Sewing Through 2023: Taking Stock

Another year is coming to a close, and as I write this, it is the eve of New Year’s Eve 2023. And isn’t it the time of year when most people begin to assess the twelve months that have just elapsed before looking ahead to the next twelve? We’re like that as human beings—taking stock of the past before moving ahead.

So, I’ve been scrolling through Instagram over the past week, taking in all the “best nine of 2023” sewing projects completed by some terrific sewists I follow. So, of course, I thought I’d do the same. The problem I discovered, however, is that I don’t have nine “best-of” projects. I’m an aficionado of slow sewing at the best of times, and I believe that in 2023, I may have reached my slow-sewing pinnacle. I completed eight projects. But there were eight projects I enjoyed from beginning to end!

The year began with the acquisition of a new combination cover-stitch/serger for Christmas 2022. Of course, my first project was a challenge to myself to complete a project entirely using this new machine—no sewing machine permitted. To that end, I selected 6418 and leftover pieces of fabric and serged my way through to a new top. It was such fun!

In the spring of 2023, Fabricville (Canadian superstore for fabric shopping) asked me to participate in their semi-annual blog once again. I chose Vogue 1805 for my project, loving the twist on a striped shirt. I truly loved the finished product, but I do have to admit that I have yet to find an occasion to wear it! Maybe our upcoming trip to Brazil and the Amazon might be the pace? We’ll see.

Then I rediscovered Jalie’s “Charlotte” sweater pattern and whipped up a tweedy version with statement buttons I ordered from a wonderfully talented artisan on Etsy. The hand-made buttons were created by a woman in France, and this is not the last piece where her buttons will appear. (BTW, her shop is BoutonsdAuj). I got a lot of wear out of this one—it was great for flying!

In the fall, I chose McCall’s 8343 for my Fabricville blog project. This was such a fun one to make from French terry. Again, I have yet to wear it, but I made it to be worn in the dead of winter, and we have yet to have any really wintery winter weather here in Toronto. That day is not far off, though!

I also love making men’s shirts. So, when I did my twice-a-year foray to the Queen Street West fabric district here in Toronto, I asked my husband to select some fabric for a new bespoke shirt. If you’ve been following me for a while, you know that I created bespoke shirt patterns for both my husband and my son a while ago. I pulled out my husband’s and made this shirt for him.

As the year drew to a close, I finally used a piece of Joesph Ribkoff fabric that I’d bought earlier in the year. I thought it would make a terrific Vogue 9227. Hmm…not so much. I used the reverse side of the fabric for the contrast, and that should have been perfect. However, the black of the reverse wasn’t nearly as black as it should have been to complement the velvety blue and black exterior. I didn’t like the outcome as much as I thought I would, but I will wear this one anyway.

I closed off the year by finishing another Jalie Charlotte in red sweatshirt fabric embellished with tiny sparky dots (and whose inside is a fuzzy furry finish) just in time to wear it under the Christmas tree. It’s so warm and cozy that I believe I’ll get a lot of wear out of it through the upcoming long winter. We’re not off to warmer climes until March this year, so I have lots of time to consider making a few new pieces for that trip.

So, in my defence of making only eight pieces this year, I also wrote two books! It All Begins with Goodbye features Charlotte “Charlie” Hudson, the heroine of The Year I Made 12 Dresses and her foray into making a classic French jacket.

The second one I wrote during the past year is due out in January! Here’s a sneak peek…

When popular daytime TV host and uber-feminist Erica Flanagan skewers a young “trad wife” influencer on live TV, she soon finds herself on a forced sabbatical, searching for a project to keep her busy. Without a single domestic bone in her body, Erica embarks on a blogging project determined to prove that domesticity is a con. But her domestic adventure turns into a quagmire of personal discovery —and what she discovers is herself.