2013 sewing plans

I’ve already got two dresses cut out – a long sleeved jump rope and a family reunion. My kid actually needs two things – a coat, and a backpack. I have the fabric and patterns for both, but not the motivation yet…

My very hopeful plan for this year is to make a quilt – something I’ve never done before. Anyone with any suggestions for an easy one to start with?

I also want to make a LTTS Messenger Bag – for me!

I have several of the newer patterns that I love but that I haven’t even traced yet….so, those will be summer sewing….which, I really should start here pretty quick because our “winter” in Southern California isn’t really winter at all and she’ll be into spring dresses soon….

I eagerly await all of your contributions to the Flickr group – you all give me SO much inspiration!! Here’s to sewing in 2013!!!!

I agree with justsewit, logcabin in a great place to start, and if you have a rotary cutter and mat it’s really easy to make your own strips, I pieces 4 quilt tops in a month with log cabin (2.5 of them are stil sitting in my cupboard waiting to be quilted!, oops maybe I need to add them to my 2013 list 🙁 ).

This year I’d like to sew out of my stash, especially using up lots of the smaller pieces of fabric that take up room but seem to small when you get to them. I have written myself a list of patterns that use small pieces of fabric and have even started!

Mainly add to the stash specific fabric (ie more no fray fabric for pettiskirt ruffles).

Have all the Christmas sewing done by the end of November!

Sew as inspiration strikes. As much as I love planning a piece, I really love just waking up and going ‘what am I going to sew today’

Happy New Year (it’s new years eve here!)

Time wise, I would like to spend three days minimum sewing for a minimum each day of 3 -4 hours, depending of course on the season and farm/ school activities. I want to try and make weekends off limits to the machine unless the kids are sewing. Weekends equals more family time and possibly limited to hand sewing only.

I’m starting to do up a list as to what is required and it is quite extensive – by the looks of what is/ isn’t filling the new wardrobes in the children’s bedrooms.

I would like to play with more solid colours this year – they seem to be lacking from the stash – and that means building the stash. But the colours I choose will have to coordinate with the patterns in my stash because I want to bust the overflow. So many pretty prints out there!

PDF patterns seem to have joined my pattern collection so I would like to use some if not all of them this year, even if it is to just try them out.

Heidi, I have a piece of fabric from the new Mystique range that I am literally dreaming about! This is how I work but planning is part of the dreaming.

I have a box full of already cut out things and this, along with my quilts will be the first things to get through.

I aim to finish one to two garments a week if I keep to the 9 – 12 hour sewing per week limit. Of course January and February will have weather obstacles that may prevent all this from happening, not to mention school holidays at the moment.

Happy planning and Happy New Year to you all!

No real formal plans but I hope to continue working on that Oliver + S pattern stash busting!

Good lord, ladies, I do so admire your enthusiasm and optimism but I think you’re already doing amazingly already. Heidi, I can’t even begin to imagine how you make a mermaid tail using a trouser pattern, and justswit, there are too many days that I don’t manage any real sewing time, let alone 3 hours per day, nearly every day, and I don’t have kids, or a farm!! My point is, don’t forget to congratulate yourselves on what you already achieve. I suffer from too many hopes for what I would like to accomplish, and what actually gets done – it can be so disappointing, and I have to work hard not to beat myself up.

Meleliza, I love your imagining for the communion frock; it sounds enchanting. If made of hanky linen, I think the FT’s skirt would benefit from tucks to give it some body at the hem. I really hope you can do this one; it would thrill the parents, and be a wonderful memory for the communicant. I still remember my first communion frock; the dressmaker made a little jacket that buttoned at the back as well as the frock because we were required to have long sleeves, and my mother wasn’t going to tolerate anything than a sleeveless white dress in an Aussie climate. It had those little pre-made daisies scattered all over it.

Sorry rather off the topic with all that: my plans/hopes are to continue with my exploration of O+S patterns, to source some fabric other than quilting cotton, much as I love using it, and to return to my patchwork and work on some quilts long ago offered to patient recipients. I love to cross-stitch, and have so many adorable graphs, so I think I may have to commit to at least an hour a day. It’s so easy to put it aside when clothes making/quilting is happening.

Which reminds me, at the risk of being provocative, I wouldn’t recommend a log cabin for a first time patchworker, JuliaM. The pre-cuts idea that others have suggested is a great one, and I would refine it by suggesting that you purchase a layer cake (10″ squares), and either some coordinating fabric, and/or some charm square packs (5″ square), and research patterns using these. They are very versatile, and much easier to work with (for beginners) than just strips of fabric, and trying to keep the seams consistent. You can do a lot with rectangles, squares, and strips cut from the above that is attractive and quick.

Needlewoman, making the mermaid skirt was really easy! I’ll see if I can post the pic’s today and the mods I made to the pattern.

I haven’t sewn since 2 weeks before Thanksgiving. I got moved to the basement from the dining room which will make sewing much more difficult. I will only be able to sew at night. Our basement is not a place for a 3 year old! Plus the holidays really were a whirlwind. I have still to set it up just right! Although is there ever a just right?

I am watching all my daughter’s dresses become tunics. It is a good thing I bought tons of leggings. So as they become tunics, she can still wear them. I suppose I should be grateful for the spurt, as peanut is only at 35% on the growth chart, and this after a major growth spurt. She’ll be wee all her life.

I dread the “should we do growth hormones?” conversation. Not for her. Maybe for son, but even then, not keen on it. Although being a short male in America isn’t awesome.

So, for 2013, I have a whole mess of Oliver and S I need to work on. I have a lovely baby wale dark grey cord for field trip pants. Son just went through a spurt too. I hope that my machine can go through the layers of cord on the pockets.

So January: Organization and set up. February…sew! 🙂

Melanie, if you can pick up a copy of A-Z of heirloom sewing, that will give you step by step photos to show you how to do certain thins with lace. Wooly thread would have them online. There are various heirloom sewing books listed on Amazon but I specifically recommend this one because it has photos that are just so clear you can’t go wrong. Sew beautiful mag website has various tutorials on how to apply lace, YouTube video tutorials but they are in several parts. They are great if you want confirmation of what you are doing.

I love the idea do lace on a Communion dress. It would be my pick when I get to this point.