2016 reSEWlutions

Hi all!
I know, we are two months into 2016, but during January I had the wedding on my mind so I postponed my new year resolutions till I get back to a regular routine. Considering I've just started the last week of the internal medicine rotation my routine is as normal as can be. The rotation in this department is considered the most demanding rotation of the year, and getting married mid-rotation had proven more difficult than I imagined. I'm happy that life is about to get less complicated starting next week, so I think it's time to get my reSEWlutions in order.

Since I started clinical rotations two months ago I noticed how I have become more attentive to what I wear, as well as what other students around me wear. I think we all try to be comfortable while still looking tidy and somewhat "grown-up". It's the first time I notice how much affected by fashion trends we all are. So my first reSEWlution for 2016 is to challenge my self with my makes rather than go for what mimics RTW choices. It may sound obvious, a lot of us sew in order to express ourselves and make unique garments, but lately I notice that I'm drawn to the patterns and sillahouettes that resemble what I'd find in chainstores. There is nothing wrong with this kind of inspiration of course, but it is less interesting to make something I could buy. At the same time I notice that I get the most complements over garments that resemble the latest trends in RTW. I like to talk about clothes and obviously don't mind the complements, but it's less interesting to talk about something that looks exactly like what I would find in the nearest H&M. I hope that in 2016 I'll make clothes that are more interesting to me and less " trendy".

Colette book club

I started to read the previous book from the book club and was on schedule to join the discussion, but unfortunately my Kindle screen broke and I missed the deadline. I finished the book two days ago and already started the next one on the list. I would like to join the discussion on this one, and stick with the routine they set. It's so nice to have someone else find all the good sewing-related books!

Make sure I stash enough notions

While I have a lot of fabric, I never seem to have enough thread / buttons / fusible making it impossible to spontaneously start my next project. This year I'll try to stash more notions so missing material won't prevent me from conquering the next project.

Commit to organise the stash

At this point I understand that stash organisation is not a one-time thing. Even when I find my system I will still have to rearrange it whenever I take a piece out, or add some scraps in (or new pieces of fabric!). I realise that the more I use up stash the bigger it gets, because the scraps take up so much space... I recently arranged all the fabric in boxes and would like to actively keep it organised. Additionally I would like to frequently take stock and get rid of scraps more often.

Invest in equipment that will make sewing woven material easier

I keep avoiding the woven fabric in my stash because pressing sleeves to achieve a professional look is difficult with my current set up. It never bothered me before, but the more experience I have the more attentive I become towards pressing and seam finish. I've been telling myself I should get a sleeve ham for a few years now, so 2016 is the year I invest in a few pressing tools!

That's it for now, let's hope 2016 will be full of fun, health and positivity!