A Fresh Start...

I have spent the last couple of days, flicking through everyone's Top 5 Hits and Misses, and have enjoyed reading everyone's personal thoughts on their sewing journey. It's nice to get an insight into people's feelings towards what they feel they did and didn't achieve this year.

However, I felt that I couldn't contribute a post of my own, because I hadn't made enough garments to even warrant a top 5.

So what really struck a chord with me today was Rochelle's 'anti-roundup'. It struck the chord in me that isn't always positive, and the part of me that compares my work to the work of others. 

What I forget often, is to look at my achievements this year through reality-tinted glasses.

I have really only been sewing for just over a year. I started the year not being able to read a pattern. I didn't know what a notch was. I didn't know what a grainline was. I didn't know how to think in 8th's of an inch.Yes, I didn't make hundreds of garments. I didn't even make tens. I think in total I made a grand total of 15 garments. Adding in 6 gifts brings it up to 21 items. 

It's nothing to write home about when held up against some bloggers, but it's actually more than I thought when I started this post. 

The stupid thing is, I do know that it took me time to get going, and to gain confidence in my ability. One of my biggest fears in life has always been failing, and what would be worse than to fail at your life-long dream? 

I didn't want to make mistakes, I didn't want to buy fabric and end up ruining it. So I read a lot of books to try and understand what I was doing before I did it. It helped, but I wish I wasn't too scared to just try. It really was your support that pushed me forward.

Looking back at the past year, I can see the learning curve that I have been on. I am amazed at how much I have learned in that time, and how much I now understand about sewing, and fitting and the construction of garments. I'm also amazed at how much more there is to learn, and I'm excited for it. 

I am happy to say that I wear what I have made. That is the most important thing. I think if I looked back at a small collection of garments that I didn't wear, or were unwearable, I would be more than a little upset.

That being said, I do feel that I'm still finding my feet in terms of my style. Looking back, this year was about learning about the construction of different garments and expanding my skill set. Like Rochelle, next year I would like to distill down my sewing to patterns that truly reflect my style and the way that I want to dress on a daily basis. And of course, not having a new pattern for every garment would increase productivity!

Not that I want to be churning out garments, but it would be nice not to spend my free time constantly tracing when I could be sewing something that I will love to wear, and will make me feel like me. 

So here's to 2014.

Here's to more positivity.

Here's to sewing for who you are, and who you want to be.

Here's to learning.

Here's to trying.

E x