Photo collage time! - 2017 in review

Even though it takes me forever, I like organising all my year long makes and sticking them together in giant collages.

As always the first collage I make is the Oliver + S patterns:

In previous years I've had three of even four collages just of Oliver + S. I suppose now that both kids spend 5 out of 7 days in school uniform I've slowed down a little on sewing them clothes. However, with the exception of some emergency shopping when my son forgot to take his packed bag on holiday, I don't think I've bought them anything this year either.

There was a lot of lycra purchased and scrounged (thanks to my local sewing machine repair guy's scraps stash) and so swimwear, leotards and cycle bits all needed a collage of their own:

I made lots of things that can't be classified in just one craft category, so from tiny macrame earrings to giant ears for a Renault; here's all the "other stuff" of 2017

And then it looks like 2017 was the year of sewing for me. Move aside kids, yes, you kids, the ones dressed in last years too short, worn out clothes, I'm making something more for MYSELF!

But first: The reason I ended up sewing even more for myself was that I finally got around to making that wholesale change in the way I was eating. We've all heard it, right? You can't eat in your 40's like you did in your 20's without getting steadily bigger and bigger. I was proving that point, and while I was exercising and staying strong I was on a steady, couple of kilos every year, upward flab trend. So In March I did that predictably dull thing and stopped eating breakfast cereals, bread and pasta.

Here's a collage of various photos of breakfasts and lunches taken over the last 10 months...

Of course the real joy in saying goodbye to 10kg of fat was saying hello again to all the ready-to-wear clothes I'd stashed away post kids and lamented ever wearing again. I've always been one for buying only a few items of clothing, spending big and avoiding trends. So I'm happy to be rediscovering things I hadn't worn for 10 years and finding they fit right back in to my wardrobe.

Not that that stopped me from sewing for myself. Here's mostly me, but also my mum and Flipper, in everything made using Lisette for Butterick or Liesl + Co patterns:

And finally, when I'm not sewing under Liesl Gibson's guidance I make a few other things for the kids and myself. Here's the final collage of mixed "other" garment sewing.

I'm too lazy to caption all the images, but if you see a garment and want to know what the pattern is, or would like a recipe for a lunch idea then just ask away in the comments section below.

What next?
My wardrobe is fairly full now, not that I'll be stopped from cramming more in. First project for myself will be some more swimwear. The pattern is looking at me from the other room right now..... Gotta go!

Happy new year everybody, may you have a wonderful, healthy and productive 2018

Don't forget to check out the Seashore Sundress post, which is one post behind this one, 

for the chance to win a paper pattern. I'll pick a winner next week.