Skip to main content

New Year's Resolutions: Crafting Edition

What are you thinking of crafting in 2021? Have you set yourself goals, ambitions, vague intentions? 

I've come up with some categories to help guide intention-setting:

1. A new project

2. Finishing something from your abandoned-works-in-progress-pile-of-doom

3. Learning or practicing new skills & techniques or trying something new

4. #StashDown - don't buy any new fabric, wool, paper, paints or whatever materials you use for your craft. Use up what you already have!


Here are my resolutions!

1. A new project: making myself clothes

One of the key reasons for taking up sewing was to make myself clothes. I'm plus size (UK 20) and find it hard to get good quality clothes that fit me well. I'm also trying to be as eco-aware as possible and buying poor-quality clothes with a high plastic content that were made by 8 year olds in a sweatshop doesn't fit with that ambition! I have been building up the confidence to start making myself something, but I really am at the stage where I need to just get on with it. I've bought these patterns so my aim is to make some or all of these over the course of this year:

https://shop.tillyandthebuttons.com/products/bobbi

https://www.cashmerette.com/products/lenox-shirtdress-pdf-pattern

https://www.ellieandmac.com/products/slow-sunday-top-dress-pattern

https://www.ellieandmac.com/products/adults-sweetie-pie-tunic-dress-pattern

https://www.ellieandmac.com/products/curved-hem-pocket-tank-pattern

https://www.patternsforpirates.com/product/peg-legs/


2. Finishing something: cross-stitch

I have two cross-stitches that I started literally YEARS ago that I really want to finish. One was meant to be a wedding sampler for myself - I'll have been married 11 YEARS this year so that's been hanging around for a long time. Then I began a birth sampler for a friend, and you guessed it, her son will be 7 this year and I haven't progressed it.... So I'd like to get his sampler done by his birthday in May and my wedding sampler done by my 11th anniversary in September!



3. Learning new skills: dressmaking

This ties in with resolution 1 - making myself clothes is going to involve a lot of new skills and techniques!

If I have time and inclination, I would like to try quilting. I have a box of baby clothes worn by both daughters and want to make a memory quilt from them.



4. #StashDown. I've actually used a lot of my stash on making face masks during 2020, so I'm not doing too badly here! I will continue to be eco-aware in my sewing including plenty of scrap-busting, zero-waste sewing and making eco-friendly alternatives where I can e.g. washable 'cotton wipes', napkins, kitchen roll etc. I have a Pinterest board with eco-sewing ideas: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/historykat/making-and-crafting/upcycling-recycling-zero-waste/


Please share your resolutions - we'll do a periodic accountability check-in and see how we're all getting on!


Labels:

Comments

  1. StefanieArchivistJanuary 1, 2021 at 10:57 AM

    Good luck with the resolutions!
    After last year’s constant re-evaluation of goals I’m trying not to set myself up for inevitable failure. But I have some lurking long term WIPs, an enormous stash I shouldn’t add to and no real need to buy any clothes at all, so I do want to use more of what I have and finish some things I started (before starting another shiny thing over there!).
    Here’s to however long that lasts.

    My dressmaking top tip?
    Make a toile/muslin. Yes. Booooooorrrring! But, it saves the expensive/pretty fabric; it helps you learn *your* body & fitting challenges (and standard adjustments!); and it gives you a place to try out your understanding of the pattern instructions in a low risk way.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

5 Top Tips for New Sewers

 While I still consider myself a beginner sewer, I do feel that I have made some progress. It's now been about a year since I started sewing again, having not got far at all the first time I tried. I dusted off the sewing machine to make some face masks at first, and that really boosted my confidence to start making more and more. Recently I made a couple more face masks and was surprised at how much better I was at them and how much I understood about the reasoning behind the construction method and pattern. Proof of progress!  So even though I still feel very much like a beginner, and have a LOT still to learn and many skills to practice, I thought I would share the most useful things I have learned to date plus some resources that have helped me. 1. PINS . Seriously. Pin everything together. Then go back and add more pins. I used to shove a couple of pins in and then get cross that the fabric slipped or the lines were wonky. Pins (or clips) are your friends. Make your seam ...
4 comments
Read more

Failing better...?

 Choosing to ignore the many arguments about whether Samuel Beckett's 'Fail Better' quote is less motivational and more despairing when actually read in it's original context I'm here today to blog about why I find #sewingfails a useful (if still a dispiriting) experience. And why I think making a toile or muslin is a must in dressmaking, especially when trying a new pattern for the first time! This started with an experiment (SCIENCE!) - In the Year That Shall Not Be Named I had planned to get back into sewing more than I have in recent years. I started the year with a brand new sewing machine (my trusty vintage New Home having finally died a death), a plan to take a class a month on something  craft or sewing related and a vague internal promise to actually use up some of my ridiculous sewing fabric stash. I...failed. Classes were cancelled after I only managed the first 3 (Jan-Mar), WFH did not bring bags of time & energy for sewing and from Monday to Friday ...
4 comments
Read more

Eco-friendly Upcycled Face Wipes

 I recently ran up some eco-friendly face wipes for a friend. These are designed to replace cotton pads or face wipes, and are washable. To increase their green credentials I made the pad section from an old towel. I had some charm squares spare, so used those as the backing fabric. I cut the towel into squares that were slightly smaller than the charm square, and wrapped the fabric over the towel piece to form a small border.  I then sewed the top fabric down with a zigzag stitch. This meant I was mainly sewing on the fabric, as my machine can't sew through towel (unless I haven't found the right setting or needle of course)! Very very simple, but pretty and functional! There are lots of tutorials for other ways to make these face wipes, such as:  https://www.arosetintedworld.co.uk/how-to-make-reusable-make-up-remover-pads/ It seems to be even more simple with an overlocker:  http://juliawithanh.com/sewing/23-reusable-face-pads You can even crochet some! https://dab...
Post a Comment
Read more