With 2016 drawing to a close, and some saying “good riddance”, we start looking forward to the days getting longer and the new challenges we can face in 2017.

Will it be the year you choose to enhance or progress your sewing skills? Or will you find other challenges to set yourself?

2016 has been an odd year to say the least. For me personally a mix of highs – my best friend getting married, and lows – the loss of so many wonderfully talented people – David Bowie, Alan Rickman and most recently Carrie Fisher. But the end of a year brings with it a time to look back and evaluate what’s happened, how we reacted to it and also how we can adapt and move on positively into the New Year.

The break we’ve had over Christmas and New year with the store being closed has provided me with the time I needed for a bit of quiet reflection.

The Bearded One and I have worked exceptionally hard this year on a large project that neither of us quite realised would take the time and energy it has. However, The Book that we have been working on is now complete, well our part in it is now complete, it’s off being printed and will be available at the beginning of April 2017. (We are hoping to get advance copies for the Sewing for Pleasure Show at the NEC in March.) I am still not quite sure what to make of it yet. It’s a bit fresh and I’m still a bit too close to the process to fully appreciate what we have achieved.

A friend, who has written several books, described it as being a bit like having a baby. You’re excited in the beginning at the prospect of this amazing adventure, then the enormity of what you have signed up for hits in. Carrying on you just want it over and done with and then at the end they hand you this finished manuscript and you can’t quite believe how it got here.

It does look amazing and is full of information. I hope will be useful and informative for both those new to sewing and those who want to learn a few more techniques and processes, as well as being an aide memoire for things you’ve done before, but perhaps not for some time.

Because writing the book has taken me away from Sew Me Something a lot more than I’d hoped this year, we have only released two dressmaking pattern and two bag patterns. Nothing to be sniffed at I know but not what I was hoping for. However, as with all things there is a balance and working on the book has also provided a huge resource of information to share to help people to sew better and enjoy the process of sewing and creating.

We have also used this break to begin planning how we can use this resource and best share all this information. So there will be new patterns on their way very soon, the first next month, there will be a series of tutorials covering the techniques and processes you have asked us about and for those that can’t join us for a workshop, online courses to show you how we would do things in our own workshops so you can still learn from the comfort of your own home as if you were actually with us.

The challenges I am setting myself are to be able to deliver what I set out to. It will require organisation, commitment and discipline. If I’m completely honest not my strong points as I’m easily distracted by……ooh fabric! But then what challenges me comes easily for others. And vice versa. So what will you challenge yourself to do in 2017? Can we help you meet your sewing challenges?

Happy New Year

Jules