2009 Coming to a close--Accomplishments

Well 2009 is over and I wanted to review my accomplishments for the year and plan for 2010.



Here were the 2009 goals I set for myself:



1) Make 40 garments: Um. How many? Well, last year I made 9. This year, if you count the "Fall in Love With your BabyLock Workship" and the "Anne St. Claire Bra-Making Workshop" I attended, I made 15. Not bad. But maybe 40 is a goal for 2011? I'll try something a bit more manageable this year.



2) Make a complete inventory of stash: Done! Yea!



3) Maintain my blog and learn to use it better: Hummm. Next year will be better.



4) Reduce stash:



5) Enter any motivating contest on PR: Well, I entered the UFO contest and finished 3 of 5 planned projects. Not bad. I'm always pleased to finish a project. I think I entered the stash contest, but can't remember. Obviously I didn't get too far. This year PR has done their contests slightly differently and I've very excited. Moreover, there are just so many that interest me this year.



6) Improve sewing skills: Yes. I feel like each time I make something, I learn something new or become more familiar with my machines, fabric, etc. I'm getting there! I took 2 workshops, see 1 above. I loved the Anne St. Claire bra-making workshop. And since the muslin I made there is practically falling apart, I need to make more! Also loved the BabyLock workshop I went to which was for my new serger, where I made a Christmas holiday tablerunner.



Other:

• I bought a BabyLock Evolution serger at the October Chantilly Sewing and Quilt Show. LOVE IT!


• I have an Ellisimo on layaway. Maybe my basement will be in order by June 2010 and I can then go finish paying for it and bring it home.


• Attended lots of great classes at the Chantilly Sewing and Quilt Show.


• Have begun using my Janome embroidery machine a bit more this year. Yay! Bought some nice designs to make.

A respectable year? Yes, I think so. Not the great year I planned, but my sewing center was adversely effected by a leaky basement. Finally in October, we decided to have a French drain put in, and there went my sewing center. Now we have a dry, but unfinished basement that is we are slowly redoing with carpet tiles and getting back to normal. But I'm still thinking June '10 before its done.

Ironically, once I no longer had my sewing center, I started sewing again at the dining room table! I guess the unpleasant conditions in my basement were effecting me more than I had thought.