What!? 2020 is over! I still can’t believe it. It feels like yesterday that our government on 13 March’20 announced the first lock-down. I then thought it would only take a week or four. Oh Boy, was I wrong. As we speak, we are still in lock-down and probably will be for a significant time!
I guess we will forever remember 2020 as a strange year so my sewing overview will probably also be unusual.
The one steady thing is the infographic that I now use for five years to collect my sewing data.
What do these numbers say?
Well, you can’t miss it: I most of all sewed facemasks in 2020! For myself, my family and some good friends. I used the free, approved by the Belgium government, pattern from Maakjemondmasker. I used only fabric leftovers or recycled some old clothes.
Originally the mask closes with four ribbons but after wearing it most of us are more comfortable with the elastic closures around the ears. So I modified nearly all of them
#16 sewing projects
When I look at my other sewing projects they are not much different than last year. I sew mostly for women, using a pdf-pattern from an Indie Pattern Designer.
There are two shifts though:
1) I used more free patterns (gifted, available on the net, or self-drafted).
2) I sewed nearly all of the time with fabrics from my stash!
The three utilities are:
- an e-reader sleeve
- a giant pouf, filled with thons of scraps and leftovers
- a Maxi-Cosi cover for our newborn second grandson
Sewjo? What Sewjo?
When I first heard about a possible lockdown in our country I thought that it would give me some more sewing-time. But I was wrong. The longer we were in lockdown the more my sewjo shrunk. I think it was because I had to take a 180 degrees turn for my teaching job. In no time I had to reform all my courses in online courses and this took all my energy.
Although I didn’t sew much during the first lockdown I did a deep tidy-up of my sewing room and a thorough organisation of my fabrics and patterns. This still gives me a very satisfying feeling whenever I enter my sewing room nowadays.
During summer my sewjo came back and I really enjoyed sewing again. It was a productive summer. The last quarter of the year it was in a downward spiral again: more stringent measures, the second lockdown, a heavy workload, etc… so not much sewing was done, alas!
But as we speak, I feel that this new year will give me tons and tons of sewjo!
Sewing overview 2020 || Top 5
Like the previous years, I’m joining the sewcialists series of the #SewingTop5 of 2020. I find this a nice format to reflect on the last sewing year and get some goals for the next year. It starts with the “Sewing Hits”
My Top 5 Hits
A sewing hit for me is a project that gives me joy! And this joy can be caused by a lot of things: from the pleasure of wearing it, to the challenge of sewing, the first time tackling a particular technique or a new type of fabric, or the gratitude you receive from the person you sewed for…
Here is my top 5 of what I sewed in 2020.
#1 The Blanca Flight Suit from Closet Core Patterns
How I love this flight suit! In February, I got the pattern for free from Closet Core Patterns to test it. Unfortunately, I could not finish it in time. I got the flu (not COVID 19) and then everything went down as I told already. But I’m so glad I finished it at the begin of July. I used this amazing vintage cotton with a denim feeling from 1974.
#2 The V9253-dress with the deep V
In August 20019 I went to the Sewing Weekender in Cambridge. That was so much fun and I was determined to go again in 2020. Then came the pandemic! Luckily the ladies of the Foldline and Charlotte had the most brilliant idea to organise a Sewing Weekender Online. So, at 13-14 June, I retreated in my sewing room and made this famous dress in this fabulous African Wax.
#3 The Sirocco Jumpsuit for my daughter
Oh boy, this was a labour of love 😍. It took me nearly 1,5 years from start to finish. My daughter’s measurements are not included in the available pattern measurements so I had a lot of adjustments and tweaking to do. Then when she tried it on she was not able to get the bodice over her shoulders. I fixed it by sewing in two blind zippers of 60 cm in the side seams! Can you see she is very happy with it?
I’m planning to blog about this project (and my other projects of 2020) soon.
#4 The black linen Fremantle pants for my husband
My husband loves wide legs pants with a loose-fitting. Especially in linen. And black, always black! He was asking to sew him a pair for several years now and I finally did last summer. I used the Fremantle pants from Elbe Textiles and made several adjustments as he requested:
* scoop pockets
* wide legs
He loves them and he already wore them a zillion times. Now he’s asking for a woollen version for winter!!!
#5 The Closet Core Patterns Pouf
This free pouf pattern from Closet Core Patterns is grandiose. It’s announced as the ultimate scrap busting project and I can only confirm this. It ate all my fabric scraps from the last six years and a lot of threadbare clothes. It’s a giant also because I increased the side panel to 40 cm. No new fabric was used. I even made my own piping with used curtain strings! I’m very happy with my pouf! And a huge thanks to my hubby who cut all the scraps!
So this was my, a bit unusual?, sewing overview of 2020. But I have a strong feeling 2021 is going to be a good year! I will come back to check this a year from now!
I wish you all a very inspiring sew year!