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.

2. Shirred Bess top

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.

3. Burda magazine lace tee

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.

4. Jalie 2908 jeans

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.

5. Casual Lady top

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!