12 in 2012... My Challenge and Lists!

I'm in, I'm in, I'm really REALLY in! If there is one thing that can keep me focused in life and achieve goals- crossing an item of a list as 'done'- is it. I love it, so satisfying. 


Suzie @ Su Sews So-So has a group of peeps (me included) to come up with 12 aims of the year and work to attain them goals- and write about them on their blogs. So, here is mine:




12 Dresses...


1. Angela Kane's - Pinafore Dress -DONE  
2. Jamie Christina - Sunny Day Dress - DONE
3. Burda Sewing Handbook Dress
4. Colette Patterns Sewing Handbook- Sweetheart Neck Sheath Dress
5. Colette Patterns Sewing Handbook- Asymmetrical Flounce Dress
6. Colette Patterns Sewing Handbook-  The Lined Dress with Gathered Sleeves
7. Sewaholic - Lonsdale Dress
8. Jamie Christina - Honey Girl Dress
9. Colette Patterns- Peony
10. Colette Patterns- Eclair
11. Colette Patterns- Macaroon
12. Colette Patterns - Rooibos


12 Separates...


1. Colette Patterns - Sorbetto DONE and a few more refashions from old clothes (pending...) 
2. Burda Sewing Handbook - Skirt
3. Burda Sewing Handbook - Blouse
4. Burda Sewing Handbook - Bag
5. Butterwick - Cape 3566
6. Colette Patterns - Negroni Shirt
7. A pair of Jeans
8. Colette Patterns - Clovers (Trousers)
9. Colette Patterns Sewing Handbook - Scalloped Hem Skirt
10. Colette Patterns Sewing Handbook - Flutter Sleeve Blouse
11. Sewaholic - Pendrell Blouse
12. Colette Patterns - Beignet


12 Skills...


1. Darts - DONE!
2. Inserting Elastic - DONE!
3. Bias Tape - DONE (ish)
4. Zips
5. Inserting Sleeves
6. Cuffs
7. Gathering
8. Lining
9. Tucks and Pleats
10. Pockets 
11. Necklines and Collars
12. Buttons and Fastenings


12 Things...


1. Dressmaker's Dummy
2. Pinking Shears
3. Burda Sewing Handbook DONE!
4. Colette Sewing Handbook
5. French Curve
6. Overlocker
7. Tracing Wheel - DONE
8. Invisible Zipper Foot
9. Rolled Hem Foot
10. Blind Hem Foot
11. Wildcard
12. Wildcard


Seeing as I am a late comer to the 12 in 2012, I have included some of what I have done already in 2012 to catch up somewhat. Acceptable, I think. I'm sure Suzie will tell me if not!


What I will do, is as I complete a project I will refer back to my lists of 12 and then cross them off accordingly with updates of my progress. Now I have 4 lists of 12, I feel its attainable but a stretch... exactly what's needed to get myself going. 


My ultimate aim this year is to truly feel like I have gone from 'novice' to 'intermediate' this year. My sewing classes were cancelled due to lack of interest and numbers, so I am going to teach myself with the amazing patterns, books and tutorials, community and blogs available online. Please feel free to be critical about what I do, I won't improve if I never get any critcism!


I'm going to make Clovers from Colette Patterns and refashion this dress into a Sorbetto. That's next up.....

... with black bias tape? I think its a winner? I love this dress, but I am a tad bored of it. It's about 5 years old. I think a Sorbetto would be cool with a pair of shorts and sandals for summer.

                                            Bundana

                                                X

Sunny Day Dress by Jamie Christina...."The Winkerton Flasher"

I have a confession... I have a 'Tramp Stamp' that went a bit mad! No, I jest... I don't. Its a cat and a lotus flower and blah blah blah. BUT, being from my shoulder blades down to my tailbone, I don't often get to flash it off... this dress however can do this. Winkerton is my bestest friend in the whole wide world who gave me some inspiration and her opinion when deciding what to with this fabric.... thus it's called the 'Winkerton Flasher'. This naming of the garment I make has stuck, expect this everytime I make something!



What do you think? I really like it... the orange of my hair and the mint of the dress makes me hungry looking at it, like a dessert... where is the chocolate?! I like the fit and the style... very 'chilling about on a sunny day' aka very Bundana.

In regards to the pattern, it was a dream! I am sooooo used to yards and inches now (even though my little metric brain thinks its gobbledegook) and other than that, the pattern was like putting your spoon through a chocolate mousse- easy and soooooo satisfying!

OK, so my little reflection about the dress...

1. Greaseproof paper does NOT work ever so well as a tracing paper substitute. It's OK... hmmmmm.... well, you know..... it did the trick. Problems that made the process an unhappy one were that I had to use a pencil as NOTHING else would stay on the paper (grease included presumably, ahem). Pencils go blunt like HELL! What a pain in the posterior. Also, the paper is so shiny and cutting out was a task not to be undertaken lightly, the light bulbs, sun, my fuming red eyes would all reflect happily off the surface and obscuring totally my view of my lines to cut. Worth a shot though, no?! €1.89 rather than €8 on tracing paper here in Ireland. As I say, it was fine... just not enjoyable, at all.
2. I do not have any shoes to go with the dress, yet. Excuse for shopping?! Go on, then.
3. I can't wear it because it's still freezing in Ireland
4. I love it though! Get me, wearing pink! If they could see me now. ('They' being people who only know me as 'Brown Cathy', a colour during college I just LOVED!! Indie, Hippy, Belle and Sebastian 'Twee and Studious'... all phases of my fashion tastes during that hormonally charged and generally fun and drunken time of my life were accommodated with the wonderful colour of brown.) OK, so I am not Barbara Cartland pink, but this is the best effort I have made in a long long time.... those flecks of pink you see are a landmark for me.
5. Thou shall not rush. I rushed the gathering because I didn't enjoy it. I also didn't like doing the hand stitching so much, so I rushed that. Don't get me wrong... I love making clothes, but I have this habit (in life as well as in dressmaking) of rushing and bodging over things that I don't enjoy... I didn't like the gathering because my sewing machine wouldn't produce a stitch that I could gather, so I had to do it by hand... couture, you know... But I don't like what I did, so that gathering is a bit bulky and not how I would ideally like it
6. Cotton is too heavy and bulky for lining. Next dress will have no skirt lining or a VERY much thinner one. Caffy the Cheapskate did NOT strike again. The rest of this white cotton will be used for muslin... which I MUST start doing. But I lined the whole thing, used catchstich and it looks rather good. It's just a tad too heavy and clumpy.I've used a lickle wickle bit of the Iced Frappe cotton from Backstitch, it's a winner folks! Get some! It's a beaut of a colour and is going to make another beautiful garment for summer... watch this space

In conclusion....

I like it, Q isn't so keen. I think it's girlie and he not used to that! Oh well, its my new staple for the sun that Ireland WILL get. Chilling in the garden with a chilled Pinot Grigio. Oh yes... my willpower will make this happen! Anyways, Jamie Christina is a name to watch. The dress was a dream to put together and with clear instructions and a clear, concise and fun voice guiding you through, I skipped away from making this dress feeling that little bit more closer to sewing well. Success!

Next up.... Colette Pattern 'Clover' Trousers in...

Dresden

Dresden Blue. Can't beat a pair of trousers in blue, can ya?!

Slightly tempted to make them in red, but we shall see. As always, this is an idea... not set in stone!

Bundana

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