My dear Janome has been with me since the mid 90's and has been beaten to hell. Getting it serviced in the summer helped a bit, but some damage just can't be undone. It's time for a new machine, preferably one that makes pretty buttonholes. Sadly this means less fabric purchasing as I try to save up my pennies.
2. Continue to sew from the fabric stash.
Out of 65-ish garments completed this year, 40 were from stashed fabric. I'm surprised and pleased with that total. One could almost call 2013 a stash busting success....if I hadn't bought at least as much fabric as was sewed. I don't keep any hard records of stash in/out. All I know is that my closet storage area is still packed to the gills In 2014 I'm gonna try to sew up more fabric than I purchase, god help me.
3. Learn some new skills.
It's relatively easy to stay in my current sewing skill plateau. I'll also admit to being annoyed about learning new sewing skills. I don't like finding out that I'm not good at something immediately. "You mean I have to practice at this? SOB!" Even so I'd like to became better at my craft. My goal is to read at least one of those cool new sewing books I got for Christmas.
4. Draft a few of my own ideas.
I've got the skills and the know how, I'm just lazy and easily distractible. However I harbor a certain about of guilt about my languishing education as I purchase other people's patterns. MOAR PATTERNS? Let's make that more patterns from me. For concrete tracking purposes we'll say 2 self drafted patterns for the year is the goal.
5. Give back to the sewing community.
This is an area where I feel some improvement is needed. Maybe because the sewcialist community is so giving in general, it's hard to keep up. :) I've directly benefited from the generously of many people in 2013 and I'd like to "play it forward." In 2014 I'm planning on doing some more pattern drafting tutorials/fitting tutorials and hosting a few giveaways.
Hope everyone had a great Holiday Season and is ready to start a New Year. I'm hoping my sewing mojo returns from it's holiday vacation soon cause I've got plenty of plans. Also I have some exciting, well exciting to me, sewing related news to share with you soon. Squee!
Great goals Heather! So with you on the keeping up and giving back. FWIW I think you're so helpful responding to twitter callouts, you already contribute plenty!
ReplyDeleteAll sounds pretty fantastic! And yup, I feel as if I get more than I give. Need to come up with some way of paying it forward too!
ReplyDeleteexcellent goals! your #1 goal is also on my list... my machine has done it's duty over the years, but i wouldn't be sad to part ways!
ReplyDelete#5 is something that I need to do more of, too. I've been thinking of making a tutorial for one of the design modifications that I did for my Hummingbird skirt, but haven't quite gotten the nerve up.
ReplyDeleteI would definitely call that a Stashbusting success! Bravo!
ReplyDeleteGreat goals. Giving back comes in different forms, just from following your blog a week I'd say you give back through making people smile aplenty!
ReplyDeleteDefinitely save for a new Janome...one of the best things I did in 2013 was upgrade my sewing machine to another Janome. I loved the line about sewing from stash and then you added just as much...I so feel you on that one! I'm sure 2014 will be just as wonderful to you sewing wise!
ReplyDeleteGreat goals Heather, but I must agree with Shell from SewEnSow... you certainly give us lots laughs with your witty blogging style. Looking forward to 2014.
ReplyDeleteYou just bought all of that fabric this year because you knew you wouldn't need your money for a new machine this year! You were planning ahead. :)
ReplyDeleteYou don't give back enough? What about all that enabling you do! I know I have directly benefitted from that. :) But seriously, you (and froggie) are a huge inspiration and help to me, so don't over-fret on that account. But I really look forward to your tutorials.
ReplyDeleteIf I may wear my teacher hat for a moment, we're always talking to the students about SMRT goals: specific, measurable, realistic, timeline - stupid name, but really good idea. You probably already have a specific plan in place for #2, but in case you don't: would it work to reward yourself with a yard of new fabric for every 10 yards of stash fabric you use? (Or 7 or 5 yards - whatever works to motivate you to use what you've got; that's where the realistic part comes in.).
I also had a thought for #1: maybe on top of whatever regular saving you do for the new machine, you could pay the machine fund the cost of the stash fabric you use or the cost of the new fabric you would be using if you had bought some. Does that make sense? Or, instead of buying that new yard when you've reached your 10, donate that money to the machine fund.
Ahem. Sorry. I love coming up with schemes to save up for stuff. As you were.
Omg, #3 made me laugh! My Type A personality can so relate to the "you mean I have to practice at this? SOB!" I'm similar to you with not coping well if I'm not immediately good at something I've just learned. Good luck with #1 - can't wait to see what kind of machine you purchase!
ReplyDeleteYou have great goals! I find that reading these posts that I agree with plenty of the reflections and goals. I also wish to give back to the sewing comminuty, but I haven't figured out how since I'm not good at tutes or feel I have a special skill.
ReplyDeleteThanks Jo. Twitter stuff is so forgettable sometimes cause it's here and then gone. I'm happy to hear from you that I contribute. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks VickiKate, it does seem oddly hard to come up with way to pay it forward. Come on brain, think!
ReplyDeleteThanks Lisa, good luck on saving for your new machine. I did go test drive some new models at my local dealer and it was very exciting.
ReplyDeleteI think you should Becky. I've found this year that there is an audience for just about any tutorial post.
ReplyDeleteThanks Brianna! I lost track of garments completed around mid year so I was all surprised. :)
ReplyDeleteLOL Thanks Shell. I try to make my run on sentences amusing so that you keep reading. ;)
ReplyDeleteI'm gonna try and put new machine flyers up to keep me from spending all my money. It will be worth it in the end I'm sure. :)
ReplyDeleteThis year less stash, we can make it happen!!!
Thanks Jean, glad to entertain with my goofiness, cause it can not be contained. ;)
ReplyDeleteYou're right Laura, that's exactly what I was doing! Well at least in December. ;)
ReplyDeleteThanks Andrea, you mean I'm not negatively enabling you? I'm pretty sure I'm secretly evil in that department.
ReplyDeleteI like your teacher hat and I think the stash plan would work great. Then I won't go crazy and buy a bunch of fabric suddenly.
Sadly I don't have extra money to put towards the machine. We got have replace the main sewer line this year. Boooooo.
Haa haa, I know, right? We're such stinkers with the practicing. Maybe I should pretend I'm taking a class and do a bunch of bound buttonhole samples.
ReplyDeleteThanks Helena, I also find it difficult to come up with ideas on how to give back. Maybe the thought just needs to marinate in our heads a little longer.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year! These are such great goals! I'm so glad to read them all! 40 stash-busting garments is awesome-- keep up the good work!
ReplyDeleteI agree with Jo! It was totally Heather B to the rescue when I had the coat question this fall. Thank you for sharing your expertise! Super excited to see some of your self-drafted projects this year, too.
ReplyDeleteThanks Ginger, I will endeavor to keep them and maybe stash bust some more favorite fabric babies. However I don't promise that I won't just pet them and say, "My precious."
ReplyDeleteHooray! I'm glad that my comment was helpful Morgan. I really like that pattern you picked out.
ReplyDelete