It’s the last day of the year; the day in which tradition demands a bit of looking back on the year gone by and pondering on what I would like to do for next year. First of all, I’m picking my fave outfits/photos for 2019, one for each month. Some pictures are of new creations or outfits, others I’m just remembering a really nice day…
January
just a really nice day. I’d just dyed this dress, previously a pale grey and I was newly in love with it all over again
February
wearing my new jasika blazer to head out to lunch…
March
playing on the turtle stepping stones in the Kami River, Kyoto
April
visiting the studio Ghibli museum with Yoshimi!!
hiking up in the Kizo valley
May
just dyed this top too
June
Kelly in the wedding dress I made for her
in my mother of the groom ensemble
July
wearing my new Clementine dress
August
my new pink pinny
September
new pietra shorts
October
at stone mountain fabrics in San Francisco with Yoshimi… such a wonderful holiday here and in New York with a dear dear friend, and meeting so many other dear friends for the first time too! 🙂
at the famous garment district statue in New York City
November
a new dress
December
old bathers, but a really beautiful and blissfully lovely day at the beach
What did I make?
phew, here we go. This is usually where I found out how intensely I’ve been indulging my making obsession during the year… so adding it up it turns out I’ve made 73 items this year… that number includes 18 dresses, 2 prs shorts, 1 pr jeans, 8 tops, 7 skirts, 1 pr pj’s, 1 bathrobe, 1 tie, 3 bags, 4 lingerie sets, 3 petticoats, 1 pr shoes, 5 jackets/coats, 12 prs hand-knitted socks and 7 baby things – onesies, beanies and the jungle mobile. Out of those things, 29 were for others, so I don’t think I’ve been too selfish actually. The major-est of major makes for the year, Kelly’s wedding dress was an entirely self-less affair, so I feel pretty good about that!
What did I wear?
so, the most worn items for this year can be summed up in the following pictures… number one spot goes equally to my mustard raincoat, and my baggy blue cords with 22 wears each, and my olive suede tunic and my dark green Sienna jacket had 16 wears each. All the other items pictured here got at least 13 wears, most more.
When I started counting and reporting on the number of wears my clothing got, well it was all a bit of an eye opener… inevitably someone will comment “that doesn’t sound like many wears to me! I’ve got things I’ve worn a hundred times this year, at least!” to which I usually think – did you actually count? The only things I would wear a hundred times in a year are my black tights, of which I have six pairs, so even those are not getting one hundred individual wears. I do tally my black tights up too but don’t ever include them in my summary here, to be honest… if you’re interested, my black tights got 108 wears in the past year. Oh, I expect a few of my sets of underwear might be getting about a hundred wears each too, but I’m definitely not profiling those!
Favourite creations?
Hmmm, well let me think… haha, kidding! the amazing and beautiful fabrics, the importance of it, the care, the love and the sheer number of HOURS spent in making Kelly’s wedding dress catapulted it straight up into number one position of anything I’ve made for a looooong time!
I loved every bit of making this exceptionally special garment, though to be sure there were some very stressful moments and at the end of it I was completely and utterly exhausted. It’s back living in our spare room wardrobe while they’re renovating their house and I’m looking forward to dropping it off to her permanently!
Personal favourites for myself include: my colourful Ariane dress, my unicorn skirt which got itself into my most worn items of the year too! and my own mother-of-the-groom outfit 🙂
Special mention to my box of socks too! which is so pretty I don’t know if I can even bring myself to start wearing them
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What are my plans for 2020?
Oooh! the fun bit! SO as I’ve mentioned, I have just one or two things (haha) in the work, because Cassie is getting married to her man D this year. And I will be making her dress. I am also making my own outfit, obviously. And my three nieces are going to be her bridesmaids, and I am making their dresses too. So yes, I have my work cut out for me, just a leeeeeetle bit already!
But as far as future, “for me” plans go… so there’s a thing “make nine” where people choose nine things to make for the year… and the pretty thing about it for instagram purposes is that you can make up a nice, 3×3 cube of plans to post on instagram. Obviously I love the idea of this! and have decided to give it a go, although I’m making mine more of a sort of “make 12” actually, giving myself one thing to do per month. I think it’s been well established here on my blog that I like a one thing per month project for a year! I’ve kinda gone for a range of ideas, but nothing’s particularly set in stone, I’m allowing myself some flexibility as to specific deets. I’ve thrown in a pair of shoes and underwear, because these are definitely things I want to making more of this year too…
Also! I’ve nominated fabrics that are already in my stash… to make it a good stash-busting exercise for myself too. I’ve actually already got one cut out and halfway finished… so maybe I’ll make them all up in the first few months?! on the other hand there is wedding sewing to be achieved and traditionally this always turns out to be way more stressful and time consuming than I originally anticipated, hmmmmmmmm…. So we’ll see…
Anything else?
Of course the most important thing; a big thank you thank you thank you! to all who still read my blog and take the time to leave a kind word every now and then… I appreciate it so much. I’m taking this opportunity to wish you all a very happy and successful 2020 ahead, filled with time to do the things you love to do too.
Cheers!
I love all your makes. Your out put is amazing. I have made or refashioned about a third of that. This year with all the special dresses it will be a crazy time for you!! I wonder if you have very different body types to sew for the bridesmaids dresses. Are they all local or will you just have them send measurements. I remember sewing my daughter in laws wedding dress and using only measurements. I flew to their wedding and found out with stress and all she had lost much weight. The night before the wedding I stayed up all night taking out an inch and a half (about 4 cm) of the bodice (there were 5 layers!) and sewing it back by hand so it fit beautifully for the wedding. Boy, that taught me a lot!! Happy, Happy New Year.
oh my gosh, that sounds so stressful Paula! I take my hat off to you! All my nieces live locally, thank goodness 🙂
Happy New Year and I must mention again, your photographs are so beautiful. plus bonus dog:) and meeting you and Yoshimi in person was one of my 2019 highlights.
I am stunned by how much you make and how well you make it too. You’re not just churning out simple things, but things that take time and care. I noticed there are no pants in your plans, have you turned into a dress-only gal? no jeans on the horizon?
Your daughter-in-law’s dress was one of my favourite reads from your blog this year. I’m amazed with the amount of love and work you put into the project and that you were able to find the time to make your own outfit for the occasion. You’re work is inspiring. To you and yours a Happy New Year!
It’s always inspiring to read your blog and to see your beautiful photographs, but even more so to read of your care to reuse, sew from stash and to make useful and practical garments that are worn many times. Thank you, and Happy New Year
Happy New Year to the classiest dresser in the Southern Hemisphere and possibly the whole world. Jo xxx
Thank you for taking the time to blog your makes – I love reading about the process and your sewing is always inspiring.
Happy New Year! It was a busy year for you and it looks like 2020 will be even busier.
Happy new year!
Happy New Year Caroline. I still read your blog :).
I love reading your blog and I am frequently inspired. You produce so many items, and I am curious to know if you had the time to make family Christmas gifts that you have made in the past. Happy New Year.
Wow – what an impressive year! And another wedding dress??? You have some mad skills, lady. I really enjoy reading your blog. You are such an inspiration – happy new year!!
Happy New Year Caroline! Your blog posts make my (any) day – inspiration, technique, stories… I love it all!
Your Maker’s jacket had me hit “buy”, and had me thinking of your suede(ish) makes :=) . Do you think faux suede would be a good match for the pattern (and sewist with no faux suede sewing experience)?
I learn so much from your blog. Many thanks!
Thank you for the beautiful inspiration & Happy New Year from Chicago!
Happy New Year Carolyn!
I love reading your blog and I’m very inspired by the care and attention you put into everything you make. I remember you posted a couple of years ago that you were trying to be more thoughtful about what you made, the finishing and the use of your time, resources.
I always think of those words on when (on the rare occasion) I’m tempted to smash something out!
Happy New Year. I’ve loved reading your blog (only a recent find to me) during 2019. The wedding dress was the highlight for me, as for you. What a moment it must’ve been to see her come up the aisle. Interesting to count the wears of each garment, might look into that….
Looking forward to this year and all of your plans.
Happy new year to you too! I’m such an admirer of your attention to detail (especially as I have very little) and that you’re still posting such enjoyable posts regularly. Keep up the sewing, writing and photography!
Love all your makes and am always inspired by your style as well as by how you wear your makes.
Obviously the wedding dress was the big thrill! But I really enjoyed the box o’ socks a lot. I’ve more or less given up sewing for myself as fitting drives me nuts (except for a tee now and again) but a pair of socks will always fit. Hope to see a little knitting this year…
Hi
Thank you for your year in review.I really enjoy reading your witty and informative blog. I marvel at your talent and am looking forward to your blog in 2020
Please don’t make us decide on favorites. Too hard. Like choosing a favorite ice cream flavor.
It’s just such a joy to see you turn out beautifully made, clever, thoughtful, individualistic pieces for yourself and for people you so obviously love. You incorporate everything that’s exciting about making clothes at home. Please keep blogging.
The wedding dress was a tour de force. I’m sure it took your sharpest thinking and all your energy. It’ll live in memory and photographs for decades. If they were able to, I hope your DIL’s parents sent you on a plush junket as a thanks for contributing such a priceless piece of the wedding.
May I mention what great posture your son and DIL have! I’ll bet they’re good dancers. They look very happy. This sentimental oldie likes to see marriages that look even happier than the wedding.
Off to make my own list now. Thanks for the push. I hope you and yours are well clear of the NSW fires. No matter how far you live from there, resilience will be needed from all, as you help each other and your animal population to recover.
My best wishes for another terrific Carolyn new year.
Dear Carolyn, I’ve been watching the news here in the Nashville, TN area of the U.S.A. I am gravely concerned about the raging fire in Australia. Such terrible destruction and loss of life, human, flora and fauna. It seems as if the planet is burning. Are you and your’s OK?
Hi Carolyn. I hope you and your family are not affected by the wild fires. Prayers for Australia.
Happy New Year! I hope you and yours are safe and happy.
Hello Carolyn,
I haven’t read your blog (or anyone else’s!) in an age so it was nice to see a summary of your makes. As always, you are one impressive sewist! I’m looking forward to following the wedding gown and bridesmaids’ frock progress 🙂
Love your work! Have a great 2020 and hopefully this rain keeps up!