We forgot to pick up 2019 calendars for the house, but somehow, I still had to go to work this morning. What trickery is this?
During my annual holiday cleaning spree, I managed to organize my trims and declutter my shelved notions. Fabric is the next hurdle, and I’m entertaining the idea of sorting through (read: trashing) my drafted patterns from the last 18ish years to clear up some shelf space. In the end, I need to develop better studio habits to make the creative experience less of a chore. Having to clean every time I want to craft pushes me into burnout more than twice a year now, and that is unacceptable.
Over on Instagram (@scificheergirl), I posted my 2018 review and 2019 project list. I so rarely plan my costumes more than a couple of months in advance (a couple of weeks, really), so I’m proud of myself for getting five out of seven completed and the sixth started before the end of the year. I made a number of unplanned pieces for myself and the family, and I did a few dance and work outfits as well.
With last year’s successes in mind, I’m willing to scribble some items on the planner for 2019 (jk – my “planner” is a Google Keep note). Let’s take a look.
Costume Potential: In an effort to give myself downtime (for the first time ever), I’m only shooting for four new costumes that I’m really excited to work on. There are a couple of caveats–I’m one of four people in this GLS family and our two growing babies need new costumes every few months; I’ve been invited to do a group cosplay in Q32019, and I’m not sure of which pieces I’ll be handling. I’d also like to get some older costumes out of the storage bins this year, mostly to stop eating up space in the basement. Some may need reworking or mending, but we’ll see what comes up.
Social Media: I am a costume hobbyist. Making things is where I find my fun. Documentation is of tertiary importance at best, however, I really enjoy helping people to find resources for their own projects (and I really need to get back to writing). For accountability’s sake, I’m going to make a better effort to add process photos and links to my sources where people can see them. I do make write-ups on all of my ventures during the planning phase, but they usually stay in a Google Doc where I immediately forget them. Upon completion this year, I’m going to post them here on the blog…where I can immediately forget them. Plus, my mom likes to see what I’m up to.
Take & Make: This week, I’m uploading commercial pattern photos to my Facebook page. These patterns were given to me by a dear crafter friend whose collection needs to be cleared out. In the spirit of paying it forward and sharing in the awesome hobby that we all share, I’m making the patterns available to anyone who has a need. The patterns range from vintage through modern, mundane to costume, babies to adult to accessories to dolls. Most are cut and some are missing instructions, so I did my best to label the photos appropriately. These are great for new sewists and are a good tool for those learning to modify everyday clothing to fit their costuming silhouettes. Full disclosure: I have no idea how the logistics of getting these items out will work. Postage is not free, but I am will to invoice anyone who wants to pay for shipping. Primarily, I intend to take a few relevant selections to events for distribution, and I’m totally up for doing con drop-offs if I’m already attending.
Events: Con-Me generally travels in a Philly-to-DC capsule. My schedule isn’t crazy–maybe one con per month, carefully curated with my family and my sanity in mind. I’ll continue to share events on Facebook and Instagram…so that my mom can find me. I’m perfectly happy making costumes and just taking pictures in the backyard. Seriously. Traveling with wings and gowns is no joke. That said…anyone headed to Costume College? It’s getting harder and harder to talk myself out of attending.
So that’s my wish list for 2019. I spent Day One with a little hemming and button replacement for a friend. On Day Two, I finished up the eyelets for my 18th century stays while saving lives in a D&D session. On Day Three, I devoted a little time to cleaning up my public pages for some
coming announcements. I’m also sorting through photos that I can edit to B&W for my creative group–more on that soon.
Ongoing obsessions:
Let’s make this a year for ourselves. Thanks for reading!
Green Linen Shirt 