Knipmode Challenge 2017

Happy New Year to you all!

A few years ago I embraced the 'no rules'-policy for my sewing. Rules, restrictions and deadlines are part of my working life. Sewing is my creative outlet and my creativity thrives on freedom and flexibility. Guilt free fabric buying and stress free sewing was my new motto!

Little changes made my sewing life happier. No more rushing to finish a dress meant significantly less last minute drama. Sometimes a little flip-thinking was required: that Christmas dress wasn't finished four weeks late, it was eleven months early for next Christmas!

The downside of sewing at this very relaxed pace was of course the lower output. Last year I made 7 tops, 3 dresses, 1 jacket, 1 nightie and a skirt (not all blogged)

Top favourites were my Butterfly Cashmerette Upton dress for summer and the Vogue 1465 Donna Karan jacket for autumn and winter.

After three consecutive years of peaceful, slow sewing I feel it's time to find a new balance or else I might sew myself to sleep one of these days.

I noticed a few wardrobe gaps that really need to be filled, all the more reason to make a plan in order to increase my output. I still don't like sewing deadlines and it's highly unlikely I'll ever enter a sewing competion, or even a SWAP, but perhaps I could benefit from setting a few soft goals.

Just I was contemplating possible new goals I saw the announcement of Burda Challenge 2017 on the Pattern Review forum. First rule: no rules! Just use those magazines!

Interesting! The no rules-rule almost made me join instantly. Then I remembered just in time that 98% of my massive magazine archive is filled with Knipmode magazines.

Why not set myself a similar challenge?  A Knipmode Challenge 2017?

It's not that I want to turn this blog into Knipmode-only, far from that. There will always be new and shiny patterns to distract me and I love my growing collection of Vogue designer patterns way too much to set them aside. Not to mention that Chanel jacket that still needs to be finished. But as you could see in my previous post there are serious gems in that pattern collection that really deserve better than to end up in a pile of unused magazines. That stack in the top picture is only the tip of the iceberg!

Over the last few years I've enjoyed seeing Knipmode patterns being sewn in about every corner of the world.  I hope other Knipmode lovers will join me in this challenge. Surely I can't be the only one who thinks it's so inspirational to see these patterns on women with different shapes and sizes!

So without pinning myself down on fixed numbers (freedom & flexibility!) I'll use my Knipmode magazines and pdf patterns more often. I'll strive to make at least one pattern each month, either from the latest issue or the archives.  I'll share what I make here on the blog, on Instagram (@foxglovesandthimbles) and on Flickr, using the tag #KnipmodeChallenge2017

Please let me know if you'd like to join!