Slightly astonishing… Confessions of a stay-at-home Mum and sewing addict
I’ve been reading everyone’s end-of-year round ups and admiring what people managed to achieve in terms of sewing in 2011. Then I decided to count up my own completed projects, and I was so shocked to find I’ve sewn up 58, yes FIFTY EIGHT projects this year. I don’t know how the hell I’ve managed it.
I’m a stay-at-home Mum to one toddler who is almost two. We get up at half past eight each morning and get dressed and have our breakfast, then we might go out or stay in, but we’ll always have lunch around half twelve and then she has her nap from about quarter past one until half past two. More often than not I use that nap time to sew, so I do frequently get an hour’s worth of sewing time each day. Mr Tweedie comes home for half fourish. Usually we spend that time together as a family but there have been times when I’ve gone off to do a bit of sewing during the cBeebies bedtime hour. Little Tweedie goes to bed at half seven, and Mr Tweedie and I spend the majority of our evenings together watching some TV DVD boxset or other (currently Downton Abbey and Outnumbered, but in 2011 we worked our way through Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Life on Mars, Nighty Night, Dinnerladies, Father Ted, Psychoville, Deadwood, Gavin and Stacey, True Blood and Mad Men). Sometimes if I’m in the midst of a sewing project I’ll have that urge to keep going and I’ll sew after Little Tweedie has gone to bed. Weekends are very hit and miss for sewing time. Because we moved away from our friends in September 2010, we frequently go visiting them at weekends or we have visitors to stay, and that rules out sewing. But if we stay at home and it’s a quiet weekend, I’ll sometimes sew on Sunday whilst Mr Tweedie and Little Tweedie spend time together. So, in a really intense sewing week I might be able to sew every nap time, a couple of evenings and maybe a full day at the weekend – but of course that is quite rare (and a bit full-on!).
Since September I’ve had a boost in my sewing time as Little Tweedie started to go to nursery on Mondays and Tuesdays. The idea was that, being a primary school supply teacher, I’d be available for supply work on those two days. I’d been getting a fair amount of supply before the summer break so it seemed to be a good bet. Unfortunately it didn’t quite work out, it was very quiet on the supply front and so I had several weeks of being at home by myself for two days whilst Little Tweedie was at nursery – not great for our finances, admittedly, but wonderful for sewing time! In November we reduced Little Tweedie’s nursery attendance to one day per week – Tuesday – and now I have that day to myself every week as I’m no longer doing supply work.
I don’t know what 2012 has in store for me, but until I counted up what I had sewn in 2011 I thought I might resolve to try and sew more than I did in 2011. But having realised the amount I actually did sew, I’m very pleased with myself and I’m not going to push myself to do more. We are planning to move house soon, and my sewing room in the new house will initially serve as a dumping ground whilst we’re getting sorted, and afterwards it will need a lot of work (for example it needs the carpet taking up and either the floorboards to be painted, renovated or replaced depending on their condition, and the room itself needs re-decorating), so I envisage severe disruptions to our normal routine!
So… a round up then of what I made in 2011 (I won’t post photos of everything as it’s all on flickr):
- 16 dresses (2 Colette Crepe dresses, 2 Simplicity 2591 dresses, 2 Colette Parfait dresses, 2 Colette Chantilly dresses, 2 Regency gowns, 2 Sewaholic Lonsdale dresses, a Colette Peony dress, a vintage Style 4772 dress, a New Look 6000 dress and a Colette Rooibos dress)
- 12 baby dresses – some as gifts, some for little Tweedie and some to sell
- 7 skirts (a Simplicity 3847 circle skirt for Ophelia Slightly, 4 Sewaholic Crescent skirts, my S.E.W. Naughty Secretary skirt and my self-drafted City and Guilds skirt)
- 7 tops (2 Simplicity K2938 tops, 2 SewU Home Stretch boatneck tshirts, a Burda 7798 top, a New Look 6026 top and a Colette Sorbetto top)
- 4 men’s shirts (McCalls M4518 Hawaiian shirt for Randolph Bacon and 3 Colette Negroni shirts for Mr Tweedie)
- 2 pairs of boxers (both S.E.W. Foxy Boxers for Mr Tweedie)
- 3 sets of cot bedding for Little Tweedie
- 2 pairs of pajama bottoms (One pair for me using Simplicity 2317 and a pair for Bo Peep’s baby using New Look 6932)
- 2 lots of bunting (one for my friend’s baby and the other for Thanksgiving)
- a Kindle cover
- 6 quilted placemats (counts as one project of course!)
- a peg bag
What I want to sew in 2012:
- Butterick B4914 – I’ve had this pattern for a while and I’m more confident sewing jersey now
- Another Colette Peony dress as I’ve worn the first one LOADS
- Colette Jasmine blouse – I have the fabric already
- Two Colette Truffle dresses – I have fabric already for these – the first as a wearable muslin and the second a more dressy affair
- Colette Licorice dress
- Colette Macaron dress – haven’t got the pattern yet but I plan to buy it (or borrow from Julia)
- My self-drafted Vertigo dress
- Colette Eclair dress, once I’ve gotten over the pain of making the Vertigo dress
- Another Colette Rooibos dress with a full bust adjustment this time
- Another New Look 6000 in double knit fabric which is on its way to me as we speak
- Serendipity Studios Monique dress – I have the fabric already
- Another Colette Parfait dress, because I want one in every colour of the rainbow, and I have the fabric already
- Pajamas for Little Tweedie using New Look 6932 – I have the fabric already
- A New Look 6843 skirt – I have the fabric already
Wish me luck!!
Thread Carefully 
I feel slightly ashamed of myself reading this – I know I’ve done nowhere near this much!
Good going Double T! xx
Thanks – but let’s not forget a) you have a full time job (sometimes more than full time!) and b) you went away for an entire month! I’m always impressed by your sewing productivity 🙂
Amazing! What an achievement! Toddler nap times in my house tend to be just about long enough to wash up and brush my hair then it’s all go again…. I’d love to be able to get half the amount done that you did last year!
Thanks! I’m lucky Little Tweedie is such a good sleeper!
Wow, that’s an amzing number! I’m also planning on a Colette Peony and have some delicious wool purchased for it. Good lukc with your 2012 sewing too 🙂
Sounds lovely – send us a link to a pic when you’re done!
Wow, I’m astounded at your productivity…how on earth is it possible with a toddler to look after pretty much full-time? It goes to show that where there’s a will there’s a way! You’ve inspired me to do better this year!
To be honest I am astounded myself! It’s just down to using my free time productively and of course to Mr Tweedie’s willingness to take over for a few hours here or there. Without his support and Little Tweedie’s naptimes it just wouldn’t be possible.
I must share that you have done more than I have and I don’t have a toddler around the house. It takes time to get into a schedule where our creative activities are accomplished….but you seem to have your rhythm working for you just fine 🙂
Everything that you have done is so pretty…thank you for sharing.
m.
Thank you for commenting Maria! It has definitely taken will power to make time for my hobby, but I am going to try and keep it up as much as possible in 2012, although I know it may be a much more unsettled year than 2011.
Those are some amazing makes. Congrats! Wishing you loads of luck this year. But for some reason I doubt you need it 🙂
I do, I do! Moving house and Little Tweedie growing up will definitely mean less time for sewing! But hopefully I’ll still feel proud of my accomplishments at the end of 2012!
Wowsers! I’ve been tres productive on the crochet front (blankets, hats, scarves, shawl) but have been shocking on the sewing front – but then I think I’ve only just about “sorted myself out” in the latter part of this year so I think that might have something to do with it.
Also, I know you made some gloves and I’m sure there were other yarn based products in there too…so you’ve done even more! I’m very, very impressed my dear 🙂
Thanks lovely! I’m hoping to do more crochet and knitting in 2012 – we will have to swap tips! x
That’s an amazing achievement – congrats! I’m lucky enough to have both my children at school now and although I miss them occasionally, it’s so lovely to have that time to yourself in the day. Good work on managing to fit so much in. Looking forward to your 2012 makes! x
Thanks Jane – I’m also looking forward to seeing what you make this year too!
That’s fantastic productivity! I spend far too much time faffing about on the computer, I’m sure I’d get loads more done if I just turned it off a bit more often!
I know what you mean, Chris, the internet steals far too much of my time too!
You have made loads! I am always interested to see how other people fit in sewing around small children etc. I am looking forward to seeing what you come up with in 2012!
Thank you! I doubt I’ll get as much done this year with moving house but you never know!
I can’t get past the fact that your LO sleeps 7.30pm – 8.30am or have I read that wrong!? Please tell me how?!! I just this week managed to move wake-up in this house from 4am (!!!) to apx 5.45 using the controversial Tizzy Hall method on my 17mo *sigh* ! Re. the sewing I am in awe about how much you manage to achieve with a toddler about. I am feeling quite inspired by your post, I’ve been sewing since last April and enjoy it very much but while I have collected lots of lovely fabric I don’t sew anywhere near as much as I’d like. One of my goals for 2012 is to make more time to sew – I should perhaps get more specific, as you have done here. Good luck with it all 🙂
Hello, you didn’t read it wrong, no! She sleeps from 7:30pm until 8:30am (sometimes she wakes up a little earlier but she just sings to herself), then she has a nap in the day that is from 13:10 to 14:30ish. She’s always been a good sleeper so I know we’ve been very lucky! Good luck with your 2012 goals – let us know how you get on! 🙂
Wowzers – that’s impressive Mrs Tweedy!!! xxx
Thanks lovely! x
Wow Tabatha what an amazingly productive year 2011 was for you! Congratulations! I am in constant admiration of how you manage to fit in so much sewing. My daughter naps for about 2 hours a day and yet I still can’t usually fit in that time to sew – it’s spent cleaning , cooking, etc. And I am not even a neat/clean freak! Kudos to you, and here’s to an equally productive 2012 x
By the way this is Leah – I have a new wordpress account 🙂
Hi Leah! Well, some might say that my time might be better spent cleaning and cooking…something has got to give! We usually only clean when people are coming round!