It's my blogiversary!!!

2 years ago on this very day, I started sewing in earnest and tracking my thoughts/progress on this blog.  Over the past year, I've really seen myself grow both in sewing and blogging and I've met so many wonderful people along the way.  So I've decided to celebrate this last year's journey through a blogiversary week!  Over five days, I'll share some new projects, some reflections and of course, giveaways!

This first reflection post will be a sort of 'highlights' stroll down memory lane to rediscover the fun, the inspiration and the tough moments along the way.  I'm taking the format and categories I used for my first blogiversary post (this may become a tradition??) to share some of the highlights of this past year!


Project I am the most Proud Of:

Without a doubt the project I am most proud of and that I really see as a turning point in my sewing was my dress sewn from the 1933 Butterick reproduction pattern from EvaDress.  This was the second challenge I completed for the Sew Weekly and really highlighted: 1) how much I love early 30's patterns, 2) how much I love wool, and 3) that I can tackle any pattern no matter how difficult it looks! This one was actually fairly easy to sew up (another reason I love early 30's patterns--really great details that are brilliantly drafted).  I'm also super proud of this dress because I won the EvaDress contest for 'Best Use of Pattern in its Original Form' despite stiff competition.

Hardest Moment:
The hardest moment of this past year has to have been the March to May time period when I was working like crazy (hello two jobs), participating in the Sew Weekly and had just found out that we had to move!   Talk about crazy intense!  Luckily, things have slowed down a bit (I can hear David laughing about this one--maybe it's just that I've gotten better at getting things done with so much going on??? lol.)

Ideas that Didn't Pan Out:
Sewing whilst travelling! That's my answer to this one!  I had grand plans to finish a load of outfits when I was visiting my family and travelling around the states.  Let me just say that it sounds so much easier.  In the end, I made what I needed to and took some much needed time to relax and see family and friends!

Project I Would Most Like to Redo:

The two projects from this last year that I'd most like to redo (or finish in one case!) is the 1950's 'Patio Dress' and my 1940's 'Chocolate and Wine' dress.  The Patio Dress has some serious gathering issues and I'm actually not quite sure I like the colour combo.  Maybe a teal and white like the pattern envelope would be much nicer?  The 'Chocolate and Wine' dress I definitely want to finish and since it has long sleeves would be perfect for winter!  You may recall that I had a big hurdle with button loops on this dress.  I received so many helpful comments on my Sew Weekly post that I'm sure I can go back and confidently tackle those darn loops :)

Easiest Project:

The easiest project was also the most last minute project! It was this gathered 1950's style skirt which I made using Gertie's tutorial. 

Quickest Project:

The quickest project(s) was making two faux wrap blouses out of pillowcases! You can check out my tutorial here.  I had never thought of making something using a pillowcase--so it was fun to be a bit creative and now I am always on the lookout for fun fabrics to refashion!

Piece of Clothing I Wear the Most:

Ok, this is a toss up but I think I'm going to have to go with my 1940 hooded dress.  I absolutely LOVE this dress.  It's the perfect weight for Scotland (made out of medium-weight gabardine) and the great part is that I can wear it as a jacket/coat or as a dress! Though it was really funny coming through security on my way back to Scotland from the States when the security screener asked me to take off my coat!  Erm...it's a dress! At which point, he looked very sheepish and said, 'oh sorry'!!!

Most Surprising Project:

Without a doubt, the most surprising project was my 1943 'Raspberry Sorbet' McCall dress!  I very much underestimated this pattern!  It's one of my favourites and I hope to make more versions--the style looks understated on the pattern cover (at least for me...lol.) and I just love how classy the design looks!

Scariest Moment:  
No truly scary sewing moments this last year (thank goodness!) though I did get a bit of the stomach butterflies right before three big blogger meet-ups! I had the wonderful opportunity to meet several of my favourite bloggers/sewists in London, NYC and San Francisco!  More on those fabulous meet-ups in another post later this week!

Wow--it's fun to reflect on this past year of sewing!   Stay tuned later today as I revisit my very first dress!!