Hello sew-friends! It’s hard to believe that we’re nearing the end of another year. It wasn’t an easy year for me, between struggles with migraines and the loss of my cat. But, there were a lot a great parts too. I was really busy with my freelance work. I got to work with a lot of great people and I had some really interesting projects. (Both of those are worth mentioning, because it’s not always the case.) And, I got to do a lot of traveling and to visit friends and family that I haven’t seen in a long time. If the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that we need to cherish our time together, to cherish the hugs, the intimacy and breathing the same air as our loved ones.
My freelance work kept me really busy this year and I didn’t work as much on Sew DIY as I have in years past. It’s a struggle to balance the two parts of my work life and I haven’t really figured out a good solution. Over the years, I’ve worked a lot and spent a lot of time on my computer, because it’s something that I’ve enjoyed doing. But, with my migraines, I need to be more careful of screen time because I’ve noticed that when I’m spend 10+ hours a day on my computer, I often see an increase in symptoms.
I also struggle with my Rebel tendency that doesn’t care about deadlines and expectations. I took a time management class earlier this month and as we head into the new year, I’m thinking about what’s important to me and where I want to focus my energy. I’m great at writing down all the patterns I want to create and putting them on a calendar, but I have much harder time getting it all down.
Part of the issue, is that pattern making is really hard and time consuming. There’s a cycle of drafting and testing that takes a lot time and can be frustrating. I recently heard about a new 3D software, called Clo3d, via Emily from In The Folds, that will take digital patterns and map them onto a 3D human figure. In Emily’s blog post, she shares how she used this to cut down on the rounds of physical testing and get to a design she liked faster than usual. I’m really excited to try it out. I think it could revolutionize my pattern making process.
This year, I released only one new pattern, and it’s not even entirely new, just an expansion of a tutorial that I made last year. That said, it’s a fun festive pattern! The new pattern is the Sew DIY Christmas Stocking. The expanded pattern includes four sizes, Large, Medium, Small and Mini. (The medium size is still free to download when you sign up for the newsletter.) Click here to see the pattern in the shop, or go to the sewalong for more info.
Last month, I hosted an email sewalong for my Quilted Slippers pattern. I worked really hard on this sewalong to make useful, inspiring content. I made two new pairs of slippers, a bootie style with leather soles and a skimmer style with a patchwork star. You can learn more about these in the sewalong. Or, if you’d like to receive the sewalong via email, check out this post to sign up.
I filmed a final vlog for the year, sharing the things I made, my favorite books that I read this year and some thoughts on life. You can watch above or on YouTube.
PATTERNS MENTIONED IN THE VIDEO (not blogged)
✂️ Seamwork Maggie Swimsuit, blogged here
✂️ Free Range Slacks by Sew House Seven
✂️ Seamwork Lenny turtleneck, blogged here
Scroll down for Finished Make blog posts from 2022 (Only 4!)
QUILTS I SEWED in 2022
✂️ Star Pop Quilt by Quilty Love
✂️ Free Wheeling Single Girl by Denyse Schmidt
✂️ Improvisational Scrap Quilt by Me. To learn how to sew your own improv quilt, check out my e-course.
•
KNITTING PROJECTS in 2022
🧶 Midwinter Socks by Summer Lee Designs
•
FAVORITE BOOKS OF THE YEAR
📚 The Secret History by Donna Tartt
📚 Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel
📚 Check out my BookShop for all of my faves (including sewing books!)
Tutorials from 2022
What’s coming in 2023
As I mentioned, I’d like to try out/learn the Clo3D software and see how it can help my pattern design process. I have a number of patterns in early stages that I’d love to see in 3D. Hopefully, they will get them to a more finalized stage more quickly.
I’ve also started dabbling in quilt design. I’ve always been interested in quilt design and I’m graphic designer by trade so it feels very natural to me. Quilt design also seems A LOT faster than garment design. For one, it’s two dimensional. And, there are fewer sizes to make. I’d also like to create an online course that would teach folks how to sew patchwork. It would be a shift for me and I’m not sure how it would be received but it’s also something that I’m interested in. So, we’ll see. :)
Thank you so much for following along on my sewing journey and for supporting my small business. I hope that you have a happy and healthy new year! Happy sewing!
