Monday, January 2, 2017

2017 Sewing Plans and Goals

2017 Sewing Plans & Goals:

Well, it's 2017, the year I need to finally get a few long-planned outfits done like my first Robe a la Francaise, jacket/s for my husband, and get foundation garments (my least favorite) done for new era's: Victorian, 1830's and proper Edwardian.

PLANNED for 2017:
-Robe a la Francaise
-Late 18th and early 19th century men's jacket for HB
-late Victorian corset
-late Victorian foundation garments
-Tiffany blue fur trimmed late 18th century pelisse
-Outerwear - late Victorian
-Court outfit
-Pumpkin Tea shoes - bees or fleur-de-lis
-Regency Pumpkin Tea flag - inspired by Kat's Victorian Party flag
-Stays/Corsets: 1830's, Edwardian, Georgian, Regency
-Regency bee spencer and bonnet
-Regency sari dress
-18th century jacket/dress with a hood
-More Etsy shop stuff - muffs, reticules, and more

My plans for 2017 sewing include the continuation of my 2016 goals:

Goal #1: sew for CREATIVITY

Continue to sew and integrate creative arts into sewing: creativity with trim, painting and more. Sew under creative inspiration.

Goal #2: sew more MEN'S garments

Really focus on getting a few things done for my husband in 2017. He doesn't costume with me more than a few times a year, but I need to make him some jackets!

Goal #3: work on my LONG-term sewing plans

2017 is the year of Victorian for me! I'm starting with 1880's bustle, with full foundation garments up first. I also would like to get to my 1830's finally in 2017. Continue to make foundation garments for new eras and re-do's for eras I already do. Continue to stretch into new eras. Finish my first Robe a la Francaise. Continue to build a wardrobe of options :).

Other goals:

It's the year of foundation garments for me! It's about time for new Regency and late 18th century stays, and I also need to make stays for new eras I want to do: Victorian, 1830's, Edwardian.

Continue with lots of HAND-sewing projects ready to go at a moment's notice. Continue to plan and sew for events in advance, low pressure sewing is the most enjoyable. Continue to sew from the STASH. Continue to de-stash where I can, but also continue to acquire lovely fabrics that inspire creativity, as long as I sew them within 6 months or so of acquiring them wherever possible. UFO's pile if there's time.

UFO's I could finish in 2017:
-Finish my Regency rose cotton velvet spencer
-Finish my 1780's cream silk jacket - jacket mid-way and petticoat hem
-Light green cotton Regency
-Lots of Etsy shop projects

I have a lot of sewing planned for 2017, and I generally get no more than a few outfits and then accessories in a year, so wish me luck, and good luck to you with your 2017 sewing plans too!

Sunday, January 1, 2017

2016 Year in Review

2016 was a decent sewing year :).

My 2016 SEWING:
For the amount of time I sewed it was productive: I was able to get a few new outfits done, including my Gala gown for Coco, class prep for CoCo and quite a bit of sewing done for my Etsy shop.

This one was so fun to make and wear: an early 19th century Napoelonic era Regency bee open court robe and gown:
 'Bees, Bees, Bees' Napoleonic era open robe and court gown

I did pretty decent in following my 2016 goals of #1) sew for CREATIVITY and #3) work on my LONG-term sewing plans, but not as much on #2) sew more MEN's garments.  Other smaller goals were lots of HAND-sewing (yes!), sewing for events in advance (yup) and sew from the STASH (I sewed from the stash a lot but I also both purged and added to the stash, so...sort of?). And also complete some UFO's when I can, which I did a few of and added a lot more to the UFO pile, lol.

The LONG-term sewing plans means getting going with new eras and working on foundation garments, which I did at the end of the year: Victorian corsets in the works. Also I have a Robe a la Francaise half complete and I made my first ever Regency sari dress, woohoo! So a good amount of work on long-term sewing plans this year. I didn't accomplish as many of the specific plans as I wanted, but did manage to get a lot of creative sewing in during 2016, which I really enjoyed!
Orange silk sari Regency gow

White and black late 18th century silk
jacket, sash and petticoat
Gibson Girl blouse white cotton
Seafoam green wool hooded cape



Cream quilted silk under petticoat
Mustard and black silk Regency fichu
and fixes with black triangle trim 
Mustard and black silk Regency fichu

Black triangle trim and bodice fixes

Embroidered cream and black Marie Antoinette muff 
White embroidered Jane Austen muff
Tiffany blue bee fleur-de-lis Marie
Antoinette muff
Bee brocade muff
Tiffany blue and silver Duchess muff
Burgundy and gold Lady Worsley bee muff

Platinum and black Duchess of Devonshire muff
Purple embroidered Marie Antoinette muff
Black bee brocade Marie Antoinette muff
Add portraits and trim to Etsy shop muffs, plus blue Jane Austen
muff and cream and burgundy Regency lady muff
Re-do Regency lady embroidered wheat muff and more

Bee housewife sewing kit


Pink silk work bag

Tiffany blue silk work bag
Seagreen and pink housewife sewing kit








TheLadyDetalle Late 18thC
Hooded Cape Pattern
TheLadyDetalle Late 18thC
Housewife Sewing Kit Pattern
Housewife Sewing Kits for Etsy


Silk and cotton muff insides - 100% white goose down is up next!

Quick cotton cover for bee robe
White fichu
UFO #1 silk sash hem


UFO #2 top hem of Edwardian overskirt

UFO #4 Orange silk muff cover

UFO #3 Set of blue designer pillows
Black Edwardian hat for Christmas Tea

Black Edwardian hat

COMPLETED (Planned) in 2016:
-Napoleonic bee gown  & shoes: Regency 'Bees, Bees, Bees' Napoleonic Open Robe & Court Gown -
 April (late) Gender Bender HSM Challenge

-Regency sari dress: Orange Silk sari Regency gown - 10th Annual Regency Pumpkin Tea Candlelight Dinner

A muff I've had in my mind for a looooooong time: time to make it!
-Tiffany blue and silver Duchess of Devonshire portrait muff
-Burgundy red Bee Lady Worsley silk muff - November 'Red' HSM
-18th century lady portrait pink silk muff for Etsy shop
-Marie Antoinette portrait pink silk marabou muff for Etsy shop
-Jane Austen portrait white embroidered cotton muff for Etsy shop
-18th Century Muffs for the etsy shop - Marie Antoinette creamembroidered purpleblue wheat

More outerwear - what can I say, it's really fun to make & wear!
-Seafoam wool hooded cape - June (late) Travel HSM Challenge
-CoCo Class prep - in progress brick red cape and hood ready for class
-Yellow silk w/ black silk trim Regency fichu - HSM Protection March Challenge

Revamp my early 19th century yellow Regency cross over gown bodice & add more black trim:
-Early 19th century mustard yellow cotton Regency Cross Over gown - More fixes & black triangles
-Early 19th century yellow w/ black trim cotton cross over gown - bodice fixes and more trim

COMPLETED (Un-Planned) in 2016:
-Black & white 1770's ensemble, jacket and sash
-Black silk ruffled petticoat
-Late 18th century cream quilted silk petticoat - CoCo sewing, Tucks & Pleating Late February Challenge
-Summer Edwardian white lace Gibson Girl blouse - May (late) Holes HSM Challenge

-Muff: Burgundy with gold embroidered bees
-Lots and lots of muff insides for the Etsy shop
-18th century embroidered silk seagreen & pink 'housewife' (sewing kit)
-Housewife/Sewing Kits for Etsy shop
-Napoleonic bee silk sewing kit
-18th century embroidered silk cream & pink 'housewife' (sewing kit) - CoCo travel project
-Tiffany blue silk work bag
-Pink silk work bag
-Storage cotton  cover for my Napoleonic court robe (quickly whipped together)

-Fixes on my 'strawberry picking' Regency gown
-Men's late 18th century blue waistcoat - buttons & buttonholes (majority buttonholes mom)
-UFO's: #1) hems on golden silk sash #2) top hem on white Edwardian over-skirt #3) Set of blue drapery pillows #4) orange silk muff cover - January HSM 'Procrastination' challenge
-Plus lots of in-progress muffs, reticules, work bags and more

Here's my 2016 plans and goals!

PLANNED to do in 2016, but didn't or made progress but didn't finish:
-Robe a la Francaise including new petticoat & shoes: shoes not yet, but the dress is cut out and the bodice lining sewn together, in progress, will finish in 2017

-Corsets/Stays - Victorian and/or start working on new late 18th or early 19th century ones:
started two Victorian corsets that are in progress now

-Creative fun & colorful costume to wear to CC - no time
-Something 1920's-1940's - pushed off for a later date
-Late 18th century men's jacket for HB - not yet
-Early 19th century men's jacket for HB - not yet
-Early 19th century Regency bee spencer - so excited but not yet
-Tiffany blue marabou robe/lounging gown - nope, started to drape it but not yet
-Some form of 18th century dress or jacket with a hood - just because - not yet
-And more things covered in marabou. And fur. Because yeah. - not much, soon!

UFO's:
-Finish my Regency rose cotton velvet spencer
-Finish my 1780's cream silk jacket
-Modern yellow & black 'bee' hat - progress but not done
-Light green cotton Regency
-Lots of in-progress muffs and things for the shop

I'll do 2017 Plans in another post!