A look back at my 2015

While 2015 hasn't been quite as eventful as 2014, it has still been a pretty good year for me. If you've been reading my blog for some time, you already know what has been happening, but I'll recap here anyways.

I started 2015's sewing off nice and early with a skirt made from Fabric from a Secret Santa and a shirt made from fabric from a friend's stash only a few days into the year. You can read more about the outfit here.

Later in January My Husband and I celebrated our 6 month wedding anniversary by spending the day at Luna Park Sydney. It was raining most of the day, but that just meant there were less kids there to have to deal with. We took a picnic lunch of fruit, cheese and wine, and had a fabulous day.

Frock 7852 on the left

I graded up and scanned in my first PDF Pattern! Still available for free, the pattern is for a dress bodice from 1951 in sizes 36" bust and 44" bust.

I made a Columbia costume to wear to a showing of the Rocky Horror Picture Show at the Regal Cinema, which has seen quite a lot of wear through out the year.

I made this gorgeous pleated creation for Kurri Nostalgia Festival. Little did I know, this wouldn't be my most time consuming pleated project this year.

I Finally made a pair of well fitting pants I was proud of (that unfortunately don't fit right now)

I participated in the Sew Retro Rose Capelet Sew-Along

There was a big storm that flooded most of my town

I made a costume and dressed up as a nun for a Blues Brother showing at the Regal Cinema

I participated in Me-Made-May, and managed to get through the month wearing almost all me-made clothes, without repeating too many outfits. It showed me a few holes I have to fill, that mostly being separates, outerwear and pyjamas.

I guest posted over at Sew Retro Rose with a super easy Crochet Snood pattern

I made a costume and dressed up as Zoot for a showing of Monty Python and the Holy Grail at the Regal Cinema

I made a Crazy Star Wars Cosplay for a Friend

I made a Beauty School Dropout costume (Frenchie from Grease) had a bunch of teeth pulled out of my mouth, then still went on to win best dressed at the Regal Cinema only hours after being under general anesthetic at the dentist.

I finally got up the courage to sew myself a version of the infamous white dress from "the Seven Year Itch". If I never pleat fabric ever again it will still be too soon. I still haven't managed to get decent photos of this dress, so hopefully that is something you will get to see in 2016. I am stupidly proud of how this dress turned out, as I tried to make it as close to the original as I could. You can read about it's construction here, which I highly recommend if you are considering making this dress yourself.

I went on my first Cruise (and also my second cruise later)

I hosted my very own Sew-Along with a pattern I graded to many sizes and scanned in to make my second ever PDF pattern (which is available for sale for US$2 since the end of the Sew-Along)

My Boy got sick, and was very clingy and clumsy while on his medication (but he is all better now) which made it very difficult to get anything done

I dressed up as a Christmas Elf, after making the dress using velvet remnants and my Sun Frock Sew-Along pattern

I attended the Inaugural Pinup Picnic in the Park in Newcastle

I participated in 2 vintage secret santas, 1 through Sew Retro Rose and 1 through Chronically Vintage. I sent off my parcels to America and QLD, and received some awesome stuff in return. I have already worn the brooch and necklace from the Sew Retro Rose parcel, and I am just trying to decide on a fabric to make a dress from the pattern from the Chronically Vintage Parcel. After a particularly trying Christmas day, these were a great pick-me-up.

We've now begun the New Year, and while I haven't been very productive since Christmas (about all I have managed is finally seeing "The Dressmaker") I have big plans for this year! I don't have a list of specific goals for my blog for 2016, but rather I just want to keep it going the way it has been, with more patterns, tutorials and Sew-alongs. Although I already have a very long list of things I'd like to sew this year.

The goals I set for myself last year were:

1. To Participate lots of sew-alongs.

I only managed the Capelet Sew-Along with Sew Retro Rose and my own Sew-Along. I had hoped to participate in Vintage on Tap's Apron Sew-Along, but unfortunately didn't find the time to.

2. I want to host my own sew-along, most likely with a free pattern to make it easily accessible to all.

Yep, did it!

3. I'd like to do a give away.
Didn't quite manage this one, although I do have another pattern I am partway through grading up, to give to all my Sew-Along participants. Although I guess I did give the Sew-Along pattern away for free to begin with, as well as my first PDF pattern offering.

4. Work out how to digitize/pdf some of my self drafted patterns to share with everyone. 

While I haven't tried my hand at properly digitizing yet, I did manage to scan in and PDF 2 patterns, that while they were not self-drafted, they were graded up by me.

5. Write up a few informative sewing tutorials.

I kinda managed this one. I did write a knitting and 2 crochet tutorials, as well as a drawstring bag sewing tutorial. I do however have a few in the works for 2016!

6. Collaborate with another blog
I guest Posted over on Sew Retro Rose with an easy Crochet Snood tutorial

So thanks for reminiscing with me, now bring on a great 2016!

Dixie