Data Geek's Year-in-Review, 2011

Happy New Year!!!!! I'm writing to you from my favorite island. I'm home for a bit and my internets is abysmal, so please understand why my 2011 roundup is arriving in 2012. 

I'm not going to lie: 2011 was an awful year, punctuated by heartache, stress and loss. But terrible times had a sneaky way of prioritizing and clarifying everything else in my life. My biggest take-away is that time is my most valuable asset and I want to spend it wisely. Everything worth having is worth working for, and that includes working to have the time to spend with the people I love (as I am now), making the meals that bring us together, and the objects that equip me in my life (pretty clothes included!).

The project I'm most proud of: A copy of my favorite GAP jeans.

Sewing became my salve this year. Inspired by another blogger, I began my Fashion on the Ration challenge (340 days down, 25 to go!). I participated in Zoe's Me-Made-June, joined forces with Sarah and Alessa for the 2nd Summer Essentials Sew-Along and the 1st Fall Essentials Sew-Along, and dipped my toe into the inspiring Colette Patterns Fall Palette Challenge. I even started taking some pattern-drafting classes, but overall, I've been awful about tracking my progress and participating in the blogosphere as much as I wanted.

Biggest disappointment: The UP Dress

I learned many lessons this year, but one post that changed my habits was "The 80/20 Rule: Examining My Wardrobe." I frequently have to collect and analyze data for work and applying the same analysis to my wardrobe made me look at it more objectively. Since then, I've been spending way too much time thinking about the items I really want to either buy, sew or knit and donating everything else. 

So why not apply the same analysis to my 2011 makes?

I made a little bit of everything this year. 30 items total, 5 which I made for others. 

But these weren't all great makes. You can see my pants projects had a 50/50 chance of success and all the blouses were doozies (a hard way to figure out I don't like blouses unless they're button-up shirts, which are on the docket for 2012). Most of my tops were stable knits, my favorite to wear and hard to screw up. The jackets aren't perfect, but nice and wearable.

Most surprisingly, I'm not upset about the failures. One of the things I've realized is that I actually prefer the process over the product. Nevertheless, it's worth learning from the experience. In almost all instances of project successes, I was working with a great pattern.

The failures, though, can largely be chalked up to poor fabric choice. I source 90% of my fabric secondhand, and it thrills me to no end to reuse material in a creative way, but I suspect I'm often using the wrong fabric for the project. 

To bring into 2012: Reuse successful patterns and buy fabric if I don't have the appropriate fabric in my stash. 

My biggest epiphany, however, was learning to copy ready-to-wear. Now, all clothes are patterns to me and I can start with fit and work backwards. It's magical.

Patterns of Note
Sewaholic Pendrell

Colette Rooibos

Colette Clover

Simplicity 2209 - Lisette Passport Dress

Simplicity 3692 - Built By Wendy Knit Top

Simplicity 2211 - Lisette Market Skirt

Built By Wendy Coats and Jackets Book

Jalie 3024 - Last FO of 2011, will blog soon!

Folkwear Intimacies 219

Vintage

McCalls 3511

Rub-Off Method/Self-Drafted

Rub-Off Jeans (linked above)

Rub-off Blazer

Red Ridiculous Skirt

Whew! That's it, folks. I hope you had beautiful holidays. Here's to an amazing, creative and handmade 2012!

xo