Review and plans

Last week's post got taken up by my last-minute green velour dress, so here is a rather late review of 2023, with a brief look at my plans for 2024.

I didn't make a lot this year, for a variety of reasons, but I'm happy with that.

Completed 2023 projects

Looking back on my post for 2023, it's fair to say that my plan to finish my winter coat, Vogue 1266, has been a complete failure. Nothing has been done. Mainly because I bought a beautiful 1950s black coat from the wonderful FantoucheVintage, and all my winter coat needs were instantly met. In fact, I almost enjoy cold weather as an excuse to wear it! I've not got very far with my 1930s Butterick dress, either.

On a cheerier note, looking at what I did make, my version of Simplicity 4463 (top left) was a definite success and gets a lot of wear. I much prefer its flared skirt to the pleated version of its reissue, Simplicity 1777. Style 1571 in a vintage glazed cotton (top centre) has become something of a 'best' dress, as I don't want to lose the fabric finish through too much laundering. Meanwhile, Style 2911 (top right) continues my love affair with 1979 Style patterns!

My sewing triumph of the year, however, was the Peppermint Batik dress (second left, bottom). It was totally unplanned project, created from someone else's part-made skirt found in a second-hand sewing box, and a bodice made from deadstock cotton found in my local fabric shop (which never normally sells deadstock) in colours which blended perfectly with the skirt. It's super-comfortable, especially in hot weather - of which we had a lot this summer.

My non-dressmaking sewing consisted of some soft furnishings, and a new workbag.

The workbag was needed because 2023 was the year I took up knitting. Yes, I had made a couple of minor attempts before, but nothing very complicated. This time, thanks to a fantastically well-written pattern by Tasha, a whole potential world of knitwear which actually fits has opened up to me. I made a blue version first, and then a pale green version, and as a knitting newbie marvelled at the effect that different yarns can have on the same pattern.

So what are my plans for 2024 (other than actually knitting the tweaked Wondrella which I have been planning for ages)? Not a lot for the first few months, as I am doing a college course and my assignments are due this term. After that - more of the same, really. I have realised that there is no point in my planning a 'Make Nine' or similar, as my ability to go off on tangents knows no bounds. Instead, I want to continue to concentrate on slow sewing and stash reduction. I do want to finish my Riviera dress, but there is no need to tackle complex trim application until the weather gets warmer. I'm slowly documenting my stash in the 'stash shop', and have quite a lot to choose from.

The 'stash shop' so far - a couple of items have sold out

The Stashometer has been reset for 2024

On the subject of which . . .

Whoops!

I do have projects in mind for all of it, but I can see that I'll have to make sure that my new yarn stash doesn't get out of hand!