Resolutions 2013- pt.1

The first and biggest aspect of my New Year Resolutions- This year, I'm hoping to concentrate my creative energy in an, ultimately, more productive manner. My past projects, while purposeful individually, have little to do with each other. My project selections have been haphazard and disjointed. I picked pretty patterns without taking my own style preferences and body shape into consideration. Unfortunately, this has left me with a pile of  "me made" objects that either- don't work with my day-to-day aesthetic and/or don't coordinate with my existing wardrobe components. To remedy this situation, I evaluated my diurnal attire to create two lists  of items I feel create an ideal "staple" wardrobe.  I think these are fairly comprehensive, but they certainly may require some editing along the way. Some of these are pieces I rely on heavily already and could use replacing, while others fill gaps between what I have to work with and wish I had. 

The color palate is there to remind me, these are the colors I readily reach for and wear.  I'm not punchy. In fact, I don't own a single pink garment, no red. My day-to-day 'uniform' is typically jeans and a sweater. Like a lot of people who have ventured down the path of creating their own clothes, there's a fair amount of distance between the way I dress and the way I would like to dress. So, I'm hoping to push my own boundaries and start to incorporating prints, skirts, and a variety of blouses. 

There are knitting and sewing projects on each list. Obviously, there are more sewing projects than knitting projects. I'm hoping to knit BETTER sweaters this year than I have in the past. Finer gauge. Seams. Tidy Finishing.- These are going to require a bit more energy and time than I've grown accustomed to, but they should also last a lot longer and get a lot more use than some of those I was able to hurry through. Also, I want to branch out a bit from knitting only sweaters and socks. Projects not included on these lists, but fermenting in the back of my mind include a couple of knitted home decor projects and some accessories (cowls, hats, mitts, etc...).

Then, there's the sewing. I am not disillusioned. There are likely more projects on this list than I am able to attend to in a year's time.  These list are IDEAL and relatively COMPLETE and a point of reference. I don't want to impede my own efforts by making any predictions about the number of projects I'm going to be able to turn-out; as many as possible.  This goal may take more than a year to accomplish, and I'm comfortable with that. 

In the face of a large, multi-faceted  goal like this one, I think it helps to have mini goals to aim for along the way. So, I'm going to pledge participation in Me-Made March, Me-Made May and Self-Stitched September (assuming they take place again this year), and, possibly, a Me-Made Vaca (tion) too if I can swing it. In order to jump start my engine, I took on the grueling task of clearing out my closet. I donated piles. Knits that don't get worn, I hope to reclaim and recycle;  we'll see how ambitious I remain. I do need to have some things to get me by while I work. But, I kept only a skeletal collection and should be able to slowly work it out as I work on my resolution. I really hope I don't regret this.... scary....

At this point, I'm hoping to check on my project progress with a monthly update post. I hope you'll all help to keep me accountable! :-D