Time for some goal-setting

I've been thinking a lot about what I want to accomplish, craft-wise in 2013.  But I'm also wary of making too lengthy a list and setting myself up for failure.  So in the end I decided to keep it pretty simple.

When I think back to how I felt about sewing one year ago, it's really evident to me that I learned a lot over the course of 2012.  At the beginning of the year, I was pretty discouraged; my goal was to learn about and implement alterations for getting a great fit, but all the blogs I was reading left me feeling like everyone was "getting it" but me.  I spent a lot of time trying to discover everyone's secrets and find out how they learned these things.  And I kept on sewing and trying out new techniques and patterns along the way.  In the end, I think the answer was just that - continued reading and research combined with a lot of practice.  I certainly don't know it all yet, but I have come a long way toward achieving that goal.

This year, I have two main goals for sewing:

1.  Learn how to line or underline a garment.  Any garment, whether the pattern includes instructions for it or not.  To help me get there, I've ordered a book called Easy Guide to Sewing Linings, which got great reviews on Amazon.  I can't wait to receive it!

2.  Grade a pattern.  I have loads of vintage patterns to choose from, and sewing one of them this year could even be counted as another goal, because interestingly, my desire to grade a pattern has more to do with the technical aspects of it than the practical.  Am I becoming a process-oriented sewing enthusiast?


I also have a couple of very specific goals related to sewing:

3.  Make a lined coat.  I really meant to do that this fall, but time kind of got away from me and suddenly the weather had turned too cold for the pattern I have in mind.

4.  Make that darned Anouk Dress!  I do mean to be wearing it this spring - perhaps for Me-Made-May?

5.  Make a complicated quilt.  More about this in a day or two!


And some goals for knitting and the like:

6.  Knit a vintage pattern.  I've done this each of the last 2 years, and really enjoyed it.

7.  Knit a Phildar pattern.  I keep buying the magazines, but hardly ever make anything from them!

8.  Do more spinning.


And in the category of "other":

9.  Join both the 7 and 8 Million Meter Clubs.  Last month I told you all that I was doing the Concept 2 Holiday Challenge.  I did complete 201,000 meters on the rower between Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve.  Toward the end of this month, I should be logging in my 7 millionth lifetime meter.  I'd also like to make it to the next million - doable if I stay on track with my average of 162,000 meters per month!


Well, maybe not such a short list after all . . .