2023 Plans - Part 2: Craft Details

EDIT @03:45: Minor spanner in the works in the shape of the first Charm Patterns Patreon release for 2023, which I now ALSO want to make. If it's a sew-along, well... there goes my initial plans!

"New Year goals 2023" by Marco Verch is licensed under CC-BY-2.0.

This post is specifically for my crafting plans for 2023. As outlined in the previous post, I intend to limit myself to not more than one project per month, and probably no more than 8 for the whole year to allow for both time off and for projects to take longer than planned. In some ways this is a 2-3 year project plan as my aim for 2023 is to gain core outfits plus some specific items, and to improve these outfits over time... I may add some longer term plans at the bottom, or not, depends how long it takes me to type this up!

These are outline plans - nothing about inspirations or fine details. I will list a broad project title, the item(s) involved, patterns to be used, and rough fabric information (owned, fibre, weave). 

Layout

Project title:

Description: Outfit item(s) + Good/Better/Best

Purpose:

Pattern: Company, # or name, owned/not

Fabric: Fibre, weave, owned/not

Status: Unstarted, In Progress, Complete

Links: Link to a full project post if one exists

1. Regency

Project title: Regency dress

Description: Regency gown with back fastening and long sleeves

Purpose: Early 19th century historical costume

Pattern: Laughing Moon #138 (owned)

Fabric: Cotton - have a printed cotton, may buy a swiss dot though

Status: In progress: Pattern pieces cut out mock-up for pattern size completed

Links:

2. Mid-19thC

Project title: Gaskell dress

Description: 1850s/1860s crinoline dress with pagoda sleeves

Purpose: Mid 19th century historical costume

Pattern: Laughing Moon #111 (owned), View B

Fabric: Wool (owned)

Status: In progress - continuation and improvement

Links:

3. Late-19th C

Project title: Fan Skirt #2

Description: Remake of earlier fan skirt project, with lessons learned

Purpose: Late 19th century historical costume

Pattern: Black Snail #0414 (owned)

Fabric: Purple/black 100% wool (owned)

Status: In progress: Fabric bought

Links:

4. House dress

Project title: 1949 House dress

Description: Wrap house dress from 1949, Ruler resized pattern

Purpose: Work and around the house. Easy-on clothes

Pattern: Enbonpoint Vintage #94 - Mable (owned)

Fabric: Cheap cotton or polycotton

Status: Planned

Links:

5. Pinafore dress

Project title: Julia pinafore dress

Description: Pinafore dress pattern from c.1950s, Ruler resized pattern

Purpose: Work and around the house. Easy-on clothes

Pattern: Enbonpoint Vintage #134 - Julia (owned)

Fabric: Cotton or polycotton

Status: Planned

Links:

6. Rita blouse

Project title: Rita blouse

Description: 1950s style blouse

Purpose: To go with fox skirt

Pattern: Charm Patterns - Rita (owned)

Fabric: Cotton/Polycotton

Status: In progress: Mock-up for pattern size completed, pattern pinned out but not cut

Links:

7. Bullet bra

Project title: Bullet bra

Description: 1960s bullet bra, ruler pattern

Purpose: Underwear for 1950s style clothes

Pattern: Mrs Depew #527B (owned)

Fabric: TBC

Status: Unstarted

Links:

8. 1950s Petticoat-skirt

Project title: 1950s Petticoat

Description: 1950s petticoat or skirt, ruler pattern

Purpose: Underwear for daily wear with 1950s style skirts/dresses (less floofy)

Pattern: Mrs Depew #7309 (owned)

Fabric: TBC

Status: Unstarted

Links:

Other proposed plans

Ideas and projects which may happen in addition to those above, in place of those above, or not until next year or even later!

9. Sarafan

Project title: Sarafan

Description: 19thC or folkloric sarafan, shirt, and apron

Purpose: Cosplay - Vasilisa the Wise and Baba Yaga

Pattern: Folkwear #128 - Russian Settler Dress (owned)

Fabric: Cotton

Status: Planned

Links:

10. Gambit dress

Project title: Gambit dress

Description: Pinafore dress in the style of The Gambit

Purpose: Daily wear

Pattern: Mood - Gambit (free/owned)

Fabric: TBC

Status: Planned

Links:

11. 1940s dungarees

Project title: Dungarees

Description: 1940s/Rosie the Riveter -style dungarees

Purpose: Daily wear - work and home

Pattern: Charm Patterns - Lucille (owned)

Fabric: TBC

Status: Unstarted

Links:

12. High waist shorts

Project title: Button Shorts

Description: 1930s-style button-front decorated shorts

Purpose: Summer-wear

Pattern: Charm Patterns - Ginger (owned)

Fabric: TBC

Status: Unstarted

Links:

13. Edwardian blouse

Project title: Edwardian blouse

Description: Early 1900s to 1910s blouse

Purpose: Historical costume for late 19th and early 20th century. To go with existing fan skirt(s)

Pattern: Black Snail #0816 (owned)

Fabric: Cotton lawn (owned)

Status: Mock-up for size completed

Links:

14. Wrapper dress

Project title: 1840s Wrapper

Description: Dress from 1840s-1860s for at-home wear

Purpose: Costuming and at-home

Pattern: Laughing Moon #120 (unowned)

Fabric: TBC

Status: Unstarted

Links:

15. 1890s shirtwaist

Project title: Shirtwaist

Description: Shirtwaist or shirt pattern from c1890

Purpose: Late 19thC costuming to wear with fan skirt(s)

Pattern: Black Snail #0314 (unowned)

Fabric: Cottons

Status: Unstarted

Links:

16. 1890s cape

Project title: Short cape

Description: Short cape from c1890

Purpose: Late 19thC costuming to wear as warmth with fan skirt(s)

Pattern: Truly Victorian #590 (unowned)

Fabric: Wool or similar heavy material

Status: Unstarted

Links:

17. Ten gore princess skirt

Project title: Princess skirt

Description: Corsolet waisted skirt from 1906

Purpose: Historical costuming 

Pattern: Truly Victorian #TVE23 (unowned)

Fabric: Wool

Status: Unstarted

Links:

18. 1917 skirt

Project title: 1917 Evelyn skirt

Description: Large pocketed 19-teens skirt

Purpose: Daily wear and Historical costuming 

Pattern: Wearing History - Evelyn (unowned)

Fabric: Cotton or wool

Status: Unstarted

Links:

19. Smocked aesthetic shirtwaist

Project title: Amsterdam Smokwerk blouse

Description: Pattern inspired by the turn-of-the-century Smockwork blouse/shirtwaist in Amsterdam 

Purpose: Daily wear and Historical costuming 

Pattern: Clockwork Faerie - 1890s Aesthetic shirtwaist (unowned)

Fabric: Cotton

Status: Unstarted

Links:

18. 1890s Apron

Project title: 1890s Apron

Description: An apron to go with 1890s outfit(s)

Purpose: Daily wear and Historical costuming 

Pattern: Undecided (unowned)

Fabric: Cotton

Status: Unplanned

Links:

June into July

How in HELL did it get to the end of June ALREADY?! Work is ramping up for me, as Summer is one of my busy times - most changes get held off until there are the least amount of students registered, which is usually the Summer Vacation period. I'm also getting ready to go on holiday at the end of July, and I cannot wait! I delayed this post a little as I wanted to have time to write and to finish off some bit over the weekend. In general, I've decided to include the first weekend of the month as part of both the previous AND current month, depending on whether I'm referring to completing or to starting a task. To clarify, that means that for things I have finished off this weekend, they count for June, but anything I start this weekend are part of July's Completed list. So the craft projects I've been working on throughout June are being completed today and tomorrow, but the book I have started today (Saturday) is being counted under July's reading list.

 

Unfortunately I was unable to get to the Re-enactors' Market this month, as although Coventry isn't too far from here, door to door the journey is a nightmare by public transport. That said, I didn't exactly have tons of cash to spend anyway, so maybe it was for the best!

Challenge for June was: "Sumer is icumen in", with a side helping of Pride Month.

Challenge for July is "Just do it!"

Forward planning:

August - Academia and Allure

September - Spooks and Secrets

Completed in June

1. Crafting
   
   Bonnet -
   

   Buckram cut out.

   Need to purchase some wire cutters to proceed further (negotiating budgets now!)

   Parasol -
   

   Frame acquired

   Geometry of pattern piece completed 

   About to cut out pattern pieces today (5th July). This is going to be a multi-month project, but that's OK!

2. Baking
   
   Oops - Christmas cake should now be done today or tomorrow (probably tomorrow because I have had 2 big panic attacks this week, so I'm pretty low on spoons). Under my current rules, however, that means it's July completion. 

3. House stuff
   

   1. More boxes moved, empties, filled, and so on.
   2. Steam cleaned the window sill and (most of) the window in landing/hallway
      Most of, because I can't reach the whole thing as it is a wide window that is above the stairs, so there reaches a point where I'm too far down the stairs to reach the window.
   3. Added decorations to the house.
   1. Floating candle arrangement on landing window over the stairs
   2. Cute owl+fake succulent on the toilet windowsill
   3. Real succulents added into some incredibly cute fox pots my husband bought me 
   4. Worked on clearing the upstairs landing. No photos though because as soon as I cleared part, it seems to get other crap covering it!
   5. Moved two inherited sewing boxes upstairs into my sewing room
   1. Box 1 belonged to my grandmother, and I have a vague memory of her saying that Grandad made it for her. It now has a permanent home underneath the part of my desk above my cutting mat as it has castors on so I can pull it in and out.
   2. Box 2, is a lovely wooden box-table thing. I've cleared out the inside, and am currently experimenting with places to put it permanently, but haven't decided where that will be yet. I've also not filled it back up - I combined the contents with existing "stock", so all my threads are together, and so on - and now I need to decide what to keep in it. I'm currently inclining towards using it for pins, needs, tape measures, and cutting things, but I'm not certain. 
   6. Cleared stairs. As with the landing, this area breeds crap, and while it IS somewhat clearer than this time last month, it's not clear per se.
   7. We've also both done bits and bobs of clearing in the kitchen and main room over the month, but still nowhere near done!

4. Reading: Books, Short stories, and Articles
   

I've done SO much better on reading this month and it feels good!

1. Frankissstein: A Love Story by Jeanette Winterson
   Book group book, listened on Audio. Narrators were brilliant. Book was... flawed. Not one I'd recommend, although I'd absolutely love to read a book by Winterson solely focussing on the historical Mary Shelley as those parts were excellent. Very confused on trans vs agender vs nonconforming, and managed to create a character who merged all three into a failure of any.
2. BBC History Magazine, May 2021
   Gradually catching up with my back issues at last!
3. Asperger's Syndrome-That Explains Everything: An Attempt to Explain Some of Everything in an Education, Social and Life Setting by Stephen Bradshaw
   Ye gods I loathed this book! It's so dated, even though it was only published in 2012/13.
4. The Bridgertons: Happily Ever After by Julia Quinn. 
   Been meaning to read this since about 2012, but never quite got around to it. Then I had a £3 off voucher for Google Play ebooks, with this being £3.99, I went for it. Then accidentally read it the same day in one sitting...
5. The American Gods Quartet by Neil Gaiman
   I read the first two books in the Quartet years ago, but I found this in my Kindle selection
   
   
6. Also finished 79% of the audiobook for The House in the Cerulean Sea. Unfortunately my loan time ran out just before finishing, and I've now got SIX MONTHS waiting list before I can finish it! *cries*

Planned for July and August

1. The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden (Book Group book for July)
2. A Death in the Family by Caroline Dunsford (Review copy)
   
   Finishing off:
3. Into the London Fog by Elizabeth Dearnley
4. The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemison
5. Who Fears Death by Nnedi Okorofor
   
   Short stories and articles
6. Lithuanian National Costume in the 19th Century and in the 2nd Half of the 20th Century: Cultural Pollution and Remains of Authenticity by Egle Kumpikaite and Rimvydas Milašius in Societies 2021, 11(1):17
7. The House of Aunts by Zen Cho
8. The Perseverance of Angela's Past Life by Zen Cho
9. Chicken Chicken Bang Bang by Zen Cho

I've also bought my Hugo subscription for 2021, so I now have to read those books too. I'm going to write a separate post for my reading planning for the rest of 2021, just so I can see a) how much I WANT to read, and then b) how much of that I read vs reading something completely different!

Working on the parason - playing with geometry to create the correct size triangle for this frame

This is the sewing box inherited from my Great Aunt, now mostly emptied except for the loose parts for my parasol frame.

The sewing box inherited from my grandmother. I have vague memories of this sitting in the corner of her sitting room when I was very small... It has a lightly padded top, covered with a soft turquoise fabric, and then sides are wood covered with a wicker effect on the outside. The wicker effect is painted a golden colour. 

Draft / mockup pieces for my Regency stays. Next step is to tack these together, and then try it on for size. The draft in in a very heavy canvas I had lying around from another project years ago. It's very stiff, but I'm hoping that I may still be able to use it as a lining layer for the final project. Yes, the pieces badly needs ironing!

Buckram pieces for the regency bonnet. Next step is to wire the edges of the pieces when I find something strong enough to cut the millinery wire I have.

My new decorations. Left is the fake succulent in the owl pot, which is in the loo, and on the right is the floating candle thing I bought for the hallway window area. The mirror is helping to lighten the space in the dreary rain we're currently having! Below them is one of my fox pots with real succulents in it. 

July Plans

Since I am not planning to do an update for the end of July, due to being on holiday, here are my plans for the next two months. I also fully intend to blur the two months together to have both Challenges running simultaneously.

Crafting

Challenge inspirations: ~Just Do IT! and Academia and Allure

July:

The aim with the July challenge is to push ourselves out of our comfort zone a little. Not necessarily doing something we'd never do, more a challenge to try that thing you want to, but were afraid of. Here's my thoughts of things I want to do but haven't had the nerve so far

1. Underwear - cording on my Regency corset
2. Crochet - complete one of the kits I bought last year from Aldi 
   
3. Or more accurately 2a. Shelter are doing a 30 day crochet challenge, which I may join in.
4. Actually finish the bloody fox toy I started sewing up last summer!
5. Petticoat for my 1950s style Hell Bunny dresses. This counts because a) I would need it for the wedding I'm attending, and b) because I've been vaguely thinking about doing this for AGES. Doing one myself, as opposed to buying one, would allow me to make it in cottons which I feel would be FAR more comfortable year-around.

August:

"Sensible" things like those worn by an academic, a teacher or a librarian. One could also be inspired by historical academia, such as astronomy, astrology, steam powered devices, armillary spheres, globes or trains. Travel, research, and natural history also are suggested here. 

In extremis of ideas or time, "I'm a librarian and I'm wearing it" will do fine!

1. Sensible clothes - Fan skirt
2. Sensible clothes - 1890s blouse
3. Book or steam train print fabric
4. Planning only - book dragon idea

Other stuff

Baking

• Finish off bread mix - either bake or dispose of
• "Christmas" cake - for "Summer Christmas"
• Variation on Cupcake Jemma's Healthy-ish breakfast muffins

Tidying 

Cleaning and tidying for July / August is likely to be proportionally less as we are planning on travelling for at least 3 weeks of the next two months. That said, there always remains innumerable tasks to do here.

I do have a tentative plan to photograph and inventory on Trello all my existing fabrics, with the remaining amounts. This should help a lot when both planning projects, and when deciding what I need to buy - I'm eternally saying "I'm though I bought some of x ages ago, but now I can't be certain", so an inventory would help me to know what I've got, and also how much remains of it. 

Shopping

Craft and non-craft related purchases:

• Wire cutters (if I can't find something to make-do with in my husband's tool stash)
• A broadly Victorian corset - probably relatively cheap.
  Mostly to use while fitting clothing, with the intention of either commissioning a custom fit one, or making one myself "sometime". I don't enjoy corsetry, but I do love the support of wearing corsets and stays. Ideally I would love to own a corset for each decade of the 19th Century, plus a late-medieval "supportive kirtle".

Draft Plans for 2021 forwards

In Progress

1. Accessories
1. Regency bonnet
2. Parasol 
2. 1820s/30s Stays
1. Breast cups work - adaptation from D cup to my more copious HH/J cup size
2. Mock-up Because needed for Regency dress mock-up
3. Buy wooden busk - bought paint stirers!
3. Circle skirt petticoat (pattern planning stage)

Planned

1. Hats
1. 1890s/Edwardian brimmed hat
2. Fan-skirt
1. Wool blend
2. 100% wool
3. Stays
1. Practice cording
2. Practice boning
3. Final version
4. Edwardian blouse / shirtwaist
   
1. Mock up
2. Final
5. 1818 Dress
1. Petticoat
2. Mock-up
3. Final
4. Decoration
6. American Duchess cape
1. As in pattern
2. Again but with a hood
7. 1890s men's three piece suit
8. 1830s men's three piece suit
9. 1950s dress(es)
10. Circle skirts (in general, because I love them)
11. 1950s tops - to go with circle skirts
12. Russian themed
1. Princess Charlotte's Russian Dress
2. Matryoshka pincushion
3. Sarafan - Vasilisa the Beautiful
4. Sarafan - Firebird (cosplay border)
13. Cycling shorts (modern, padded)
14. Cycling trousers (historical, to accommodate modern underneath)
15. Historical Cosplays
1. Bagpuss
2. Warcraft undead lady
3. Book dragon

May into June

May has the wonderful thing known as TWO Bank Holiday weekends, plus I took a day off mid-month. That means that this month has had no less than THREE four-day weeks. Two have been used for house "stuff" and the one-with-leave was for a much-needed collapse break. I'm also hoping that this month will be good for my weight loss. I've finally started losing again, and with the current heat (I die over about 20°C) my appetite is going too. Long may that continue!! 

I've also been trying to get a better handle on both my executive dysfunction (ExD) and brain fog. For the latter, I consciously have been cutting out gluten as much as possible. I'm not coeliac in any form that I'm aware of, but I do seem to have some difficulty digesting a lot of bready products. I've been only eating GF bread this month, and I'm definitely feeling more alert. My theory is that because my body isn't using extra spoons digesting something "difficult", it is freeing that up for me to use elsewhere. I've also just been informed by the doctor that I'm Vitamin D Insufficient. That's not as bad as being deficient, but they've still recommended supplementing my intake and getting outside in daylight more. I've only been taking the pills since Saturday, so we shall see what effect they have, if any...

For ExD, I'm using some tips from a few ADHD people. While I don't have an ADHD diagnosis, my ASD symptoms overlap a lot, so I've found it beneficial to take advice from both communities. The main bit of advice I am trying to incorporate is the idea of looking at problems (the example given was forgetting to put rubbish straight into the bin) and then trying to "fix" the issue by forcing yourself to be neurotypical, i.e. trying harder and harder to remember to use the bin. Instead, you look at the problem and find the root cause - in this case, the bin is in a location that's not near where the rubbish is being generated. When you identify the root cause (and not the "because I'm crap" variant of Root Cause), you look for a practical solution to the problem. In the example given, the bin in that room wasn't in a bad place for some tasks, so needed to remain where it was, but the narrator went and bought other bins to be close to each refuse-generating site. This principle is proving really revealing for me - instead of berating myself internally for being crap at achieving things in the "correct" way, I am now trying to force myself to consider new ways around problems. I now have two separate bins in my room - one for paper/card, and another for actual rubbish. This makes it far easier to control the mess I create!

The last part of the above process was one I hope to start working on in June. Under this process, you make a note of areas where your ExD gets in the way across a week (or longer) and then at the end of the period you look at the specific issues and seek solutions to those. The idea is that it can help identify the actual issues that are causing the issue (like "can't find paired socks easily" or "keep falling over X") and then look for a solution to that.

Last thing for May into June, is that my parents are hoping (Plague permitting) to come up and visit for a few days during June. This is going to affect my plans for June accordingly, as I need to have certain parts of the house truly clean by the time Mum arrives!   

Completed in May

1. Crafting
   
   This month I've done a lot of planning, and shopping, but less doing. 
   
   Bought - some wool (for a sarafan), some cotton print (?Regency dress?), some not-silk (for a bonnet covering), and a small amount of cotton to line the wool. I also picked up some trimmings because SALE!
   Made - I've mostly been planning my Sarafan Project*, which has involved figuring out elements of the outfit, and then planning and making pattern shapes.
   Drafted - sarafan
   Pattern pieces - pincushion (to represent the Doll in the Vasilissa story)

2. Baking
   
   My baking plans were for the second bank holiday weekend, but that proved to be too nice and sunny to spend in the kitchen! Oops

3. House stuff
   
   House stuff has been mostly yet more box clearing runs, and selected deep cleaning.

   1. Bathroom wall tiles steam cleaned
   2. Bathroom floor steam cleaned AND scrubbed
   3. Bathroom window and sill steam cleaned 
   4. Loo window and sill steam cleaned
      Yes, I love my steam cleaner!!
   5. Bought and built a cabinet for underneath the sink, a box to store cleaners in the loo, and a wire basket for bath/shower stuff
   6. Cleared most of the junk off the windowsill and put away in the new cupboard
   7. Found all the various cleaning bottles and put in the box - I apparently own FOUR half-used bottles of Cif...
   8. Cleared the windowsill in our bedroom of crap - this job is one to continue this week, so is only partially a May completion
   9. Put some books on display on my windowsill
      - I'm not sure I'm happy with this, so I want to look into a way to put up some bookshelves in here. The Ginger One isn't confident putting up shelves, so I've either got to find the spoons to do it myself, or find another way to store them. I know what I'd like to do, but I don't know if I can do it. I want to add a single shelf all the way around, going over the top of the door, and above the window. The main negative of that would be finding a way to keep them clean, so mulling this over for a few weeks.
   10. Arranged and put away fabric
       This might seem like a small task, but I apparently have a lot more than I thought! In the process of sorting various boxes, I found some long lengths of red wool (used in the coat I wore at my wedding), tons of scraps of the silk from my wedding dress, and about 1x10m of nice black velvet! I now need to buy mothballs or lavender to ensure they remain in good condition!

4. Books
   
   I seem to have unintentionally focused on the same authors this month. I'm also in the middle of listening to the audiobook of FrankKISSStein, but I've not quite finished it so I'll log it for next month. I've also read another chunk of Who Fears Death, but not quite finished it in time for May.

   1. If at First You Don't Succeed, Try, Try Again by Zen Cho
   2. The Angel of Khan el-Khalili by P. Djèli Clark
   3. Head of a Snake, Tail of a Dragon by Zen Cho
   4. A Dead Djinn in Cairo by P. Djèli Clark
      

No pic tax cos drafting images are rather dull! I'll try to do double pic tax next month, Promise!!

June Plans

Crafting

Challenge inspiration: ~Sumer is icumen in~

*Sings* This month the challenge theme is Summer and Medieval, plus noting Pride in other countries (Official Pride month is not June in the UK, although some of our parades are). I plan to combine Ace Pride colours and Summer themed things.

1. Victorian / Edwardian walking outfit
2. Edwardian Hat - sunhat!
3. Hat decorations - floral probably
4. Parasol - if I have the budget space to buy a frame and fabric

Other stuff

Baking

• Finish off bread mix - either bake or dispose of
• "Christmas" cake
• Variation on Cupcake Jemma's Healthy-ish breakfast muffins

Books

• FranKISSStein - bookgroup book for June
• Who Fears Death - finish
• The Fifth Season - finish
• Into the London Fog - finish
• The House of Aunts - short story
• The Perseverance of Angela's Past Life - short story
• Chicken Chicken Bang Bang - short story
• A Death in the Family - Secret Readers

Draft Plans for 2021 forwards

1. Hats
1. Regency
2. 1890s/Edwardian
2. Fan-skirt
1. Wool blend
2. 100% wool
3. Stays
1. Breast cups work - adaptation from D cup to my more copious HH/J cup size
2. Mock-up
   Because needed for Regency dress mock-up
3. Buy wooden busk
4. Final version
4. Edwardian blouse / shirtwaist
   
1. Mock up
2. Final
5. 1818 Dress
1. Petticoat
2. Mock-up
3. Final
4. Decoration
6. American Duchess cape, but with a hood
7. 1890s men's three piece suit
8. 1830s men's three piece suit
9. 1950s dress(es)
10. Circle skirt
11. Princess Charlotte's Russian Dress
12. Cycling shorts (modern, padded)
13. Cycling trousers (historical, to accommodate modern PADDED underneath)

* I have a post underway to explain more about my sarafan project, which I shall post "soon".

April into May

May rough craft plan, plus What I Did In April, with another cheat for May Day bank holiday weekend :)

April 

Crafting / Crafting Adjacent

So, firstly I think I mentioned that my Discord group came up with our own monthly challenge calendar, and I'll be switching over to that list from now on. April here was "Alter and Adapt". I went for Prompt 2 and, with the help of my awesome spouse, we completed the work on my room here... We had to wait until the weekend just gone for the last bit - two table legs, but now it's done! In between working on May's challenge, I also need to work on doing a LOT of tidying!!

So the layout is an Ikea hack, made up of one 4x4 Kallax unit against the short wall nearest the door, The desktop is in two parts, with one 2m Linnmon underneath the window and along the majority of that wall, which butts up against a shorter 1m at right angles to it along the short wall opposite the big Kallax. Underneath the desks I have 2 legs on the end nearest the big Kallax, then one 2x2 Kallax slightly off centre along the long desktop, with a 2x4 on it's side along the rest of the back into the corner (and therefore underneath one short end of the 1m desktop. The other end of the short desk is a second 2x2 Kallax unit. We bought some cheap heavy duty clamps, which are currently ensuring the desktops don't move as they're not screwed to the units below at all. We may revisit this decision in the future if it proves to be shaky, but so far it's fine... I'll try to share more pics than the one below once I finish getting things looking pretty ;)

I also spent some time working on the maths and general fiddling to try and adapt the sizing of the paper pattern for the cups part of my 1830s corset pattern. I think I'm there, but I now need to get on with the first fabric mock up. Thankfully the work on my room has turned up a lot of old scrappy fabric, so I can get on with that shortly, I hope!

Not-Crafting

In addition to the room-creation work we've cleared out a LOT of paper and card, mostly dead boxes. I have NO idea where these things came from, but they seem to be breeding. We've made good inroads, but I suspect we've got at least 2 more wheelie bin collections to go...

This month I read The Left-Handed Booksellers of London. I also restarted Who Fears Death, and I'm happy to be back into it. I really enjoyed the former - I've been in a massive reading slump, pretty much since lock-down 1, and this book was fluffy enough to "just read", but still enjoyable.

Other than that, I got my eyes tested, and have finally got new glasses on the way, which is a relief!

Completed

1. My room!!



2. Box clearance
3. Left Handed Booksellers of London (Read)
4. Eye test
5. Breast cup adaptation

Plans

Plans for May

Craft

Challenge inspiration: Myth May 

I plan to do a short post mid-month talking about the characters below, what their meanings are for me, how I envisage their costumes, and how I plan to make them. Hopefully with some initial progress notes.

• Vasilissa the Wise
• Snegurocha
• Baba Yaga

Plan

1. Mock-up 1830s corset (no busk, cording, or boning, just size fitting).
2. Sarafan - draft
3. Belt for sarafan
4. Kokoshnik (probably a maiden's one since most female folklore characters are unmarried)
5. Doll and skull motif elements OR snow and frost

Books

I am probably going to skip my book-group book this month, as it doesn't really catch me AND we're rather drastically short on cash, so I shall skip a month and save that £10...

1. Who Fears Death - finish off finally. I started this before the Plague was really on the horizon, and it's a bloody good story, so I want to finish it!
2. Blood of Elves - I'm slowly reading my way through the translations of the Witcher series, and this one is next.
3. Rev W Audry book on a History of his Sodor

Other stuff

1. Lentil Chickpea stew -
   I found some lentils that are about to die, and I dropped a can of chickpeas, denting it, so I plan to mock up something using those, some mushrooms, and whatever else turns out to be in the cupboard. Economising and reducing waste in one, which makes me happy. Also my first time planning to use the slow cooker - it's usually his cooking implement... If you hear no more of this, it was shit!  
2. Christmas Cake for Christmas #2
   I inherited cake baking duties from my great aunt once dementia meant she was struggling. Last Christmas was a complete shitshow (actually an understatement), so no cake was made. My mother has deemed our July meet-up to be a do-over for Christmas, so I need to bring a cake. Cakes in our family need plenty of time to get fed alcohol, which means baking the base cake ASAP. Icing can be done in July!
3. Move. More. Boxes!
4. Oh, and we bought a couple of organisation things for the bathroom today in the sales, so I want to get those up and rearrange the bathroom. Boring, but easy win task...

Draft Plans for 2021 forwards

Craft

1. Hats
1. Regency
2. 1890s/Edwardian
2. Fan-skirt
1. Wool blend
2. 100% wool
3. Stays
1. ✓ Breast cups work - adaptation from D cup to my more copious HH/J cup size
2. Mock-up
   Because needed for Regency dress mock-up
3. Buy wooden busk
4. Final version
4. Edwardian blouse / shirtwaist
   
1. Mock up
2. Final
5. 1818 Dress
1. Petticoat
2. Mock-up
3. Final
4. Decoration
6. American Duchess cape, but with a hood
7. 1890s men's three piece suit
8. 1830s men's three piece suit
9. 1950s dress(es)
10. Circle skirt
11. Princess Charlotte's Russian Dress
12. Cycling shorts (modern, padded)
13. Cycling trousers (historical, to accommodate modern underneath)

April craft plan

 April rough craft plan, plus What I Did In March. I admit to cheating slightly this month. I had my dose#1 of the vaccine, which completely knocked me flat for a while, so I allowed myself to skitter into the Easter weekend. However, life proved to be uninterested in letting me follow my original plans! I was ill, again (this is getting to be a very exasperating theme!), and I have had to face up to the fact that I am just not going to complete March's challenge. 

I have instead completed a major chunk of the rework of our spare room this month, so instead of feeling down about the March challenge, I am going to feel good about that! 

Other positive achievement this month is that my main Discord server has agreed to select it's own monthly challenges. I'll probably be following those more from April onwards instead of the ones set out at the beginning of the year.

April plans

Completed (spare room)

• Cleared the floor
• Moved the bedframe
• Filled at least a dozen bin bags and 3-4 bags of paper goods for recycling as well.
• Hoovered the floors and won the fight against cobwebs, and general ick
• Steam cleaned the windows and sills
• Removed damp marks from one part of the wall
• Taken down the old dirty curtains and nets - to be washed tomorrow

I also completed (with spouse's essential assistance), a first draft of my "boob mould". This is intended to be a rough mould of my breast cup shape, to help with adjusting the cups on my Regency stays

Carried over

1. HelloFresh cushions
   Make a cushion out of junk fabric and the ex freezer bags from HF
2. May challenge
   Order fabric
   Start plotting out the patterns for 2 sarafans
3. April challenge suggestions
   Breast Cut out skirt pattern for April
   Cut out mock-up shirtwaist for April
   "Breast block" for my 1830s/Regency stays 
4. Reading
   Left-handed Booksellers of London / Garth Nix

No pic tax as they photos are on my phone, and I'm not. I plan to share more as a general before/after post once the whole room is done.

April Plans

Non-Challenge

Back Room

• Wash curtains and nets
• Measure window for new blind
• Steam and then scrub other bit of wall that has damp marks from lack of airing
• Steam clean front of radiator
• Move remaining boxes
• More hoovering!
• Destruct old wardrobe that is not needed in that room - it's not in good enough condition to move out of the room, unfortunately.
• Build IKEA furniture
• Move PC and start organising craft stuff into the big Kallax
• 
  

Reading 

• Left-handed Booksellers of London
• Blood of Elves (Witcher) - need to return to library soon

Crafting - Boob mould (a second attempt) with better separation. Last try had a mono which is no use for sizing cups!

Challenge inspiration: Apparel Appreciation OR Adapt and Alter

1. Fan skirt
2. Shirtwaist / blouse
3. Regency bonnet
4. Regency/1830s stays - wear under modern clothes

Draft Plans for 2021 forwards

1. Hats
1. Regency
2. 1890s/Edwardian
2. Fan-skirt
1. Wool blend
2. 100% wool
3. Stays
1. Breast cups work - adaptation from D cup to my more copious HH/J cup size
2. Mock-up
   Because needed for Regency dress mock-up
3. Buy wooden busk
4. Final version
4. Edwardian blouse / shirtwaist
   
1. Mock up
2. Final
5. 1818 Dress
1. Petticoat
2. Mock-up
3. Final
4. Decoration
6. American Duchess cape, but with a hood
7. 1890s men's three piece suit
8. 1830s men's three piece suit
9. 1950s dress(es)
10. Circle skirt
11. Princess Charlotte's Russian Dress
12. Cycling shorts (modern, padded)
13. Cycling trousers (historical, to accommodate modern underneath)

March craft plan

What I Did in February

Short answer - a lot less than planned! A general lack of spoons, followed by a nasty incident with a cowboy builder which completely stole my remaining ones. I made a last ditch effort to get back on track on Sunday 28th February, and here's where I am

My original plan was to finish my fox toy that I began on holiday last August, but it's still not quite there yet... So, today I looked at the house and instead "finished" clearing up some boxes with clothes identified as "potentially salvageable".

I now have a small pile of things that can be donated after a wash. A second pile of tops that need to be tried on as they probably still suit me. A bin liner with stuff that is just not worth saving (e.g. an old fake leather skirt that was literally disintegrating. And finally a pile of fabric and fittings (like zips) that can be repurposed. Plus one skirt that has special memories so I'm not getting rid of it!

Some photos below to keep up with my plan to "photo tax" each month. Pretty pathetic for this month, but I need to get into a habit, so whatever I completed, is getting photographed regardless!

March craft plan

Proposals / suggestions

Challenge inspiration: Mod it and Mend it March

1. HelloFresh cushions
   Make a cushion out of junk fabric and the ex freezer bags from HF
2. May challenge
   Order fabric
   Start plotting out the pattern pieces for sarafan set(s)
3. April challenge preparation
   Cut out skirt pattern for April
   Cut out mock-up shirtwaist for April

Draft Plans for 2021 forwards

1. Sarafan costume / Snegurochka / Vasilissa
1. Dress
2. Belt & tassels
3. Kokoshnik
2. Hats
1. Regency
2. 1890s/Edwardian
3. Fan-skirt
1. Wool blend
2. 100% wool
4. Stays - Black Snail pattern
1. Breast cups work - adaptation from an average D cup to my more copious cup size
2. Mock-up
   Because needed for Regency dress mock-up
3. Buy wooden busk
4. Final version
5. Stays/Corset - à la paresseuse
1. Rescale pattern
6. Edwardian blouse / shirtwaist
   
1. Mock up
2. Final
7. 1818 Dress
1. Petticoat
2. Mock-up
3. Final
4. Decoration
8. American Duchess cape, but with a hood
9. 1890s men's three piece suit
10. 1830s men's three piece suit
11. 1950s dress(es)
12. Circle skirt
13. Princess Charlotte's Russian Dress
14. Cycling shorts (modern, padded)
15. Cycling trousers (historical, to accommodate modern underneath)
16. Fox toy - finish and stuff.

Future Events

2021 is looking to be almost as devoid of events as 2020, for good reasons. That said, I currently have two events that I'm planning for, which should still happen this year, plus a few longer-ahead plans...

July 2021

Holiday

Family wedding

The holiday is definite unless we get ANOTHER lockdown over that week, and is timed to coincide by location and date with the wedding. If the wedding is unable to go ahead as planned (either by date or by permitted guests) then we'll still have the holiday.

Autumn

Jane Austen Festival in Bath - might be 2021, but not sure if it'll happen this year.

Whitby Goth Weekend - for some lovely fake Victorian posing

Discord 2022 ideas

NB these are all just speculative ideas that have been mooted on Discord. Nothing here is even as far as the planning stage!! However, since they're ideas of what people might want to do, they're good things to aim at making something that would be suitable for that sort of event.

Meet up in Lord of the Rings influenced gear, for fun, maybe Royal Armouries in Leeds

Seaside themed day/weekend in somewhere like Brighton

Medieval gear and jousting tournaments

Photos at a country house

Other 2022 ideas

Victorian Fancy Dress Ball with La Rose Soirée

Monthly craft plan - Overview 2021

  I've decided I'm going to post a simple projects plan at the beginning of each month. Three contingencies though for my mental health:

1. No guilt - If time slips, it slips, I will not feel guilt for life, health, or finances altering my plans
   
2. Plans may change - I can make any changes needed to allow for life, health, and "other stuff"
3. Nothing is final - To allow for the above, I acknowledge that plans are just that, plans, not final decisions.

Overall craft plan

General list

1. Hats
1. Regency
2. 1890s/Edwardian
2. Fan-skirt
1. Wool blend
2. 100% wool
3. Stays
1. Breast cups work - adaptation from D cup to my more copious HH/J cup size
2. Mock-up
   Because needed for Regency dress mock-up
3. Buy wooden busk
4. Final version
4. Edwardian blouse / shirtwaist
   
1. Mock up
2. Final
5. 1818 Dress
1. Petticoat
2. Mock-up
3. Final
4. Decoration
6. American Duchess cape, but with a hood
7. 1890s men's three piece suit
8. 1830s men's three piece suit
9. 1950s dress(es)
10. Circle skirt
11. Princess Charlotte's Russian Dress
12. Cycling shorts (modern, padded)
13. Cycling trousers (historical, to accommodate modern underneath)

October craft plan

 I've decided I'm going to post a simple projects plan at the beginning of each month. Three contingencies though for my mental health:

1. No guilt - If time slips, it slips, I will not feel guilt for life, health, or finances altering my plans
   
2. Plans may change - I can make any changes needed to allow for life, health, and "other stuff"
3. Nothing is final - To allow for the above, I acknowledge that plans are just that, plans, not final decisions.

October craft plan

October

1. Harvest hat
   a) Regency
   b) 1890s/Edwardian
2. Fan-skirt (wool blend)
3. Mock-up stays
   Because needed for November dress mock-up
4. Mock-up Edwardian blouse
   If time

November

1. Continue work on Regency stays
2. Mock-up Regency dress
3. Final Edwardian blouse

December 

1. Final stays
   a) Lots of adjusting probably needed, and
   b) December is likely to be busy!
2. Christmas presents!

January

1. Final Regency dress

Unspecified

1. Petticoat
2. Chemise
3. American Duchess cape, but with a hood
4. 1890s men's three piece suit
5. 1830s men's three piece suit
6. 100% wool skirt

A Regency Outfit?

So, my first sewing project for 2020 is looking like it might be a complete Regency outfit...

It's not an era I have a particular interest in, as far as costume is concerned, but it is an era I love for fiction settings. The Discord group I am a part of has suggested going to Bath and either joining with, or meeting up with those who are formally part of the 2021 Jane Austen meet-up. So, that needs Regency appropriate attire.

Now my first thoughts for the Regency era are based on ball dresses and outfits worn during the Season - both from museum collections and in novels. They don't appeal at all. I'm neither young nor sylph-like, and I feel that I'd just feel so self-conscious in a flimsy muslin dress, let alone a White dress. My disabilities affect co-ordination, so white as a colour is deeply Out for me - I will be wearing something on it by the time I get there, if not before I leave the house. 

So, no flimsy, white muslin for me. Does that mean no Regency clothes at all?

I'm older, married, and also not rich. If I was living then, I would have no need to wear the "pretty" clothes of a debutante or other husband-hunting Society lady. What if I dress as a middle class lady, and one of middle age? Oh, and it's winter, would an older lady really have worn muslins in November? What about white? Wasn't that for young virginal women who were showing off their purity for potential husbands? I don't need that, I can "wear colours", so I shall. I don't have a lot of money, so I can see it would be reasonable to wear something less fussy than a young, and/or wealthy woman.

On "It's winter!", what about a coat, or headwear?

Oh, and underwear. Oh hell, I'll need underwear - you can't get an authentic outline without the right underwear!

So, as it's very much early days, and nothing is decided, but below are the beginnings of my thoughts, inspiration, and tentative plans.

I've fallen in love with two dresses from c1818, so I'm looking at narrowing my clothing to broadly that year. 

I've realised that my way of approaching the concept of a dress from a specific period is to create myself a rough character. That "character" is mostly a meditation on who would I have been if today was 1818? 

My "character"

As an "older woman", I can get away with have clothing items that are a few years out of date as don't feel I'd have been in the first stare of fashion). I'm giving 'her' the name/reference of Harriet or Henrietta.

So who is this person I feel I would be?

Middle class - I have never been wealthy, but having grown up solidly middle class, I feel that that is a background I feel confident in portraying. It's also more realistically achievable for me - while I couldn't afford fine silks even now, I can afford to buy decent quality fabrics if I budget sensibly.

Older - I have no desire to pretend to be younger than I am, and I am not ashamed of my real age, so I'm content to portray a woman in her 40s

Married - hopefully my other half will be coming to Bath with me, and may even be willing to dress up too. A married woman would be more likely to wear the darker and richer colours I prefer, and wouldn't be looking for a marital partner. A single woman in her 40s would have been reliant on her relatives in a way that a married woman was not, and I feel that I am pragmatic enough to have married for "job security" when I was younger. 

Comfortable - By this I am referring to her preferences in fashion. She's neither first stare of fashion nor totally out of date. She's comfortably within the range of normal for her era, without being at all obvious.

Quiet - not physically quite, but in line with the "comfortable" above, she is not overly visible or noticeable. As someone who is not always seeking the most up-to-date fashions, she's therefore less obvious and more likely to blend in with the background scenery. This fits with an older middle class lady who is not seeking to raise her station or marry off children. She has no need to be noticed, so she dresses "quietly" so as not to draw excessive amounts of attention. I'm an introvert, so I am more comfortable and confident when I am not the centre of attention, and Regency Me is going to be the same...

Neither poor nor wealthy - this is different to class, which was somewhat less easily changeable. Because my creations have to live within my real life budget, I choose not to portray someone who is vastly more wealthy than I am. I choose to portray a woman who is comfortably off, but not rolling in money. She can afford nice fabric, but she won't have multiple changes of clothing nor a vast wardrobe of clothes to pick from. She prefers to buy/make one to two good quality items and vary how they look with accessories. Her clothes will be well made and made for/fitted to her, rather than second-hand and made over ones. They aren't high fashion, because that lasts longer and she's not so wealthy as to waste money on buying new clothes before the older ones are unsuitable for wear. She has some servants, but her clothes are cut to allow her to dress herself where possible rather than being reliant on employing a dedicated ladies maid.

Creating the Costume

Subsequent posts on this topic will go through my plans for making/buying the different layers to dress u[ as this character. Before I go though, here is a great guide to the general outline of the layers: http://www.uvm.edu/~hag/regency/tips/