2012

I’m running a bit late with this, given that it’s now 12th night so we’re well into 2013. But here are the last two top fives!

It is really difficult to pick only five bloggers that inspired me in 2012. I get half my sewing inspiration from other people’s blogs. But here are five who particularly influenced me this year.

Allison‘s blog is one of the first I ever discovered. I love her style. This year I shamelessly copied her Burda 116-08-2011 dress, including the way she fastens the belt, and it’s my current favourite dress.
Kazz‘s style is a riot of colour and interesting shapes. She inspires me to be bolder!
Chanel No. 6 is always sharp, witty, and full of interesting observations. Her series on safari style has got me seriously considering trying it out.
Pretty Grievances posts hilarious critiques of designer fashion on Wednesdays and always makes me see things I wouldn’t have spotted on my own.
Petit Main Sauvage is the most amazingly talented seamstress. If I ever get round to drafting my own sloper it’ll be because of seeing the beautiful things she drafts for herself.

And finally goals for 2013. When it comes to sewing I am not a good planner. I have a huge but ever-changing sewing queue and I sew what I feel like at the moment I feel like it. But here’s what’s on my list at the moment. Any resemblance to what I actually produce this year is unlikely!

Make the sparkly Christopher Kane knock-off dress I was planning before Christmas.
Vogue 8825, a very 70s raglan-sleeved dress with amazing bell sleeves. I want to make it in electric blue chiffon. This is a huge gamble because the pattern is for knits!
Burda 138-11-2012, a vintage sheath dress with a lovely high collar and interesting front pleats. I have some dark green stretch fabric that ought to be perfect.
I want to make something from the Drape Drape books. Not quite sure what yet. I got the English edition of the first one for Christmas.
And finally one that isn’t a sewing project: get brave enough to take outfit photos somewhere more interesting. Right now most of the photos we take are in front of the brick wall of the garages on my street. It’s a nice backdrop (and amuses my neighbours) but some variety would be nice.

Having said all that, right now I’m hard at work on my sister’s birthday dress. I forgot how difficult it is to match checks so it might be a while!

Gillian first posted the idea of doing sewing top fives of 2012 at the start of December. So I’m a bit late to the party but going to play along anyway because it’s a great idea and I’ve really enjoyed reading other people’s top fives.

I made 24 items in 2012. It’s 25 if I count the disastrous second version of Vogue 1250, but since that one didn’t even touch the floor between being taken off and hurled into the scraps bag I don’t think I ought to include it.

So here are my five favourite makes of 2012.

The psychedelic dress, Vogue 8489. I think I only wore this out of the house once, to my friends’ wedding, but it felt great. I love the fabric and the enormous swishy skirt.

My cheongsam dress, Burda 111-02-2012. It was a really fiddly make but it came out well. I’m looking forward to having some warmer weather so I can wear this again. It’s been lurking at the back of the wardrobe for far too long.

Red version of Burda 117-02-2012. February 2012 was the best issue of Burda I’ve ever seen. I got five dresses out of it and four of them were this pattern: black, red, colour-blocked in teal/black/white/grey, and finally in red and white stripes. Three were successes and the striped one was a horrible disaster. The solid red one’s my favourite because it’s a good fabric and it’s probably the most nicely finished of the four.

I was surprised to find I’d made two coats this year. I could have sworn I made the first one in 2011 but I’ve checked the dates and it really was January 2012. I’ve obviously worn it enough that it seems like longer! The pattern is Vogue 1276. I’m a sucker for any pattern with a bit of drama.

But my favourite item of the year is my navy blue Burda 116-08-2011. I don’t think I’ve ever posted a picture of the blue version of this dress here before. I made the pattern up three times; the other two are red and grey. The blue one is my favourite because it works whether I’ve had my hair dyed recently or not!

Strangely these five include both my easiest (Burda 116-08-2011) and one of my hardest (Burda 111-02-2012) makes of the year. There are also two patterns from the same issue of Burda, the February 2012 one. I’ve sewed a lot more Burda this year than before.

Stay tuned for my misses of 2012, coming up soon!

Save

Catherine Daze's Blog

sewing my own clothes

2012 inspirations and 2013 goals

Top fives of 2012