Friday 28 December 2012

The Good, The Bad, The Ugly and the Unfinished

This is a lovely idea that I picked up from Prttynpnk who picked it up from Crafting a Rainbow: it consists of your top 5 things from this year.
  • Top 5 Favourite Creations (most worn, or most loved!)
  • Top 5 Sewing Fails (UFOs, worn once, or complete disasters!) 
  • Top 5 Lessons Learned (either practical tricks and techniques, or life lessons) 
  • Top 5 Blogs and Bloggers that Inspire
  • Top 5 Goals for the New Year 

Let's start with the good news first and the top 5 of 2012. A mix between most proud, most admired and most worn.





The Watermelon Suit - inspired by Jackie O and Chanel




















                                                                           Vogue Vintage suit
Hacking Jacket


OK, so there were 6.


Now for the bad! Mostly really bad sewing....


Test run of the Three Bears T-shirt - this is the Daddy
 Traced Burda cardigan pattern and the fronts cut off grain


 Rachel Comey fav top of all time made in stiff cotton and reminds me more of a set of scrubs than a floaty casual top. Never blogged about - wait, not even talked about!



Donna Karan jersey top. I'm almost sure I missed some tailor's tacks in this but the sleeves would just not sit like the picture on the envelope.









First pair of knickers and bra - absolutely no close up pics as the stitching is SO bad.

And now for the ugly. Things that just didn't suit me and should never have been sewn.

Yeti coat - now in a friend's dressing-up box



 Stepford Wives top - really! So not me at all - in style and attitude


Burda shift dress that was more like a prisoner smock


The Pattern Company Jigsaw dress. A lovely dress but this fabric was too stiff - might try again next summer.





















 And the unfinished... yes the leather pants are still sitting around somewhere waiting to be completed (if ever).



All in all, I think there are many more good than bad and many lessons learned along the way. Not a bad year in retrospect.

Thanks again for your support and encouragement, your ideas and inspiration: keep them coming in 2013 seeing as the world didn't end and we have another 12 months of sewing until this time next year!



29 comments:

  1. I love the Gym slip dress and the suit, both lovely. All the best for 2013 when it comes !

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    1. And best wishes to you too for 2013 - may it be a good one!

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  2. Thanks for the photo recap of your sewing year - there was a lot of excellent sewing happening for you in 2012. All your favourites are more fitted in style, which is most flattering on you. Looking forward to your 2013 sewing year...J

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    1. Yes, Judith I noticed that too - fitted clothes naturally rose to the top for favourites. Something to take with me into 2013. Happy New Year

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  3. Your winners really are good!
    I love these round up posts, it's fun to see the "broad sweep" of the year's sewing.
    I hope you have have a happy, healthy and prosperous 2013, Ruth!

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    1. Thanks Karin, over 12 months of sewing it's easy to forget what went well and what didn't.

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  4. ooohhh .. Ruth, I love this "sewing movie". You are amazing !!
    I take this opportunity to wish you a very happy new year. May all your wishes come true.

    Paco

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    1. Thanks Paco. I wish you a better year in 2013 but keep those fabulous designs coming

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  5. Your "goods" are *really* good!! You had a great, creative year. And your "bads" are pretty amusing. But we've all been there! Thanks for sharing!

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    1. If you can't laugh at yourself, who else is there?

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  6. Love your goods! I had missed some of them because I just joined the bloggers union in March. Now, Ruth, I absolutely adore the Yeti coat!!! And will admit to a short jacket version in cream some-other-similarly-long-fake-fur that I bought in 1979 for $100 (an outrageous sum for me at that time)! Back to the goods, the vintage suit is stunning. And not many people could wear the Paco skirt the way you can. Glad you are healing well, thinking of you.

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    1. I think $100 in 2012 is an outrageous sum! You must have been (actually, still are) the epitome of style.

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  7. This is a great post, I am waiting until the 31st to do my round-up. I think your "good" outweigh your bads so much, that they don't really matter. You have created some lovely pieces.

    Happy New Year to you, lets hope its both healthy and productive for you.

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    1. Now this is one look back I'm looking forward to

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  8. Thanks for sharing the good, bad and ugly. Some of the pieces are beautiful, even if not you. Really enjoyed viewing and reading - Thanks
    Marciae

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    1. Thanks Marciae, Happy New Year and good sewing

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  9. Thanks for sharing those with us...some pieces made me chuckle, some pictures made me nod my head in agreement but mostly I understand how some of this came to be since I've had a few of those sewing adventures happen to me. Happy New Year!

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    1. Live and learn Carolyn, maybe there'll be fewer misses next year, but I wouldn't bet on it

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  10. You have some great pieces there - the watermelon suit in particular! Oh, and I LOVE the yeti coat :)

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    1. Everyone loved the Yeti coat, except for me! Thanks for the compliment

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  11. The 'goods' are fantastic, I love the suits and I really enjoyed reading about the hacking jacket when you were making it.

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    1. I love the suits too Suzy but really I also need more casual, relaxed clothing - ah ha! Ideas for sewing in 2013

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  12. None of us are spot on all the time. Sometimes, and I think most, it really isn't us, it's the fabric or just a bad pattern. Anyway, your work is wonderful. Hope you are feeling better. Happy New Year!

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    1. Thanks Rhonda, you're right, it's the pattern, or the fabric or the machine that is at fault - never, ever us! LOL

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  13. Great post - thanks for sharing your fails as well ! Hoping for good health next year ( and lots of successful sewing )

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    1. Thanks Janine - fails are important, embarrassing but humbling. Happy New Year to you too.

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  14. Ah, I wondered where the leather pants were-I assumed all the finished pictured featured you clubbing and you didn't want us to see!

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  15. Wow - You've got some truly beautiful clothes there... and thanks for sharing the Yeti coat, 'cause it made me giggle! :)

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  16. Looks like you had a good year, even with the ugly. ;)

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