Review of 2010 Sewing

I really need to work on making time for sewing. I only completed 16 garments this year. That is 3 less than last year. It is an embarrassing output compared to some of the sewing blogger powerhouses who have sewn over 50 garments this year. Two things seem to really slow me down: TV and guilt. I am exhausted at night after working all day and just wanted to sit in front of the TV and veg. I also feel like I should be doing something "more important" like cleaning the house though I often find I don't clean or sew. I just watch TV. I might as well just sew.
This year the total fabric used was 48.5 yds: 37yds for completed garments and 11.5 for sewing nonstarters that ended up in the trash. I purchased 62 yds (how did that happen?) One of last years goals was to sew more than I bought. Apparently that did not happen by a good 13.5 yds.

The goal is to reduce the hoard, not increase it. Oh well, maybe next year.

Meanwhile, back to the review of the completed garments of 2010.

The Winner!

Simplicity 2369: Paisley knit top
Love, love, love this top. It is sheer without being see through so it is the perfect weight for our hot summers. I wore it as long as I could through the fall, because of its great fall colors. I also wore it casually with brown capris (perfect for Disney World). This pattern is apparently a winner for a lot of other seamstresses. I have seen it reviewed on many blogs.



Runner ups

Simplicity 2369: Purple and pink knit top
Same pattern as the winner except I omitted the ties. I wore this top over and over also. Really good colors for me and the fabric is super soft. It felt like wearing jammies all day.

McCalls 5522: Teal Swiss dot blouse
This turned out to be a great pattern. It was relatively easy to fit and not too hard to sew though a bit time consuming with collar, collar stand, placket, and buttons. I made 4 versions of this so I must have liked it somewhat. This was very expensive fabric and apparently you do get what you paid for. It was easy to sew and it has held up perfectly.



The Losers
This only includes finished garments. I had 4 projects that ended up unfinished in the trash.

Simplicity 5914: tweed rayon trumpet skirt
I wore this once. The only problem is that it needs to be re-hemmed. I ran out of lace and used bias tape which was a bad idea. I think if I re-hem I will be OK. I'll get to that before I die.

Simplicity 2369: teal knit top
This pattern was used for 2 of my winners this year. Unfortunately, I made a poor fabric choice. It is way too unstable for ties. The hem is also bad. I can probably fix the hem, but I'm not happy with the ties. I think this is a total loss.

The Rest

Simplicity 5914: Brown Linen Trumpet Skirt

I wore this several times. It is a good wardrobe basic brown linen skirt.

Boys Vest
I made this pattern from a too small vest Carl wore for Christmas pictures a couple of years ago. He wore this version for his 18th century play. It fit the bill. My guess is he won't wear again unless he has another period costume requirement.

McCalls 5367: pink and purple wool skirt

I like this skirt a lot. I have a lot of purple, pink and black in my wardrobe so I wear it often. It fits well.

Burda Plus 2009 F/W -403 Black and Teal Knit Cowl Top

I'm not super excited about this top. I like the pattern, but the fabric is a little polyestery for me. Even though it matches my teal jacket perfectly. I wore it a couple of times. It definitely looks better with my jacket on.

McCalls 5367 and Burda 9/2009-137: Tweed Skirt

I wore a couple times, but the fabric is really unstable. It also requires a lot of ironing which means it sits in my ironing pile for about a month 'til I get around to it.

McCalls 5367: Denim Skirt

I have worn this several times. It is a good wardrobe basic. You can't go wrong with a basic pencil skirt.

Burda Plus F/W 2009/10 - 403: Teal Print Knit Cowl Top

I wasn't sure if I would wear this much because of its loud print. I was wrong. I have a green velour jacket that matches this top perfectly. I wear it often.

McCalls 5522: Black Blouse

I wore this blouse several times. The only problem I have with it is that the fabric has some Lycra and seems to "grow" throughout the day. It gets pretty blousey around my midsection. Maybe I can add some elastic in the back.

McCalls 6022: Teal Top for Bonnie
I think this blouse needs a little alteration at the shoulders. Bonnie didn't seem to mind and wore it several times. I think it was cool and comfy in our humidity.

McCalls 5522: Sherbet Eyelet Blouse

I wore this a couple of times. I don't think it is one of my favorite. It definitely has a matronly vibe to it. Maybe it is the poly eyelet.

McCalls 5522: Floral Blouse

The fabric for this blouse is a beautiful silk. I have worn it several times and like it a lot. I really want to finish a jacket using the orange wool I have that matches the blouse.