotten broken in with repeated wearings and washings.
1. Ginger Jeans! These were one of my biggest accomplishments this year and I wear them constantly. Again, the fit isn’t perfect, but it’s so much better than any of my RTW jeans. I learned a lot making these– the most important thing being that I can pretty much sew anything if I just take it step by step.
My top 5 misses:
Oslo Cardigan— the fit wasn’t good on me and the fabric I chose made me feel like I was wearing a bathrobe. The Dude’s bathrobe. I wore it a bunch while pregnant and after having Caroline but eventually I got so upset with it being big on top and small on the bottom. I cut it to bits and I’m hoping I can squeak out something for Caroline with the pieces.
Margot Pajamas— there wasn’t enough ease in the bum for me with these. I never really wore them and I started unpicking them in the hopes that I could turn them into Carolyn pajama pants instead. I wasn’t in love with the fabric, though, so I think I’ll abandon that plan and just make new Carolyn pants out of something I do love.
Jenna Cardi— This one never made it to the blog. The fit on this was terrible on me, which is sad because I put a lot of work into making it. I tried to fix it after it was all done but my unpicking lead to holes in the fabric. Eventually it just ended up in the trash.
Ruby Dress— it just wasn’t a good idea to make a big sack from rayon challis and put it on a lumpy post-baby body. This was the wrong fabric choice for me at that stage of my life. I wore my Ruby top a gazillion times, though.
Alexandria Track Shorts— The pleats just weren’t great on me. I get unfortunate crotch bunching when I walk. Oh well.
Some 2015 Highlights– Sewing and Non-Sewing
Having a baby!
Getting Andrew halfway potty trained– how do I get that kid to poop on the potty????
Making my first lined jacket!
Being the first Sewing Superstar on Made By Rae— this was such a thrill!
Getting the opportunity to do lots of pattern testing for designers that I really admire– True Bias, Made By Rae, See Kate Sew, Hey June, Sew to Grow. It’s so fun to be a small part of their design process!
I love getting to sew samples for Indiesew and it’s been so fun to be on the Indiesew blogger team this year. I really admire everything that Allie does and I think her shop is such a great resource for people who love to sew!
2016 Sewing Goals:
I would say I mostly achieved the goals I set for myself last year. I wanted to make an Archer and Ginger Jeans. I made 3 Archers and 1 pair of Gingers. I wanted to work on sewing my stash. I could have done a little better on that front but I’m still working on it. I wanted to be more intentional about the fabric I bought. I did a lot better at buying apparel fabrics this year as opposed to just buying a bunch of fun quilting cotttons. (I still love quilting cottons, but it’s been fun to start stashing double gauze, lawn, flannel, and all sorts of knits!) I think I bought too much fabric, though, because my stash seems to be the same size as it was at the beginning of the year. My last goal was to continue to learn about fitting adjustments, which is a continual process each time I make a muslin!
1. Make more jeans! I have the Birkin flares pattern and I want to sew that up, as well as another pair of Gingers.
2. Muslin and sew the Sewaholic Granville shirt.
3. Muslin the Emery Dress and Belladone Dress. These patterns have been in my stash for a while and I really want to finally sew them!
4. I have been working on this alphabet crewel sampler for at least the last 4 years. It would be really cool to finish it this year. I think I have 10 letters left so maybe I should set the goal of embroidering one letter per month.
5. Make at least one jacket/coat. I have the Waver jacket pattern so this will probably be my starting point. I REALLY need to replace my 20 year old rain coat.
I hope you’ve all had a wonderful holiday season! Happy New Year!
~Teri
Fa Sew La 
A lovely read, you’ve made some great pieces this year and your duds aren’t too bad at all 🙂 I’ve nervously agreed to take part in Jeans January which Chris is hosting over at handmadebychris. Might be worth a look if you fancy sewing your next pair of Gingers in January… Oh, and happy new year! X
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Oooh, I didn’t know about jeans January. I’ll have to check it out! I was sort of thinking I’d do my jacket in January and my jeans in February, but maybe I’ll swap the two. I won’t get to wear my jacket for a few months anyway since the weather will be so cold. I’m excited to read about your jeans making, Teresa!
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Mmmm… I’m already thinking it could be the first dud of the new year! 😉 But worth a go, apparently there’s a good sew along tutorial, or so I’ve been promised. Research will start tonight, be fun if you join in too 🙂
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Great post! It’s so funny that he won’t poop on the potty, I had the opposite problem (would poop for a long time but refused to take the time to go and pee)! We used strawberries, whenever he used the potty he could go to the fridge and get himself a strawberry and it seemed to do the trick. I read somewhere to just plop them on the toilet if they are scared and let them poop in their diaper while sitting until they are used to it! Or just make them poop in the bathroom. Good luck!
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Oooh, Lindsey, both of those suggestions sound great! I will give them a try and see if they help. He’s been going pee on the potty since August but the poop situation is just dragging on and on. I will try anything at this point!
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What a productive year! I love that white linen top (and not just for the pattern’s namesake…) I’ll have to file that one away for the spring/summer. Jeans, another Granville, and a coat are all on my list too. The coat will be for one of the kids though, since I’m not sure I’ll manage to make one for myself!
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Thanks, Lisa! I think you’d really like the Lisa top/dress pattern. I wore both my top and dress over and over. They are great on their own for warm weather and they look good with a cardigan over them, too. I can’t wait to see all that you sew in 2016!
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So much fun to read your post, Teri! Here’s to another year filled with sewing goodness! Haopy new year!
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Thanks, Fiona! Happy New Year to you!
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So much great sewing this year for you! Love that Lisa top, and if I was in a cooler climate, I would steal (or maybe just copy) that chambray Archer!
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Thanks, Meg! Maybe you could use the chambray for an Alder dress instead? It’s such nice fabric. I have the same fabric in the darker indigo color and I’m trying to figure out what to make from it!
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Loved reading this, you’ve had a fantastic year of sewing!
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Thanks, Allie! It’s been a lot of fun!
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Dear Teri, so much nice stuff, I’m jealous! Oh, and btw, thanks so much for your Luna Pants review, I have exactly the same size on my hips as you, so I think, they could look great on me, as they do on You!
We had absolutly the same kind of poop situation, and it drove me nearly crazy, so I went in for even more than strawberries….chocolate! I know, some might disagree, but as a kindergarten teacher I thought, I could handle the outcome 🙂
And it worked like a charm, within a week, it was no more question to poop in the toilet (I overjumped the Potty, and the after flush with big “byebye poop” gave some joy as well.)
So go and try it, and save your nerves for something other 🙂
Oh, and as it worked for some weeks absolutely fine, we gradually cut down the chocolate from everytime, to once for every 3rd poop, to once a week, and finally, she forgot completely she could have some chocolate after a restroom visit, and it was only for Dessert again.
Best wishes for Your New Year 2016 from Switzerland,
Nicole
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Hi Nicole! Thank you so much for your lovely comment! I think chocolate might work if I could get him to do it at least one time to give him the reward. Currently he just goes to an area of the house where no one is around, does his business, then comes and tells me he needs to be changed. It is so frustrating! Maybe if I tell him in advance that he can have chocolate if he goes in the toilet it will work better. I will try anything! And I hope you do make the Luna pants– I really love that pattern! Good luck!
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Of course tell him in advance!!! 🙂 Show it to him, then put the chocolate in a very special place, like on a nice napkin, or his favorite plate (still wrapped) on a shelf with him together, and tell him “guess who’s gonna have this yummy chocolate if he poops in the toilet???” Make the best show for him ever, smile and giggle, have a good time, and then, if he’s ready and done, clap for him, dance, everything!
He will love it, and be prepared for some serious bathroom time for the next few days, my Sweety Pie never went back to the diapers 🙂 but probably, that’s because of the famous swiss chocolate over here, next time I’m gonna be in the US, I’ll send you guys some 🙂
Love, Nicole
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You are a genius! I will totally do that! I’ll be waiting for that Swiss chocolate, too. 🙂
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Sounds like you’ve had a great year! I’ve loved so many of your makes – it must have been tough to narrow it down. Looking forward to seeing what you make in 2016! I think you’ll really like the waver jacket!
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