reflections of...

Here it is you guys! The good ol' year in review post! More than a little bit fashionably late, but what are you gonna do? That's just my style...
I haven't done one of these posts in a few years because it just didn't feel right (read: I procrastinated writing it for so long that it felt a bit odd to post it in... say... March). But I always sort of regret it. I think writing out your thoughts on past achievements and stating your goals for the future is a really great thing to do every now and again. And the start of a new year seems as good of a time to do it as any. So without further ado, let's get this rambling post started!
Warning: I didn't really organize my thoughts too much before writing this, so be prepared for a whole mish mash of thoughts on the personal and practical, sewing and 'real life', and everything in between.
Sewing

One of the biggest changes for me in the past year, and really since I began sewing and blogging (a little over 4 years ago if you can believe that!) was becoming part of the Mood Sewing Network this past year. Having Mood sponsor my blog has been a huge deal for me, in a very real, practical way. On a highly personal note, making money is not something that my husband and I excel at. We live very very frugally and as many of you know, sewing is not a cheap hobby (although I do believe it is a much more economical solution to clothing consumption than my previous shopping habits, but that is a conversation for another day). That being said, there have been many times throughout the past year that I've been immensely grateful for that monthly Mood fabric allowance. Without it, I'm not sure I'd have been able to continue sewing. Or at least not with any sort of frequency. And without sewing, I'd have no creative outlet. And without a creative outlet... I implode. And besides that, I have loved getting to try out fabrics that I would normally shy away from. There have been so many truly kooky fabrics that have crossed my path this year, and it's made sewing a real joy.

A few makes I am still extremely proud of are my wool and leather coat, and Nick's selvedge denim jeans. I'm still shocked by how much use I've gotten out of the Nettie bodysuit pattern (see here, here, here AND here!) and wearing this dress makes me endlessly happy.

Going forward, I'd really like to aim for two makes a month. This was my goal last year and I almost made it (22 makes total)! But I'd like to keep my sewing directed as well. It's so important to me that what I make gets worn on a weekly basis. The whole point of all of this is to make getting dressed as effortless as possible. So with that in mind, a few holes I've discovered in my wardrobe are loungewear, workout clothes, and weekend wear. Basically the boring stuff! So keep an eye on THIS space (she says sarcastically).

Blogging
Oh blogging. First, let me say that I love my blog, and I love to blog. BUT! I always feel like a terrible blogger. 2014 was no exception. Even though the Mood Sewing Network kept me blogging regularly at least once a month, I still always felt like I should be doing more. It can get a bit difficult to be a part of a blogging community, even one as kind and compassionate as the sewing blogging community, and not fall into the trap of comparing yourself to everyone around you. It's something I feel like I have to be very mindful of. Does anyone else feel like this? Please share if you do, I'd love to hear your thoughts!

This upcoming year I'm going to work on going easier on myself. Thankfully (and luckily for ya'll) most of my 'bad blogger' berating goes on behind the scenes, but I still catch myself apologizing for prolonged absences and making self-deprecating jokes about what a bad blogger I am, and I think it's time for this to stop. I think we can all agree that blogging should be enjoyable, no matter which way you choose to do it, and not yet another source of bad feelings for not measuring up in our lives! And since I'm fairly certain that these 'bad blogger' feelings are totally self derived, than it's really up to me to change my attitude. I want to have a long, healthy relationship with my blog, after all.

This past year I gave my blog a little facelift. Actually, "facelift" is still probably too dramatic of a word for what I did... Really I sent my blog to the salon for a fresh cut and color and maybe a little makeup demo. This was perhaps not the total site overhaul I would love to do one day, but it did make the space feel a little fresher and tidier.

In terms of content, I would love some feedback on what you guys would like to see more of here? Are you interested in more process or 'behind the scenes' posts? Life updates? I've gotten the odd request for a hair tutorial or makeup question, and while that's a bit of new territory for me, I'm happy to oblige... Let me know... should I branch out, or just keep on keeping on??

Knitting

Oh man! This is something I'm insanely proud of! Learning to knit has been a 'bucket list' goal of mine for awhile now, and this past year, with the help of my supremely talented sister, I added it to my repertoire. In 2014 I made two hats, one sweater (never blogged) and started another sweater. The only bad thing about knitting, as far as I'm concerned, is that it turns me into an insanely obsessive couch creature. Seriously. I find knitting to be about 1000 x's more addicting than sewing, to the point that it's kind of dangerous. Like, if I'm not careful it might destroy all my personal relationships and land me in some kind of crafter's rehab (that exists, right? It should...)

I'm itching to finish the sweater I started last fall - hopefully before spring arrives so I get a chance to wear it! Although I might have already got distracted and started knitting another hat in the meantime. This is something I pretty much never do. I'm actually really hard core about finishing what I've started because I hate having half-finished things lurking about, giving me side-eye. But it felt like the right move this time. Like if I didn't take a break from the sweater than I was going to get officially burnt out, but this still keeps my mind in the knitting world... or something like that... Yeah okay, it wasn't really sound logic... and maybe I was just really excited about the yarn I got for my hat...

My goal going forward with knitting is to average about one or two sweaters a year, depending on the size of the project, and one or two accessories like hats, mittens, or socks. I think this should be doable... but I also have to stay mindful that I keep balance, or else come spring I might find myself melded to the couch... Another goal is to tackle some color work in the upcoming year! I think this would be a great project for some mittens (maybe these or these would be fun!)

Life and other stuff

One thing that has become a bigger part of my life in the past year is fitness. As someone who has gone out of her way to find ways to not move (surely I'm not the only person who is a champ at picking things up with my toes so I don't have to bend over? And chairs with wheels are heaven sent...Want me to come over there?? Hang on a second... *weeeeeee*!!) this is kind of a big deal.

I was actually pretty okay not being a very active person. I ride my bike at a snails pace the two miles of very flat road to and from work daily, I mean... what do you want from me? But this coming year I'm turning 30. Which is also okay by me. What wasn't okay was the fact that I was starting to feel like I was turning 50. Oy vey! My hip! My knees! My hip and my knees! Couple that with my propensity for shuffling around in my bathrobe and slippers and my fondness for knitting while watching British murder mysteries on Netflix and I felt like my family might start sitting me down for conversations about how they think I might be 'more comfortable' in a retirement home.

My picture game has seriously devolved in this post...
So around the end of last summer I began to try to incorporate more movement into my day beyond my half-hearted attempts at yoga, which usually resulted in me laying around in savasana more than actually saluting any suns... I decided I wanted to try, like really try, no excuses, to make fitness a part of my life. I always felt like any attempts at exercise I made previously were always done in the spirit of punishment - like "Holy Cow! You ate all the candy corn again?!?!?! To the treadmill with you!!" So I decided that was the first thing that had to go. I wasn't going to exercise because I felt a little bloated. I was just going to exercise. Every day. No matter what I did or didn't eat, or how my clothes fit. It was just going to be something I do. Like brushing my teeth. Which I know sounds really simple, but it was actually a huge mental shift for me.

I always hesitate writing about any of this on the blog because I don't want to come across as though I've 'figured it all out'. That's not the case. I just felt like I wanted to write it out so I don't forget. And because it's become a part of my life and I like talking about it. So if you're interested in hearing more, I'd be happy to write more, but otherwise - Note to self: Keep working out. You like it. It makes you feel good. It also makes you a much nicer person to be around.

Phew! Long post you guys! The crazy thing is, I could write so much more! But I think I touched on all the highlights.

I hope this didn't bore everyone to tears! Is it too late to wish everyone a Happy New Year? Probably, right? Well whatever....

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Oh! And I wanted to leave you with this, because... reflections. And Diana. Duh.

xx