2016 in Review

Because I need to remember to post at least once a year right?

Hi readers! (those left!)  In order to not be a completely failed blogger, I thought I'd post a round up of my makes this year just in time!

As you all should know by now, you can find me regularly on instagram @oldhousemamawears where a regularly post my makes and other tidbits of my life!  If you don't follow please do!

However in the interested of blogger posterity, here's a round up!  I wanted to make some fancy infographics like I've seen other awesome bloggers do, but who am I kidding!  Here are my photos, gathered loosely in a couple of themes.

I'll end off with some goals and plans for next year.  Happy New Year everyone!

SELFISH SEWS- I made 37ish things for me this year!  not bad!

Zircon Dress, Dress from Boundless Style, Wrap Dress

Arum Dress, Brassie Joggers, Everyday Skirt

Yalu Coat, Saith Tunic, Self Drafted Apron

Schoolhouse tunic, Marbella Dress, Lane Top

Ginger Jeans! - First attempt at jeans and loved it! and another new favourite the Inari Tee Dress

Saith Tunic (ok I made it last December, but close enough), Charleston Dress, Mesa Dress (I love this pattern!)

Mesa Dress altered to a swing dress, Arum Dress, Fen Dress

Texana Tank x 2 and Blanc Tee

Dress E from Stylish Party Dresses (Japanese Pattern book), Hannah Dress (this is a favourite!) and Colfax Dress

Splash Swimsuit (Left and Right) and Soma Swimsuit (Middle)

Everyday Skirt x two and another Inari Tee

Paper cut Sway Dress, Alder Shirtdress, and Bowline Sweater

Julia Cardigan and Jade Skirt, Washi Dress, and Lola Dress

KIDS AND OTHER 
I did instagram some of my kids stuff and didn't really make as much as my kids didn't need to much.  I made a few more things for the Mr. and tried my hand at a few more bags!  I've learned that I dislike how long it takes to make bags and am reminded every time I sew for my kids how quick it is and I should do it more!

A few more Recess Raglans (my go to for a raglan tee) and Alex and Anna PJs (my go to as well!)

Stellar Tunic, Self drafted Car poncho, Twisted Trousers

Rowan Tee, Anytime at all tee, and Modified with a hood Hawthorne Sweater

More Rowan tees,  Halla Stardust Tee, Fishsticks Tank, and Jayden Jammies

Negroni Shirt, Brassie Joggers, Campfire Messenger Bag

Maker's Totes x Two, Art Tote, and Pencil cases

GOALS FOR NEXT YEAR

1. Sew some lingerie!
2. More separates, less dresses (HA!)
3. Make more jeans!
4. Have more fun!

Thanks for reading and Happy New Year!  Maybe I'll even blog again before next December.

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Selfish Sewing Week - A Zinnia

In case you haven't heard, it's the fall version of Selfish Sewing Week!  Hosted by Rachel over at Imagine Gnats, it's an excuse to focus your sewing for yourself! Thats assuming you have kids you often sew for, ha!

I sew a fair bit for myself normally, but I hoped to get through a more than normal this week.  Not much luck, busy work week and tired me meant I've mostly been lying on the couch in the evening!  And it's going to be a sunny warm weekend after a month of chilly weather so I suspect I won't get much more done! BUT I did sew up a skirt!

A Colette Zinnia in fact!  From some of the err large amount of Cotton + Steel I may or may not have snagged at Fabrications a few months ago!

Sadly, I only bought 1.5 meters, and it needs 2 meters because of the width in the skirt.  So I cheated and narrowed the width and cut it the wrong direction.  It's just quilting cotton so the drape isn't right anyway and the narrower width is probably more appropriate for the weight.

Otherwise she came together pretty easy, although I admit I sometimes detest sewing in pleats! Yet I LOVE the look of a full skirt, I may need to make more.  One of these days I also need to sew myself up a proper underskirt too, it will totally make it lay better and prevent me always wanting to adjust the pleats!

And it also has the required POCKETS.  That is all.

So in light of my lack of progress this week, I'm thinking I might just deem next week Selfish Shirt-dress Sewing Week and sew these up then then instead?

Selfish Sewing Week Plans

I have big plans to sew my back to work wardrobe, so having Selfish Sewing Week happen now is perfect!

I have a pile of patterns and fabric I want to sew, but I'm hoping to make a dent on these three projects;

The Ginger skirt and the lisette shirt dress have been cut out forever!  And I just cut out the Saltspring last night.  

The Ginger is cut from some gorgeous Nani Iro brushed cotton I got from Fabrications, and the lisette fabric is from Carolyn Friedlander's Architextures collection.   The Saltspring from some generic knit I bought from an online store that shall not be named as I'm a bit disappointed with the (it wasn't clear what the direction of the triagles were and they are not the direction one would expect, and my three yards arrive in a 1 yard and 2 yard piece...  The site doesn't say fabric is continuous cut, but one would expect it to be...)  alas, I hope the yellow isn't too much for me, it's not my normal colour but I thought it was worth a shot!

Now to get the children to nap ;)

The long awaited Negroni

I bought the Colette Negroni pattern to make up for the Mr. last year... or was it the year before? Regardless I'd had it for a while. I bought fabric in the fall, but didn't get around to cutting it till before Christmas... I had a baby... oops. I finally finished it as a late birthday present in like April... and now it's July! Time for me to post about it right? So here goes!

I'm not a fan of lengthy, complex patterns (I admit, I don't have tons of time, so I like quite, simple patterns mostly!), but while this one was more complex then I normally sew, the wonderful instructions typical of Colette Patterns took me through it!

And the Mr. was super excited about it.  I didn't use fancy fabric as it was my first go, it's almost a wearable muslin in some ways, but it's definitely wearable!  and I managed to make the plaid look ok too!

So I now present you with gratuitous pictures of my wonderful husband... I told him to act natural and not pose... this is what happened...

He's pretty happy with the fit, and so am I.  Ended up making a Large, but I had to take it out a bit through the ummm middle section ;)  I also cut long sleeves and then changed my mind which meant I had to do some not so fancy adjustments to the sleeves to make them look ok.  I still need to tack up the fold, but it works!

And he likes it!