2021 in Review

Phew! I finally finished photographing and updating all of last year's makes! Let's see what they looked like all together.

Looks like I tracked 11 projects this year! Only 2 of these qualify as work-wear, so if I thought that I was making work clothes, then I was deluding myself. 1 of these turned out to be a wood-working project! And I made a few inkle-woven bands on the loom over the summer. There are 3 dresses, 3 skirts, and 1 top. I also made myself 1 piece of headwear, 1 necklace, and a doublet as a gift for a friend. I started the year sewing in shades of blue, not sure if there's anything deeper psychological going on there, or if I just like that color, but I'm leaning towards liking that color.

Time Period: Since the first 2 pieces of the year were for the Calontir Clothing Challenge they were part of the early 15th century, the red hood is late 15th century, and the doublet is loose "renaissance," but probably 15th century as well. That makes 4 pieces for 15th century. The polka dot petticoat is 17th century in cut, but modern in fabric choice. The inkle loom I believe is 19th century because of the the tension mechanism, but the weave that it produces is much older, and I used very modern drill and screws to build it, so it's all over the place. The Halloween dress has 1950s lines, so it could be argued for 20th century. The remaining 4 pieces (cherry blossom dress, llama shirt, pirate petticoat, and lightning skirt) are definitely products of 21st century.

Pattern Source: 3 patterns were self-drafted (Blue overgown, Pirate Petticoat, and Lightning skirt). 3 patterns I found free online (Historical petticoat - Burnley & Trowbridge, Inkle Loom - Instructables, and Hood - SCA event). 3 patterns were modified by me for a specific reason from the Big 4 - (Cherry blossoms, Llamas, and Doublet), and 1 was from an indie designer (Halloween dress - Charm Patterns by Gertie).

4 of these projects were either stashbusters or UFOs. The Pirate flannel had been languishing in a box for 11 and half years! It finally found its way to its proper place. The Cherry blossom dress was started 6 months earlier, but put on hold because of the Calontir Clothing Challenge and because I needed help with the fit. Well, I finished the challenge, got help with the fit, and got back up on that horse. The Halloween dress was intimidating to say the least! I'd been holding onto the fabric for a while because I'd gotten it for such a great price, but the pattern was what really held me back! Now that I've tackled it I'm proud that it's done, but in no rush to try it again! The doublet came together rather smoothly, and I would be okay working on that project again. The holdup on that one was that I knew I needed to make some fit adjustments on the recipient, but I had to find time when both they and myself were available to make the adjustments. Now that I have them made, I could probably make it again! I just don't know if I'm ready to cut into the striped fabric yet. I would love it if the chevron came out exactly right.

Goals for 2022:

Sew things that make me happy, that truly fill me with joy, and try to bump the Stashbusting quotient to 50% instead of about 25%. And make more things for other people.