Fearless February goals

So I’ve been thinking long and hard about some of my Fearless February goals. Most of them are related to tackling projects, fabric, or skills that I have been hesitant to undertake:

• Tackle the Mr. HP Hemmingway Windcheater from Hot Patterns. I have not yet made a full-on coat and I am excited to take the plunge for my loving and supportive hubby! He wants it from his camo pattern that he uses for duck hunting, so I will probably use this 500 denier water resistant fabric from Realtree.
• Perfect the fit on Simplicity 2284. I’ve worn my boucle version a few times now and found a few nagging fit issues that I am (for once in my life) determined to tackle and resolve. I’m not usually one to make a pattern like this more than once – and I tend to get bored and complacent and decide that a decent (but not stellar) fit is good enough since it’s still better than RTW, but this is such a classic style that can work in so many fabrications for so many different purposes that I have decided it is time I really sit down and perfect the fit of something. My next version will also tackle some tailoring techniques as I want it more structured than the boucle version. It will also feature a decorative exposed zipper front, welt pockets, and some self-drafted zippered cuff styling. All things that I have not done before!
• PANTS! I have wadded every single pair of pants that I have ever attempted to make for myself. I just have not had the patience or desire to sit down and really work out my fit issues. I purchased the Sandra Betzina pants fitting class from Craftsy and have not yet had a chance to start it. In February, I will tackle this class and get some of my pants fit issues down.
• My final goal is not so much about sewing, but about my sewing space. I have this strange attachment to my fabric (not strange to be attached to fabric, but strange for me because I don’t like a good deal of it anymore)…but my sewing supplies are starting to take over the house and really need to be confined to a single space. So I need to carefully consider what fabric I will logically use and what I need to part with and pare down my stash considerably. Same for some excess machines that I have recently “inherited” from others that I need to find new homes for. This will probably be the first thing that I am able to accomplish. This is scarier to me than the thought of acquiring new skills! But if there is anything that I learned with the passing of my grandfather, I do not want to leave this world with more stuff than my family can handle going through…my granddad could have been considered an organized hoarder – he didn’t throw ANYTHING away, but it was all neatly organized and labeled.

These are my lofty (for me) goals, but life is crazy being a working mom of a Kindergartner so they are always subject to change. The one thing that WILL happen is the purging and reorganization of my stash – both fabric and patterns. Hopefully I will get my sewing machine back from the shop in time to tackle the rest of these! Who knew that it could take so long to have warranty work done?