Sewing 2012!

I think it's going to be a good year for sewing. Mostly because last year I think I made some extra progress along the steep slope that is the sewing learning curve. I tried to represent this is graph form to show you all.

As you can see, I have progressed much more slowly along the Photoshop learning curve. I can't figure out the pen tool, but I did accidentally create the abstract art you see above. I'm just going to leave it at that. This image represents a year of sewing that includes my truly wearable garment, invisible zippers, catch stitching, bound buttonholes, a little bit of drafting, and my first lined garment. If you're not seeing it, I guess you just don't understand my art.

So what's next!? I would love to make a few of these skirts:

Meringue, from the Colette Sewing Handbook

Some cute skirts are just what my closet needs. I did a closet cleaning yesterday, and realized (not for the first time) that I own a lot of things that I don't like to wear: thrift store finds that are just so-so, things I shrunk, things that are black or neutral, things that are too dressy for everyday, dresses and skirts that are too short, and miscellaneous t-shirts and tank tops I would only ever wear to bed or the gym. Not so inspiring! So next on my list are some very wearable and eye-pleasing projects: a Meringue in purple corduroy, and maybe another in some of the wool I bought?

Also uncovered in my closet cleanup, garments that are not or cannot be worn and which must be salvaged and reborn as something better:

sun is so bright this morning!

The green is a very eighties dress I thrifted because it's silk. Doesn't fit, but it can definitely be made into something, right? Even if it's just a camisole. The color is too pretty to give back to the thrift store. The pastel floral thing is a skirt, silk again. It definitely has a dated or elderly look to it, but again, it's silk! When I finally learned about how fabric content counts, I kinda went nuts tracking down silk things at the Salvo. Any ideas on how to make this dated skirt into something cute? The black on the left is a pair of capris which I also got at the thrift store, with the intent to rip all the seams and make a pattern from them. After my disaster with the Bella pattern from Burdastyle, I'm convinced that the only way to make myself pants is to make my own pattern from pants that fit. And last, the black blouse on the right I never wear, because it's black. It's also silk, and stretchy, which makes me think it's destined to become...

Underroos! Or a bra rather. This will be an adventure, but I'm very excited to try. If it works out, I'm saying goodbye to store-bought, rib-poking, cheaply made bras forever. For a long time I've been ogling the stretch lace at the Etsy store, MaryNotMartha:

MaryNotMartha on Etsy

For inspiration and guidance, I can thank the sewing blogosphere for both verypurpleperson:

one of her many very beautiful lingerie sets

and also for A Few Threads Loose:

who has been doing lingerie sew-alongs which I recently discovered. How I love the sewing-internet!

And finally, for this year, I finally have a sewing buddy! A good friend of mine has decided to re-take up sewing, and we are going to tackle Colette Pattern's Peony as her first project.

Peony from Colette Patterns

I've been pining for someone to share my sewing exploits with for a while now, so I am very excited about this new development. It should also ease the burden on my husband and roommate of having to listen to my chatter about patterns, fabrics, and sewing techniques. A win-win situation!