December (and Year-End) in Review

Happy New Year! Can you believe that another sewing year is coming to a close? And what are you doing reading sewing blogs? Shouldn't you be getting ready to party?

Wondering how much sewing I managed to get done from my list? Not much. I had a pretty ambitious list considering the time of year.

1. I would really like to work on that Oki Style shirt pattern I picked up last year. This pattern didn't even get taped together. I don't know what I was thinking. I think I was dreaming. 
2. Vogue 1567 is still on my wish list. If I make it in the red plaid silk I have in my stash, it would be something that I can wear to the theatre in a couple of weeks. And it will be a fun Christmas skirt.  Yup, this one didn't get made either.  And I didn't even make it to the theatre for the Christmas production.  Oh, the grand plans I had!   
3. I want to finish that wool coat, another version of OOP Vogue 8934. It's cut out and started, I just have to focus on it.  I did manage to finish this one, just under the wire!  
4. And finish off a jumpsuit, it's almost done.  I did manage to finish most of it and blog about it but I still had to hem it, right up to the end of the month. And would you believe that I did that this afternoon just so I could cross it off.   
5. And there are some Christmas sewing projects in the works as well.  Oh yes!  This is why my sewing plans were thrown into chaos! All those knickers and Christmas stockings.  
6. Oh and I have a few posts coming up about Make Something Week sponsored by Greenpeace and Fashion Revolution.  The earlier part of the month was quite fun to participate in Make Something Week festivities. I saved a few items and made myself a cozy little scarf.  Good times.  

Sewing:

There was a whole lot of sewing this year considering that I had a really bad fall at the beginning of the year and couldn't sit without the aid of a cushion and not for very long.  This past year I made 2 winter coats, 1 housecoat, 1 night gown, 1 set of pyjamas, 4 jackets, 2 slips, 1 camisole, 12 pullover tops, 1 skirt, 3 button front shirts, 16 dresses, 12 microwave cozies, 1 pair of pants, 1 apron, 1 infinity scarf, 2 tea towels, 3 reusable bags, and 16 pairs of knickers.  Crazy, I really didn't think I sewed that much!

Here's what was made this month.

Clockwise L to R:  Wool coat, OOP Vogue 8934; cotton sateen jumpsuit, OOP McCall's 6437; wool scarves, no pattern used; cotton knit panties, Simplicity 8229; Christmas stockings, no pattern used.

RTW & Fabric Fast:

Happy to report there was no ready-to-wear purchases made.  Carolyn was right, it does get easier as time passes. I've signed up for the 2018 RTW fast over at Goodbye Valentino. She's allowing socks, undergarments and shoes, I think for purchases. I'm good in those departments but I wish that sweaters were allowed.  I don't knit, and as far as the quality of sweater fabric goes around these parts (lots of fleece but I'm on a man-made fibre fast as well) it will be difficult to resist a cashmere sweater that might show up at the second hand store or get a crazy reduced one at the end-of-the-season sales in a couple of months. We'll have to see how that goes as that will be my only temptation especially with how cold it's been here lately.  And then Sarah does live in the southern states, she likely doesn't understand this dilemma.  

The Stats:

Supplies	Quantity Used from the stash this Month	Quantity Used this Year	Added to the Stash this year
Basting Tape	2.15 metres	7.29 metres	0
Bias Tape		32.95 metres	10 metres
Buttons	6	62	50
Chain		0	0
Cord Stopper		0	0
Elastic	36 metres	74.3 metres	38 metres
Fabric	18.6 metres	159.1 metres	85 metres
Fusible Tape		44.26 metres	6 rolls
Hand needles	1	3	0
Hook and Eyes		0	0
Interfacing	1.6 metres	12.7 metres	6 metres
Lace trim		2.6 metres	0
Pattern (new)	1	22	18
Pattern (previously used--TNT)	1	35	0
Ribbon		1.1 metres	5.3 metres
Serger needles		0	0
Serger thread	1	5	12
Sewing machine needles	1	12	9
Snaps		5	0
Thread	2	20	18
Trim		4.2 metres	7 metres
Velcro		0	0
Zipper	1	11	10

So what do I have in store for next month?

Who knows? No sewing resolutions other than I would like to continue to enjoy my time at the sewing machine. Crazy as it may sound to some people, it's a form of relaxation. But I realize that my health and family comes first. I'm going to go with the flow and maybe surprise myself next month and into the new year.

Until then, Happy Sewing & Happy New Year!