Soooo. It’s the last day of 2016. Cheers! and here’s to the year that was… *chinks champers flutes* Mwah, mwah, darlings!
Kicking off with my favourite ootd/blog pictures, just one for each month… Apart from January, well obviously I did not make January’s outfit.. I am wearing a full traditional kimono in Tokyo! but it was definitely a highlight for my year! spending the day with my dear friend Yoshimi and with Cassie and Kelly, getting dressed in kimonos and having a Japanese lunch together. So very interesting and so much fun!
Apart from this one picture, I made 100% of what I am wearing in every other picture…
December
Oh dear, oh dear; looking through all my old pictures to compile this post has been a little sad, Sienna features in so many of them. yes I miss her so much, in fact everyday. We’ve still been quite down here. But I will not get all maudlin now…
Ever onwards. So, my year in making:
I made a total of 101 things this year. I don’t think this is too bad, considering it included a fully embroidered Alabama Chanin skirt, and 19 pairs of shoes. Yep! NINETEEN pairs of shoes… ahem, some of them are just a tad better than others, and several of the earlier, shonkier pairs have already winged their way to that big eternal shoe box in the sky…
Da breakdown… 13 dresses, 1 doll with a full wardrobe, 12 skirts, 5 lingerie sets, 5 prs of bathers (1 binned without blogging because it was an abject fail), 1 knitted cardigan, 5 jackets/anoraks, 2 prs thongs (flip-flops), 10 prs oxford/lace-up shoes, 1 pr winter boots, 2 prs desert boots, 2 prs slippers, 20 tops/shirts/blouses, 2 prs sandals, 5 prs tights, 1 pr jeans, 1 pr hand warmers, 13 bags/pieces of luggage. Phew!
Selfishness vs. virtuous brownie-point earning: 63 plays 38. Maybe a little tipped towards selfishness, but since that figure includes all the shoes, and practise shoes! that I needed just so I could lead a self-shod, but functional life, well I don’t think it’s too terrible. I think I make just enough things for others that I’m not a pest about it, you know?
Costs… dunno. Haven’t been keeping track. Probably a small fortune?! 
No really, I did 3 refashions, and also 24 items were made from free “old” fabric being tossed out by others, or using leftovers, or scraps. Really could improve upon this though…
Most worn items: ah, this is my favourite bit… For four years now I’ve kept track of what I’m wearing, three of those years via my ootd blog.. I keep a spread sheet that I update every month, so I know just how often each and every thing has been worn. I know I know, super nerdy stuff. But, real talk; it’s been an eye-opener I tell you… someone who tells you they’ve worn something hundreds of times…? well, if you actually add it up, for real; you may not have worn it as often as you think! Truth! Anyway, my most worn clothing items for this year can be summed up in the following outfits:
The obvious basics were my black winter boots (70 wears), black tights (109 wears over 4 prs), white LS woollen winter tees (30 wears over 2 tops), other white beige/ivory Tshirts(41 wears over 5 tops); my staples are all 4 of my coloured Miette cardigans, my little mini skirts for winter, and all my loose linen, cotton and silk dresses for summer. For the most part I stick reasonably well to my autumnal palette but I’m not strict about it
Favourite creations:
I would have to say, topping of the list are my winter boots!! so unbelievably proud of these things!!! and which as mentioned have been worn a TONNE. I can still hardly believe I managed those things!
Followed closely by my Magdalena Dusk Alabama Chanin 3-piece ensemble. I’ve worn it twice this year, not very much! I think I suffer from might-ruin-it-itis. Gottta snap outta that. This thing deserves to be paraded about more, not just for the several months worth of hand-embroidery it represents, but of course for its connection to my lovely friend Lisa of Lisa’s Carolina 
I’m also pretty pleased and proud of my Tosti jacket...
Goals for 2017; Mainly, I want to see out the end of my 100% handmade challenge of course! I have just 53 days to goooooo! But in making goals, well I don’t need anything, so my creating is going to be aimed at maintaining a useful wardrobe, and concentrating on higher quality, and more interesting things. I would like to occasionally make some more fun and frivolous things too. And to continue making shoes, and improving my cobbling skills.
Finally and most importantly of all, I just want to say THANK YOU to everyone who reads my blog and who takes the time to leave a comment, I am grateful for each and every kind thought. Thank you so very much, and I’d like to wish all the best to everyone for a safe, happy, peaceful and creative 2017! xxx
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