Happy new year.

I could begin this post by sharing all my new years resolutions with you, but to be honest most are pretty lame and revolve around healthy eating, money and exercise -> boring!

Instead I will write about my sewing goals for 2011.

Goal #1 - Prioritize sewing time during the week.

I have been bitten hard by the dressmaking bug, and after a few successful attempts at making some basic clothes, I have dreams now of making more detailed, complex and time consuming garments. The main challenge for this will be that I work full time, and find it hard during the week after a long day at work to then spend a few hours working on my projects at night. When I do try I often find that I am quite tired and therefore make silly mistakes, which makes the whole thing take longer and become not so enjoyable. My goal is to try to get up early one or two days per week before work and spend a good hour or so working on my projects. I've worked out that if I am in my sewing room ready to go at 6am, I could have 1.5 hours of sewing time before I even had to start thinking about getting out of my pajamas or having breakfast (the benefit of working 10 minutes from home!). Hold me to this one guys!

Goal #2 - Sewing homework.

I have never had any formal lessons in sewing or dressmaking. The most I have had is a 3 hour class on a certain dress pattern. I am mostly self-taught (thanks to the internet and fellow bloggers - thats you guys out there!) and because of this I am finding that the world of dressmaking is beginning to overwhelm me. I am quickly learning that selecting a pattern is the (very) easy part. It is the techniques, fabrics, and notions that go with a garment that are the key points to the process. I find (like most of you I'm sure) that with every pattern I make I am learning a new skill or technique. But there is still so much to learn. Hence this goal. I want to set myself "Sewing Homework" each week, whether it be to learn a new technique for a pattern I'm planning to make, or research different fabric characteristics. I will buy a visual arts diary and use this as my "homework book" to record my studies/learnings each week. I will blog regularly about my homework and share the information I learn with you all.

Goal #3 - Finish my quilts.

As many of you know this blog originates from "My Quilt Blog", a website that ran for a number of years and enabled a lovely group of people to meet and become a sort of virtual quilting group. We shared our projects as much as we did our daily life happenings, and we quickly developed friendships that continue online today. The site has since closed and most of us can be found lurking around on blogger :-). I know since I began the "no-clothes project" I have totally neglected my quilts - I hear them calling to me, and I will reply by finishing them this year (Mill you are going to hold me to this!).

Phew, I think these three goals will keep me busy for a while!

On a side note, I wanted to share with you the Sydney fireworks as seen at midnight from my balcony.

And finally, as I begin another year of sewing adventures, I want to say thank you to everyone who reads my blog and who communicates with me through comments and email. It means so much to me to have your feedback and to know you all enjoy reading, it makes this whole blogging thing feel a little bit more real :-)

Heres to 2011!

Much love,

Sam xox