Bonne Année

My Christmas holidays were largely spent occupying my parent's dining room with sewing and pattern tracing activities. Here is a photo of my nearly finished Violet blouse. Really happy with the collar and just the buttons to do now! Will do a post on the finished item soon.

So at the calendar's turn 2014 has arrived and with it the chance to reflect on what has passed and look towards what is to come, but this year I'm going to try not to put any pressure on myself and let what happens happen!

So I won't set any unrealistic sewing goals, I'll just take this advice from Lladybird and make sure to use my time effectively to sew whenever possible. I do disagree with her on one point though, I don't believe you should finish every project, if it is not working out or you realise you won't ever wear it - abandon ship! Life's too short. You could adapt it into something else or salvage the material and use it for a future project.

The main thing I'll try to do is keep in mind that I want to learn dressmaking because I enjoy it and not make it into something stressful.

I also read this quote recently from American author Ira Glass (as quoted in Tavi's Rookiemag January Editor's letter) and I think it is really interesting:

“Nobody tells this to people who are beginners, I wish someone told me. All of us who do creative work, we get into it because we have good taste. But there is this gap. For the first couple years you make stuff, it’s just not that good. It’s trying to be good, it has potential, but it’s not. But your taste, the thing that got you into the game, is still killer. And your taste is why your work disappoints you. A lot of people never get past this phase, they quit. Most people I know who do interesting, creative work went through years of this. We know our work doesn’t have this special thing that we want it to have. We all go through this. And if you are just starting out or you are still in this phase, you gotta know its normal and the most important thing you can do is do a lot of work. Put yourself on a deadline so that every week you will finish one story. It is only by going through a volume of work that you will close that gap, and your work will be as good as your ambitions. And I took longer to figure out how to do this than anyone I’ve ever met. It’s gonna take awhile. It’s normal to take awhile. You’ve just gotta fight your way through.” 

When I read it I really felt it applied a lot to my relationship with sewing, I'm constantly thinking I'm not 'good enough' etc. but I'm actually just disappointed because I've set high standards for myself! But rather than feel despondent I should use this feeling of wanting to improve to drive me to make more! And we should all pat ourselves on the back for trying as even if it doesn't feel like it we are improving. Look at the first thing you made and look at the last. I remember a time when I couldn't even sew a zip, something I can do automatically now, let alone set in a sleeve or a collar! I remember when I didn't press any seams! So the only way is up! I'm just going to try and enjoy the journey and not make myself ill trying.

So I hope 2014 is a happy and peaceful year for you!

p.s. I think making new years resolutions is totally ok if it works for you but here is a really interesting post (from a non-sewing blog) that says if we want to do something or make a change in our lives we can do it anytime!

p.p.s. Very much looking forward to taking part in the Belgian/Dutch sewing blogger meet up on 18 January!