Top 5 Reflections of 2015 and Goals for 2016

Reflections

1. When looking at fabric for a project, I think about color and color combinations. IMHO, I'm pretty good at that. In the process, I forget about the texture and drape of the fabric. I need to consider both.

2. My ability to fit has improved considerably since I first started sewing garments. I still tend to over fit which results in a tight or slightly skewed garment. I need to remember that my aging body requires a looser fit that skims my body.

3. Overall, I am pleased with my sewing in 2015. Considering the amount of time that I spent traveling and being a nurse to a sick husband, I was productive. I made a lot of garments that I enjoy wearing.

4. I didn't try many new techniques, but I did try some.  I am pleased that I used my serger to completely sew a knit top.

5. Most of my sewing was fairly easy. Perhaps, it is take to make more challenging garments.

2016 Goals

As usual, I didn't meet my 2015 goals, but I did work on them. I did make wearable garments, but not many that I can wear day-to-day. While I believe that my knitting has improved, I didn't finish anything wearable or worthy of bragging. I did make a cardigan that looks pretty good, but ran out of yarn. I worked on my 3 quilts, but never finished a one. My bra making course remains a dream. I either lacked  enough focus or made my 2015 goals too ambitious. I will try again this year!

1. Make 3 pairs of pants or jeans.

2. Make 3 white blouses or tops.

3. Make a coat.

4. Make 12 separates that are mix and match.

5. Finish the Craftsy bra making course.

Happy New Year!!

Top 5 Non-Sewing Highlights of 2015

No, I don't sew all the time as you probably can tell from my finished project productivity. In keeping with the "Top 5 project", I've listed some other things that I do.

1. Family Time

My day starts somewhere around 6 to 6:30 AM with a big lick on my face. My dog, Roxy, is ready for breakfast. I love her so much that I usually don't mind that she wakes me earlier than I would like. After eating, I watch her romp around the backyard or we go for a walk. Hubbie is a television addict so most nights I watch a show with him. I work on my knitting during the show because just sitting goes against my Type A personality.

2. Travel

While I'm happiest as a homebody, that man of mine likes to be on the go. We joined good friends for a cruise to the Panama Canal in the Spring. I've wanted to see it for a long time and was not disappointed. During Thanksgiving, we went on another cruise with my son, grandchildren, and extended family. I loved spending the time with the family. In September, we spent our regular week at the beach.

3. Unplanned Nursing Job

Work in the medical field was never a career option for me. During October and November, my guy had 2 surgeries. The first was outpatient for a hernia removal. The second was a major emergency because the hernia surgeon nicked his small intestine. He was in the hospital for 10 days and barely could do anything by himself for almost a month afterward. I did a lot of cleaning up messes, laundry, bandaging,etc.  Hubbie normally does all the cooking and was gouchy about my sincere attempts to provide non-gourmet food. The nursing job continued somewhat on our Thanksgiving cruise. We could not have gone except for the help from my son. Let's just say that I am grateful that I am retired from nursing and cooking for a long time- I hope.

4. Reading

I love to read and spent a lot of time in the library before the invention of Kindle. Normally, I read while I eat breakfast and lunch and, again, before I go to bed. I won't  list all the books I've read in 2015, but one of my best recent reads is "The Short Drop" by Matthew Fitzsimmons. Currently, I'm reading the first book in the Mitch Rapp series, "The Transfer of Power" by Vince Flynn, It's a good read so more books in the series will go on my reading list.

5. Taxes

I did taxes professionally for a number of years. I love the challenge of paying the lowest taxes legally possible.While I am no longer doing taxes for pay, I spent a lot of time doing the tax returns for family. My son owns a limited liability corporation that became extremely successful in 2014. His taxes kept me busy January through March in 2015 and several times during the year for accounting reports. Since I have reviewed corporate taxes and learned a lot about his business, I'm hoping that 2015 taxes won't require so much time in 2016. I did enjoy learning new tax information. On the rare occasion that I have trouble falling asleep at night, I'll read the IRS tax code. That works better than any pill on the market.