Monday, December 30, 2013

2013: Top 5 Hits and Misses

2013 was a fun sewing year for me. I let myself mostly just sew for fun, and I got a lot of great projects made. It was pretty hard to pick out just 5 favorites, but here they are, in no particular order.
1. Burda magazine 08/2007-112B coat
I love this coat so much. It goes with 90% of my wardrobe, and I wear it constantly. I feel instantly chic in it, even if I'm just wearing a tee and jeans.
It was also my first attempt at machine tailoring. I loved how quick it was, and the results are holding up really well.

2. Lolita Spearmint coat
I know, another coat, but I wear this one constantly as well. It has tons of wow factor and the winter white color is an excellent neutral.
I learned an amazing lining technique from this coat that I will be using on all coats and jackets going forward.

3. All the Penny Pinafores
I wear these tunics constantly and the dress is rapidly becoming a go to dress any time I want to be polished and posh, but still comfortable.
It helps that this pattern whips up in a flash, but it is so versatile. I love it.

4. Simplicity 3503 maxi dress
This dress gets worn constantly. It is absolutely my favorite dress. Comfortable and cool, but also completely classy.
I get compliments whenever and wherever I wear it. And I wear it everywhere from grocery shopping with the kids to a posh dinner date with my honey.

5. Closet Case Files Bombshell swimsuit
Obviously, I don't wear this one to the grocery store, but I am so thrilled with this suit!! It looks like a million bucks and fits like it's custom - which it is! I love it.

Of course, where there is a top 5, there have to be a bottom 5. So, my 'top' 5 misses for 20013 are...

1. Anne Adams 4799 dress
There isn't actually anything wrong with this dress. It fits well and is comfortable. It looks nice. But somehow, it isn't something I grab in my closet, so I think it's only been worn once. Maybe I should shorten it or something.

This one is purely a fabric fail. I love my other Bess top (made from charmeuse) but this one I made from swiss dot and it doesn't drape well. The top makes me feel big, so I don't wear it.

I LOVED this top, and I really want to remake it. It's a fail because the lace was poor quality and started to shred after being worn only a couple of times. It's already had to be trashed. And I miss it.

Alas, they look great on, but I can't breathe in them. They've been donated and I've since made 2 pairs of Jalie 2908 jeans in a size larger that I love and wear often.

This isn't actually a total fail, since I still wear it on occasion, but my fabric choice wasn't ideal. The rib knit is a little thick, so the facing area is a bit bulky, especially around the sleeves. It's still wearable, just not my favorite. I like the pattern, but it would be better in a thinner knit.

I feel good that it was difficult for my to choose 5 fails, but I had a very hard time narrowing down my top 5. I made a lot of things this year that I love, and that makes me happy. I've made a lot of things this year that were successful and get worn often. I'd call that a good year!

14 comments:

EmSewCrazy said...

I love that you have a dress you can wear to the grocery store and feel fabulous in! You have done an amazing amount of work this year and it was very interesting to see what your favorites are.

Jessamy Rose said...

Haha, your fails aren't so fail-ish. Everything you make is adorable. You're so talented.

kristin said...

I agree, your fails are so bad! I'm happy you were able to turn them around and either remake - or still wear. That lace top is so cute. You should totally remake it soon! Love the coats too :D What a great year you've had!

Vanessa said...

Great wrap-up!! I love the maxi dress you made! Best wishes as you continue your sewing journey in 2014.

Linda L said...

Love your top 5 and low 5 garments for 2013.

Heather Bee said...

Wonderful list Katie. It sounds like all your fails were fabric related. That's great since you can and have just remade the pattern.

Sofie M said...

I agree, your fails aren't so bad and I would shorten that dress in the fail list. I love your Spearmint coat and the Bombshell togs! You are a real inspiration - thanks - Happy New Year!

Lori VanMaanen said...

Incr

Lori V said...

Incredible job on all the sewing this year, I agree the leopard coat is fabulous.

Mary said...

Lovely sewing! Great job on your coats, especially. They look fantastic!

Kyle Burkhardt said...

Katie, your sewing output is amazing! Can't wait to see all your new garments in the new year! Happy New Year!

Joy said...

Looks like you had a great year! Your top 5 are fabulous - and actually your bottom 5 aren't bad (:

Victoria said...

Job well done Lady!!! You produced some great pieces! I'm looking forward to see what you do this year!!!

Katie Deshazer said...

That's a great idea for a post! It'll take a little thought, but I'll work on it.