Happy New Year!  I was going to post my Top 5 Misses of 2013 yesterday, but I thought ending the blog year on a low note was not the way I wanted to go.  Instead, I’m combining my misses with my goals post, since my misses are what I want to try and achieve for 2014.  Ok, here goes:

1. Blog On A Regular Basis

I had some life changes in 2013, most importantly starting a new job that requires a fair amount of travel.  You can definitely tell based on my lack of posting towards the end of the year that I was adjusting to my new position and responsibilities, but I think I’m starting to get the hang of managing my life-stuff with being on the road (or in the air!) at the drop of a hat.  This brings me to my next goal…

2. Photograph Finished Garments On My Own

Along with my limited time at home, my availability did not match up with my boyfriend’s when it came to picture taking.  Plus, when our schedules did match up, the weather was sucky-sucky outside.  This prompted me to finally find a remote control for my DSLR, which I tried out for my plaid Archer shirt photos.  It’ll be nice not to be dependent on him for my blog photos, and I hope I can achieve the same kind of photo quality on my own.

I’m thinking about doing some posts this January highlighting garments that I made in 2013 and didn’t make it to the blog in time.  For example, my Bombshell Swimsuit!  And did you know that I made a pair of pants last year?

3. Try Out New Fabrics

I think it’s quite evident that I love sewing with knits, even more so now that I bought a serger in 2013.  They are my go-to fabrics whenever I’m short on time and in the mood for a quick project.  I did try out some new fabrics in 2013, like wool and even silk habotai, but my skills won’t grow if I stick with the same, safe fabrics like cotton.  I’d love to try something tricky like chiffon or try to improve my sewing skills with charmeuse.

4.  Sew Projects That Stretch My Skills

Ok, this is a kind of vague goal.  I made a couple of garments that stretched my abilities in 2013, like all of those buttonholes on my Beignet, sewing two button-down shirts, and tackling a swimsuit (which didn’t fit, but that’s for another post).  But all in all, I tended to stick with and pick out patterns that weren’t that difficult to sew.  It hit me after I made my first Archer, which I wasn’t totally happy with (I got over it though): how can I expect to make great looking garments when I’m not stretching myself and growing my skills as a sewist?  Of course my first collar stand didn’t turn out perfectly, I never made one before!  But my second one did, because I had the skills and experience behind me that made it a success.

(Also, I need to stop being so hard on myself and comparing myself to other wonderful sewists who have a lot more experience than I do at sewing more complicated clothes.  I’ll add that on to this goal.)

5. Keep Sewing Everyday Clothes

Now that I don’t have a regimented work wardrobe and can wear whatever I want to work (especially on the days I work from home), I need and want to sew more “cake” and less “frosting” in 2014, or at least find a good balance.  Some of my dresses would be a little out of place in the office, so I need more mix-and-match separates that I can wear instead.  I even want to venture and say that I will stop buying clothes in 2014, but I feel that that’s a goal I’m not quite ready for yet – I already have that mindset of “I can make that” when I look at clothes in stores, but I know that I don’t have the time or capacity to have a completely hand-sewn wardrobe…yet.

Whew, all of those goals should keep me busy in 2014!  What are your goals or challenges for the new year?