A Doll's Year In Review

It is the last day of December and a cold one. We have a special weather statement saying we will get snow/rain off the Great Lakes New Years Day. 
This morning it is -13C and we should see those temperatures for the next couple of days. Truly Nova Scotia weather. 

Reflection

This past year has been somewhat of a successful year in the sewing room. The room got painted and is so much lighter and brighter. I do enjoy sewing in there. We love the color so much, the whole house will be painted that color. 

Sewing

This year, the sewing was mainly tiny. I did a lot of doll sewing exploring with patterns I was given or bought. I had some successes in the doll world.
Doll sewing started out with easy pieces such as leggings, simple dresses, and t-shirts. The biggest challenge was making Anna's black pants as I had to redesign the back piece thanks to a friend who did it first. 

I did more pieces that took a bit of creating using ideas I found on Pinterest. 

Lastly I ventured out and tried a complete outfit. It was a goal of mine and hard to achieve. 

Next up, came sewing Edwardian clothing for the dolls. It was fun but I have to say the pattern directions left a lot to be desired. 

I even worked on my photography skills and started to use backdrops. In the midst of all this sewing, I became a pattern tester for Pixie Faire.
I did stretch my learning skills when sewing for the dolls. I especially learned more about which patterns and fabrics went well together to create outfits that looked great. The secondary thing I learned was pleats. It started off with the Georgian period clothing and ended up with a bespoke kilt. 

Knitting

I did a lot of stretching and learning in knitting this year. I really moved forward from knitting in my comfort zone to trying new things. Dolls are a great place to learn as the items are actually samplers. 
After knitting some turtle neck sweaters from the neck down, I decided to knit a two piece set. The pattern is easy to follow so I chose to learn two techniques; adding beads and doing an i-cord edge. 

That led to another beaded design on yarn that didn't work out. The design was great though. 
I knit a sweater three times as the pattern is cute. I worked on the front edge of this pattern as I wanted it to look smooth. I did two white and one blue sweater. 

I knit another pattern twice using a new designer to me 

 I also knit a dress where I learned a few tricks -- the pockets were the area of learning. 

My biggest flop was this sweater. Yarn and pattern did not go together. I'll try it again using a different yarn. 

The item I made that I loved is this sweater. 

The sweater was a test pattern and pairing it with a plaid skirt was a perfect marriage. 
The hardest item I knit was this dress. Blocking the skirt so it wouldn't roll was a painful experience. 

I knit a very easy cape to go over it and was pleased with the results. 

Exploring

2018 was the first year that I really explored. I chose the doll world to explore in as the items are small and more like samples that can be worn. 
I had hoped for 20 outfits to sell but I ended up with 4. One I sold and the other 3 languish in the sewing room waiting for the next 17 outfits. 
I have learned through reading, watching, and asking that seasonal outfits sell the best. I like the combination of knitting and sewing for an outfit. It seems to be what others are looking for. Having a bit of a story also helps gets a vision of what I want to make. Fabric choice is important. Pairing fabric to pattern is number 1 but choosing fabric that isn't too focused on one idea is of great importance. 

Where Do I Want to Go

I want to work on getting 17 more outfits done in 2019. I am looking at my patterns, fabric and yarn and am hoping to make good marriages between them all. 

Conclusion

I really stretched my learning in the doll's world this year. I am planning on taking two courses to help me out and then spend time doing more complicated outfits. I need to stop overthinking and let my ideas flow. I can be my own worst enemy.