2020 - Realisations/2021 - Goals

 As the hell year that was 2020 comes to a close I find myself very inspired to get a whole bunch of sewing done in the new year.  How much I get through is questionable as I will be on a year of maternity leave so finding a balance between parenting, housework and sewing may be hard.  

I also have 2 goals to work on sewing wise this year, they are

1. Increase skills by working on more elaborate and complete pieces

2. Work through stashed fabric and notions

The first goal is logical, we only get better if we challenge ourselves.  The second has a sad but kind of inspiring story attached.

At the beginning of 2020, my mother passed away.  She was young at 66 and it was an unexpected loss.  I won't go into large details but sufficed to say as she was also a sewist and as I am the only relative who is also a sewist, I inherited a large amount of sewing stuff.  It is also probably relevant to point out that we were also both kinda low key hoarders with a special interest in sewing stuff, so stash mountain has turned into stash Everest.

I did let a lot of the stash go, donating to The Sewing Basket or to family friends who were making large numbers of masks given the situation with Covid.  In truth there was no way I could ever consider being able to get through it all.  But there were many many fabrics I kept, so many of them purchased with plans to make things for her grandchildren - a task I will try and complete in this year coming and others fabric she had had for a long time.  Fabric she found and liked and would use one day but never got the chance.  Perhaps the right project never did come up or perhaps it did but what if she lost weight (she was always trying to lose weight) or what if she found something more perfect to use it on.

I think we all have a stash like this, we end up buying fabric specifically for projects rather than using what we have and a lot of what we have could have been used but its like deciding between having your cake and eating your cake.  What I realised in all of this was cake is no good if you don't eat it.  Eating it is its purpose, having it is a waste.  So 2021 needs to be the year I realise the perfect project is the one I have now not the one that may or may not exist in the future.  That silver and grey brocade I have been holding onto for nearly a decade, the vintage fabrics I found at fairs all of it is useless unless I use it.  I don't want to hold onto it and then miss my chance.   

With that all in mind I have started making lists of ideas on what projects I could conquer in 2021 - Assuredly I will not get through all of this but the priority is that each project must meet both goals.  I will list them here in short form so that I can refer back to it when I finish one and move onto another.  Some of these I will expand on in planing posts so that I also have an easy reference place for all my research.  (List is being done in chronological groups)

Please feel free to comment on what projects you think would be most fun or that you would like to see or hear about.

Medieval

• Viking Apron Dress
• Tudor Catherine Parr 
• Italian Renaissance Gown

1700's

• Robe a'la Francaise
• Robe d'Anglaise
• Slytherin Riding Habit
• Chemise a'la Raine

1800's

• Regency Silk Ballgown
• Scarlett's Orange Mill Dress
• Linen Walking Ensemble

1900's

• WW1 Era dress
• 1920's daywear
• WW2 Military Suit

Non Costume Sewing

• Vintage inspired work pieces
• Mums Children's wear
• Baby Bix Baby clothing

Fixes and Finishes on old projects

• Elizabethan Cartridge pleating
• Cursed Green Dress
• Blanket Dress
• Plaid Dress
• Toph's Victorian Coat

Where have you been???

So its been a while right.  Well in the time I have been gone I have had a baby (he is now 1) and well not much else of note.  In any case I want to get back into this blog and into sewing in general so here goes the plans for the future.

I have been cleaning out my sewing stuff, including a cull of stash mountain which since last documented has grown even bigger (I think there was somewhere near 400litres of fabric).  I have sorted it into various categories – fabric I am going to give away, fabric I am going to store, fabric that has projects assigned to it and UFO’s.  Quite embarrassingly there are UFO’s that require nothing more than a hem done and have still been sitting around forever (and that is almost literal).

Like a 1960’s tunic/Dress in black velveteen (not a cheap choice) <> which requires me to hem both the dress and lining and that is it.  

Or a 1940’s Skanties which need a waistband

Or (the oldest of my UFO’s at about 8 years) which is all the pieces cut out and overlocked and ready to put together as a petticoat.

My plan is to work on my Major project which is a costume, and I will explain in further detail in my next post.  At the same time I will be working on clearing UFO’s one at a time and interspersing some wearable fashion projects into the mix.  I hope to have the UFO box and assigned project box cleared by the end of the year.  Though it is possible the assigned project box may grow as I realise things that I may like to make with material I already have.  Outside of the Major Project I am calling it – NO MORE FABRIC PURCHASES.  I just don’t have the space.

Anyway this post is really just a boring one to check in and advise you (which at this stage is me) of what is happening in my sewing world and moving forward.  Now onto the big reveal post what is this major project and how major is it.

Real Life is a Total Time Suck

I know it has been ages since I posted and as the title suggests it is because real life is a time suck.  Since last checking in I have completed two terms of full time uni and full time work and moved back in with my mother.  I have also learnt how to knit (photos to come).




With all that going on there has been little progress in the sewing world.  I have completed the mountain of skirts - to which I now have a husband complaining that I have to many skirts and should make some dresses (honestly he should make up his mind).  Most of my stuff in in storage but that's ok cause I am still trying to get thin enough to fit back into them.  (Worst dieter EVER).  I am also planning my trip to Egypt/Jordan in a few weeks which will be fantastic.




I did manage to make a dress for my friends wedding (photos and post later this week) but mostly all that what I have managed is to purchase more material (that I probably didn't need) and more patterns (that I certainly didn't need).  I am coming to the point where now I need to honestly consider - should I sell off the patterns I don't think I will use?  Then I get that other thought... as soon as one is sold then I will want to make it.  The old adage about having cake and eating it too comes to mind.  I never really understood that one - what good is cake if I can't eat it.  I probably should resell and share the love but I love them all so much (at least I do when it comes to sale thoughts).


In order to get a better handle on sewing I have come up with the idea I am going to try and complete one major sewing project every month.  A pre-planned extravaganza of awesome sewing with no corner cutting allowed. 


Before the trip I may put together some random skits and things like that but once I am back it is all on.  I will post my calendar of sewing projects in a week or so when I have finalised the plans (all subject to change of cause).


Anyway I have 13 weeks off uni so hopefully I can get at least a few posts in here, even with the month away.