Cold Induced Ramblings

Hello Friends!  I've been pondering my sewing for a few days, I'm still on the couch with a horrible cold/flu/virus-thing that has me down for the count (no work, no parties, no leaving the house, or barely leaving the couch for that matter!).  I thought I might be well enough for a little bit of sewing today, but cold meds are not my friend (they give me shakes, anxiety and otherwise general dopiness), though they did help with the symptoms.  In any event, I will not be taking them tomorrow!!

Regardless, I browsed the internet a lot over the past few days, and placed an order to Vogue Patterns (SALE ALERT!!) even though I REALLY don't NEED any other patterns...(shrugging).  I am INSPIRED!!!

I'm still searching for the "right" pattern to use for my tailored jacket project, though I think I will just pick on without any further ado.  I've made my shopping list for the things I will need in order to complete this project, and hope to get started this weekend.

I have decided that despite all of my prose on the subject of goals, I think I WILL make a few.

Goals for 2014
Knitting:
1. 1 pair of socks a month
2. Three sweaters (one for myself, and one for each of my daughters)
3. Sweater for my baby niece and nephew
4. Stash busting!  I have a YARN ROOM, people.  A whole room for my yarn.  It is starting to be a bit overwhelming, so I need to use some of the gorgeous colourful yarn I already have.

Sewing:
A.  Learn how to use the coverstitch capability on my serger (!!)  I think I'm a bit frightened of this.  I don't want to "wreck" any projects with it.  I just need to do a few projects to gain my bearings, maybe basic tees to wear hacking around the house.
B.  Tailored Jacket project - I'm researching this, have a shopping list, just have to pick the pattern and the fabric (from my stash - see letter G below)
C. French style jacket project
D. sew one garment a month from Burda magazines (I have a HUGE collection that has basically collected dust over the years)
E. perfect a trousers pattern (I'm enrolled in a pants drafting course, and a pants sewing course at our local college, so hopefully I'm well on my way to this one!!)
F.  Unofficially join the RTW fasters Link Here.  Any time I join anything officially, I don't seem to be able to remotely complete anything near my goal, so I will follow along unofficially.  I have more than enough fabric to work on this, and I'm working towards some really aggressive saving goals, and ready to wear just really isn't in the budget this year.  Which leads into...
G. Stash busting!  My stash is threatening to take over my basement.  I have SO MUCH untapped potential there!!!  Gorgeous fabrics that I can't wait to use!!!  I'm not saying I won't buy fabric, but I need to focus on what I already have.  I'm an emotional fabric buyer, and a sucker for a great deal; but I'm hoping to transfer my stress buying into actually working on projects.
H.  I also want to do a better job of documenting my projects.  I'm hoping to get a tripod early this year so I can take photographs of my projects to give you guys a better perspective of what I'm working on.

Those goals are pretty general, no real SMART qualifiers to them.  I'll have to work on that, because without timelines and the other qualifiers, they just become ramblings.