I’ve really enjoyed reading everyone’s reflections and reviews of 2015 and thought it was about time I scrambled a post together for mine.
I’ve been blogging now since September 2013 but this is the first time I’ve looked back and posted on the previous year.
I’m basing my post around Gillian’s Annual Roundup but only doing the top 3 of each category and I’ve tweaked them a bit too.
So here’s my top Threes………
(CLICK ON THE PHOTOS TO BE TAKEN TO THE ORIGINAL POST)
TOP 3 MOST POPULAR POSTS
1 The GBSB drapey knit dress with 644 views! I cringe every time I look at this post. No make-up, grey roots and the most unflattering dress I’ve ever worn!! And an unwilling photographer who caused my to scowl a lot! I donated it to science gave it to SewSouthLondon and she wore it to work – it looked fab on her!!
2 “Magic Our Morris” – my Grainline Studio Blazer. I totally get why this was such a popular post – nearly everyone made one, and we all drooled admired each others and looked for insiration. Mine had quite a bit of wear through the summer, and my MIL even borrowed it to wear at a wedding.
3 The “Spoolettes are coming to Yorkshire!” post! And what a great time we had when they did!! Dewsbury must be amongst the best places for fabric shopping.
MY TOP 3 FAVOURITE GARMENTS
1 The Colette Wren. Love this! And so I should after so many muslins! I’ve worn it full length for a black tie do and at my works Christmas do, then I shortened it and have worn it a few more times at less formal occasions.
2 My umpteenth Coco. Love this and despite it not fitting as well as i’d like across the upper bust i’ve worn it more times than anything in my wardrobe.
My husband has bought himself a new toy. Stabilisers which turn his bike into a go no where bike. Thought I might use it as a prop in my photo shoot! Trouble is, he’s 6′ 3″ so I had a bit of trouble getting my leg over!
3 Vogue 1429 – a top I made to wear for golf. I also made matching Espresso leggings and a self drafted pull on skirt so i could wear the top whatever the weather! I really need to make more of these, there’s also a version as a dress which I should make too. The neckline is unusual and flattering and not too faffy either.
TOP 3 MISSES
1 Obviously the GBSB dress. Enough said, but why not have another photo? Why not!?
2 A cycling cap – beautifully made but never worn!
3 The By Hand London Georgia Dress. I love this dress but have never wore it. I thought it would be perfect to wear at a BBQ. Can someone please invite me to one this year!? I still love the style and am hoping to make another one this year. In it’s defense it did start it’s life as a muslin, so I shouldn’t be too harsh on it!
TOP 3 COMMENTERS (is that even a word, it must be, it hasn’t got a red line under it!)
3 Sewchet
Thankyou ladies for your support and wise words, and to all of you who take time to read and comment on my posts.
3 NONE SEWING HIGHLIGHTS
H made the Yorkshire Cricket squad again in his age group and played all the games in the B team. Proud mum!
2015 was my first whole year as a none smoker! I stopped on the 27h Feb 2014, so it’s nearly my 2nd anniversary.
I did the couch to 5k and took part in my first 5k park run and am now hooked! I’m hoping to complete a 10k run this year.
2016 – Looking ahead
3 Garments I WILL make in 2016
1 A shirt for my hubby (that is wearable!).
2 At least 1 pair of jeans.
3 The Sewoverit Pussy Bow Blouse. I’ve lusted over it across the internet and whether it suits me or not I will have one!
Its not a garment, but I really want to try my hand at quilting. By quilting I mean proper quilting – something big enough to use as a throw on the bed or the couch. Maybe one of the Block of the Month’s that’s about might be what I need to spur me on.
I also want to dabble in making underwear – at least some knickers if not a bra. The thing that puts me off bra making is that i want to loose a few pounds, and inevitably the weight is likely to come off the boobs and not the waist line where I’d like it to! So then I’d be left with a bra that’s too big!
I also want to concentrate on quality rather than quantity, and challenge myself with at least one advanced sew.
This year we are planning an extension to our home which will not only give us more living space, and another bedroom, it will also give me a decent sized sewing room! The downside is that there will be quite a lot of disruption and walls being knocked down. No doubt the work will effect my current sewing space, but I’ve asked my lovely parents for a corner at their house for my sewing machine so hopefully production won’t come to a complete halt!
So to finish with a photo of my current sewing space – it’s a bit cramped and I have to run up and down stairs when I need to iron, and also when I’m cutting out. Fingers crossed in next years review it will look a bit different to this! (this isn’t what it actually looks like at the minute. That photo would be more embarrassing than the GBSB drapey dress!).
A belated good luck in all you choose to do in 2016.
May your seams be straight, your collars pointy and your reader be full of inspiration!
T H I M B E R L I N A 
What a grand collection & review of 2015! Enjoyed reading it tremendously, and must admit “chatting” with you is no end of fun! (You’re my top commmenter (making it a word), too!) I also wanna get my pussy bow blouse sewn – maybe we could do ours together somehow? Do hope your addition isn’t too difficult, and will look forward to having a bit more from over Cyber-Mum & Da’s place. XX
Hi Del, I’m finally getting round to catching up on my blog! It’s been a should I sew or should I blog moment. Blogging won! You said you’d got the same pattern as Amanda, and I can’t believe I’ve not got that. I must have missed that issue before I subscribed to the magazine but it looks pretty similar to the Sewoverit one. Have you got any fabric in mind now you’re back into your closet? xx
Yes, I’ve got several different rayons to choose from! This pattern’s from the 2nd magazine, so you might well have missed it. I do like the higher neck version yours has, for more winter wear. 😉 Which neckline version are you going to make?
Really enjoyed reading this! I’ve only recently started following you so had missed all the fun! Your Wren dress looks great. Good luck with the building works – never easy but just remember that it will all be worth it in the end!
Thanks, it was fun putting it together – my mum still can’t believe I put another photo of me in what she calls my humpty dumpty dress! Oh well! The Wren was definitely a big highlight of the year. I’ve a wedding on Valentine’s day and I think I might make another to wear for that. 🙂
Brilliant review. You have come so far. I am envious. I too would like a pussy bow blouse this year. Good luck with the sewing space I am lucky to have a room but really need to make my mark on it this year. Not just ‘the boy’s’ old bedroom!!
Thanks Karen! You might find some fabric in Dewsbury for you pussy bow blouse. I found it a bit hard when I ws looking as I wanted something a bit floaty but didn’t fancy anything too slippery. In other words I wanted to make life easy for myself! I’m fancying one of the peg boards painted in a pale shade so hang all my bit n pieces on when I get my sewing room. Maybe if you add a few bits and pieces like that? 🙂
Great post! That GBSB dress is funny, I do remember that one 🙂 Funny how it can look so different on different people, imagine it would awful on me too! Much though I love your Wren (long and short versions) my favourite has to be your golfing outfit, just because it’s so original but seemed totally you too (the collar is great and I loved the matching skirt too). Looking forward to seeing more golfing items this year.
And you should be so proud of your health changes, I didn’t realise that you’d only given up smoking recently too as well as all that running. Hope you’re giving yourself a huge pat on the back for both 🙂
I do give myself a pat on the back – my arms aching, lol! When I’ve stopped smoking in the past and failed it wanted hubby and anyone else who knows me to give me a pat on the back too, but when I did it this time I did it for me, which made it easier. A big incentive was to be able to spend more money on fabric!
The GBSB dress…..! I still shudder every time i see the photos! When I’m old and sat in a nursing home i’ll show all the care staff and have them in stitches! 🙂
A fab incentive! I’m currently considering tutoring to finance my fabric spends, but then less sewing time, hmmmm…. Really looking forward to Sat X
A fabulous post! There are so many things here I want to make, especially the blazer.
I have my pussy bow blouse pattern ready too!
It’s lovely to see pictures of summertime. I can’t quite remember what it is like not to be cold, wet and windswept!
The weather’s just getting worse isn’t it!? I bet you’ve not been able to get out on your bike at all. It’s my day off today and I think it’d be like going the wrong way down an escalator trying to run in this wind so decided not to bother!
A friend made the blazer, and she’s slim like you and had to make quite a few changes as the loose fit swamped her. She might be going on Saturday. 🙂
I loved reading this and, had you asked me those questions, would have given pretty much the same answers! I couldn’t choose between the dress and the golf outfit though, both are complete opposites but are brilliant for their respective purposes. Your greatest achievement has to be quitting the evil weed for good:)
It certainly is, I just wish I’d have done it years ago, but never mind. I’ve never had a TNT pattern that I turn to if I need something in a hurry but the Wren fits the bill now after all the fitting I did. 🙂
Great post! I keep on promising my other half a shirt. I think he was a bit dubious about my sewing skills at first, but I think he may be quite keen now. As for pussy bow blouses, they are really good to wear to work, but sadly I only have one. I think I have got over the fact that they remind me of Margaret Thatcher, but probably good to steer clear of blouses in blue.
They’d look funny at me if I turned up in a pussy bow blouse, it wouldn’t go with my steel toe cap boots! Sometimes I wish I didn’t have a job with a uniform so I could wear more of my hand made things on a day to day basis, but on the other hand it’s so easy when I get up on a morning.
I remember the Maggie Thatcher era – my mum’s cousin played her voice on Spitting Image and is still about doing it now. Wonder if he wants me to make him a pussy bow blouse too!! lol 🙂
Hee, hee! Love the idea of a pussy bow blouse with steel toe cap boots. Didn’t realise it was a male voice as the iron lady in Spitting Image!
This was a lovely post to read! Nice to see you evaluate your own sewing too 🙂 I’m interested to see what you make of quilting, especially making something on a large scale. Good luck for 2016 😀
I’m really looking forward to the quilting. Hubby’s God Daughter is expecting and due in June so I might make a small one for her first. And there’s a place local that does long arm quilting if i do a big one – or is that cheating??!! 🙂
It’s good to look back isn’t it? Your GBSB dress still makes me chuckle! However, you’ve made so much great stuff – that Morris blazer and your Wren dress are both wonderful!
My mum still thinks I’m bonkers for posting another pic of my gbsb dress, she calls it my Humpty Dumpty dress! But a blogs got to be everything, warts n all, don’t you think! 😃
Fantastic!!! What a great review. Your GBSB dress is still a beloved part of my wardrobe!!
Glad you’ve still got it!! So funny, did your post get a lot of views too?? I bet it must be in the top 10 google searches of 2015, lol! 🙂
Great round up. Lovely to look through your past posts and to hear of your plans. Can’t quite get my head round what the draw is of making your own underwear – that would drive me insane – although I know a lot of people do it.
Now I’m older and wear bigger knickers I thought they’d be less fiddly than the smalls i used to wear! Don’t fancy the cotton frilly type though! 🙂
Ha ha! Home made Bridget Jones Knickers 🙂
I’m with Bekki about the underwear. I could never make the sort of bra that you need for support if you have any sort of bust at all and I have flung many pairs of unfinished knickers aside in frustration but I do now have a very nice collection of pretty knicker elastic so I might go down that road again.
I definitely think you should go for the quilting – but then I would wouldn’t I – you might be able to join in our F2F Block Swap(https://talltalesfromchiconia.wordpress.com/2015/03/05/foot%c2%b2freestyle-a-block-swap-party/) this year if Kate organises another one. It has certainly made me up my game – making for other people is a great incentive to be more accurate and more inventive and, of course, you end up with some gorgeous blocks at the end of it.
I’ve been following it on your blog and it’s been fascinating, but as a beginner do you think I’d be ok to do it? I’ll keep an eye out and see if there’s a spot for me. 🙂
Thoroughly enjoyed reading this! Agree with others that you should be proud of your health and fitness goals. Your sewing room puts mine to shame 😯. Hope the extension goes well. My favourite Ali make didnt make it on your top list s……your Holly jumpsuit made me buy the pattern where I normally dont spend so much on one pattern😃. Heres to a fab 2016🍷🍷
N00!!! I nearly fell off my chair…!! My sewing could never could put yours to shame!! You’re like up there with the sewing greats!!!
The Holly jumpsuit would have made it if it had been a top 5 not a top 3, but it’s wearability let it down really. I’d like to make the button up version as I’m getting a bit old for all the skin to be on show!! 🙂
Great post. I love seeing what everyone has been up to last year. I wish you a lot of Happy Sewing this year too!
Thanks Linda, it’s good isn’t it, time just passes so fast it’s good to look back 🙂
Oh how I enjoyed this post! First of all, congratulations on nearly 2 smoke-free years, that’s a big accomplishment. And on all of your health commitments, and your creative sewing – you are an inspiration! I understand waiting for bit of weight loss to begin undies. ( I’m waiting for that before beginning anything! 😐 ) Looking forward to what you have to share with us in 2016.
Glad you enjoyed it Jennie! I’m wondering if this extra weight will ever go, after all, H is nearly 14 and I’d have thought the baby weight would’ve gone by now! I can’t believe I’ve stopped for almost 2 years, and never think of it any more, wish I’d have done it years ago. 😀
A great post. I’ve started following you more recently than the GBSB dress – good call giving it away! Congratulations on your nearly 2 year anniversary as a non smoker. I understand not wanting to make a bra when you want to lose weight; I’m in the same position. We should encourage each other.
I’m coming up to 2 years on my blog, which started very much as my learning log but I think I need to rethink.
I really nearly didn’t blog about that dress it was so hideous – but it may have saved others time and money by sharing it! Should be in bed now not on here, long day tomorrow! 😀
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