sewing lately & creative goals

Back in April, I wrote about having a simple creative goal in order to help me complete some of the sewing projects I had already started, and hoped to start. When I wrote that post, my main focus had been to make three quilts by the end of 2015. I made a start on my second quilt for 2015 soon after writing about my creative goal, and got to the stage of having sixteen blocks of the quilt made. Then I hit a bit of a wall, and I realised that perhaps it wasn't so much about making quilts, more, just a desire to make something from scratch and see it through to a completion. 

Soon after making my goal to sew three quilts this year, I attended a workshop where I learned how to follow a pattern and make a dress for Ruby. I really enjoyed learning some new skills and having a lovely dress at the end of the workshop, but it was a fairly complex pattern, and it reinforced my desire to not fuss to much about details, but just to get something made. So I went in search of a very simple dress pattern and tutorial online, and found one for a crossover pinafore. In the last couple of weeks, I have made another one of these crossover pinafore's for my goddaughter, pictured on Ruby below.

 

I then discovered a pattern for a very simple pinafore dress which a friend of mine had made. I didn't really want to spend money on buying a pattern, but knew that if I wanted to find a simpler pattern than the dress I had made at the sewing workshop, I either needed to wing it and sew a dress based on one of Ruby's existing dresses, or spend a few pounds. I opted for the latter, as I didn't want to risk wasting precious fabric! The pattern can be found here: Reversible baby dress.
Although the pattern is designed to be reversible, I have to confess I went for the lazy option of using poppers to fasten the dress instead of buttons, so it can only be worn one way. I have made two of these - one for Ruby and one for our goddaughter, and have another one in progress.

So, I am a long way off completing any quilts this year, but I am still managing to make things. I just need to make a plan for when and how I am going to sew those quilts, and also maybe an incentive would help. Chocolate. That always helps.