My goals

I started a "that what I made in 2010" post a few days ago, but after spending what felt like sixteen hours and realizing I was only through April, I junked it and decided to focus on what I'd like to accomplish in 2011.


Last year I started off with the lofty goal of sewing my way through the Twinkle Sews book. I'm sad to report that I never even completed one of the projects in the book, as I was waylaid early on with the Jazz Hall skirt and its flounces that didn't fit. Maybe I'll pick it up again this month and give it another shot. Or not.

Here's what I do know I'll be doing. I'll be spending the next few months sewing only with fabrics already in my stash. My goal is to keep my fabric additions to an absolute minimum, and sew up as many projects as I can with fabric I already own. I signed up for the Pattern Review stash-busting contest so that I could keep some sort of record of it, but I'm fairly confident I won't come close to winning.


I have a real drive to reduce my consumption right now, and to not let my hobby become excessive. I had some fabric in my checkout basket at Fashion Fabrics Club the other day (luckily, located here in town so I don't have to pay for shipping) and I deleted it, telling myself "that's excessive, you do not need more fabric, Heather."

I've written over the past year about my ambivalence towards things I make. I don't tend to wear them, for whatever reason. I have already started trying to focus my sewing on things I will actually wear. It sounds simple, but it's actually very difficult for me. The physical act of sewing is very cathartic for me, as is the cutting and planning that goes before that.


I think a lot of my troubles with wearing my own made items come from my childhood, so you may have to tolerate some pop-psych posts as I try to work my way through those hang-ups. If I don't, I may never get to actually enjoy the product of the craft that I love so much.

I'd also like to get really really good at something this year. I haven't quite decided what it's going to be yet. I imagine setting some sort of goal like becoming expert at sewing with knits, or setting in welt pockets, or fly zippers, or pattern drafting.

Anyhoodle, enough blabbing! I have to get back down to the sweatshop and start cranking out some knits. Stash busting? Check. Sewing with knits? Check! See, I'm already on a roll.