The Dreamstress

It’s that time of year again: the holidays done and dusted, and time to look back at what I accomplished this year, what I didn’t accomplish.

2016 was a weird year.  It was great on a career level (yay, I launched Scroop Patterns!).  And there were some personal/sew-y highlights (Costume College), but it was also a really horrible year on a personal level (things I don’t talk about here…).

My goal is to make 2017 even better on a career level (so many Scroop Patterns!).  And I’m going to do everything I can to make it a much better year personally, though I don’t have as much control over that by far, and a lot of my personal  grief and heartache of 2016 will continue for a while.

It’s also a year that came to an extremely frustrating end: my main working computer crashed catastrophically  on the 29th, while  I was backing it up: a disaster that appears to have taken both the hard drive, the backup it was doing, and the backup before that, with it (insert much wailing and gnashing of teeth).  I was finally able to take it to the shop today (the joys of public holidays!), but may have lost 10 days of work, including an amazing photoshoot.  So I’m feeling pretty glum as I type this on my backup computer, which is beginning to get a bit slow and grumpy.

But ultimately, this is a blog about sewing, so let’s look at that, and how I did:

2016 in sum:

I sewed at least 84 things (I kinda stopped counting the bibs, stockings, knickers, and singlet camisoles after a while, so there might be a few more).

29  of those were historical: 12 of which were made specifically for the Fortnight in 1916, and 5  of which were specifically for Costume College.  The remaining 12 were almost all for the Historical Sew Fortnightly.

Of the 55 non-historical things, 23 were trial or sample pieces for Scroop Patterns, 16 were bibs, and the other 16 were items for my wardrobe, craft projects, or gifts.

I launched Scroop Patterns,  and got three patterns out: The Henrietta Maria, Miramar Dress/Top/Tunic, and Wonder Unders

Top five  seven  favourites for 2016:

1. The 1914-15 Cobwebs & Roses evening dress fulfilled a long-term sewing dream, and I felt gorgeous in it.
   
2. My Sewing in 1916 blouse, sewn on a hand-crank 1891 vibrating shuttle machine during my Fortnight in 1916
   
3. The Woodwold Henrietta Maria.  Generally by the time I’ve launched a pattern I still love it, but I struggle to be super excited about a garment made from it, because I’ve made half a dozen of them.  This was definitely an exception, and is my most-worn garment of the year.
   
4. My circular cardigan.  Because how could I not love a thing that does vintage glam and Jedi Knight equally well?
   
5. The 1900s Touch of Blue corset was a really frustrating make, but it does mean that I finally have a proper S-bend corset
   
6. The 1910s Little Miss Muffet frock  –  so fetching!
   

   Courtesy of Tony McKay Photography and Glory Days Magazine

7. The Goddess of Small Happinesses Frock.  I just feel so confident in it.
   

 

With additional shout-outs to the 1913-16 Sunshine & Roses corset (if anything gets a name that’s a nod to Robin McKinley, it’s a sure sign I love it), 1910s black & white corset (so comfortable!), 1920s Autumn Cardigan (wear it all the time!), 1921 Fringe & Poppies ensemble (fancy me liking fringe!), and 1920s not-remotely-1-hour dress & sinamay hat.

The  least  favourite item of  2015:

1. The 1910 corset of hubris and irony.  Pay attention to busk length.  It’s important!On the bright side, I could only come up with 1 item for this category!

Biggest Accomplishment:

Launching Scroop Patterns!

 Goals for 2017:

1. Patterns.  Patterns.  Patterns.  Patterns.  Patterns.  Patterns.  Patterns.  And then some more patterns!  Historical and modern ones!  All the Scroop Patterns!
2. A really fabulous, high-fashion 1916 day dress
3. A 1660s gown
4. A really fabulous 1916 evening dress
5. More  simple, everyday 1910s blouses and skirts.
6. To re-fit my 1813 Kashmiri dress, and make a spencer or day-sleeves for it
7. To finally finish the evil beast of the red velvet Elizabethan gown.
8. To make a totally OTT and frilly 1900s blouse.
9. To finish at least three other historical UFOs  (1760s punched silk gown? Chine a la br’etch gown?  That stack of 1910s combinations I misplaced halfway through sewing while planning the Fortnight in 1916?, a 1910s petticoat)
10. Make more basic historical undergarments for lots of periods
11. Make 1810s stays.

    And….I think I’d better stop while I have any chance of finishing the list!

So, my year didn’t quite go to plan, but I’m still pleased with myself.

What did you accomplish last  year that you are really pleased about?  What goals do you have for this  year?