Last year I only made 6 costumes.
That’s the lowest amount since I started this hobby. Even the year we bought a house and we needed to save money I made more costumes (9).
The only years lower are 2000 and 1999 – because I only made 1 each of those years.
After realizing this and thinking about it, I realized it’s probably due to three things:
1. Disney. I didn’t make any costumes earlier in the year like I normally do, because we went (and spent) to Disney World instead of a con.
2. 2012 was a HUGE year for me. Technically I made 12 costumes for Dragoncon that year, if you count the ones for friends – 15 all together. That was a lot. I think I needed a break – plus I went back and reworked a couple of costumes for 2013 that hadn’t gotten my full attention in 2012 (Batgirl and Belle).
3. I was sad, stressed and tired. My job was awful, putting me in an awful place. I think it zapped me, physically and creatively.
That being said, this year looks to be similar to last. I only made one costume earlier in the year (despite my efforts to start on Dcon costumes early, that plan failed) and currently only have 5 in the works for myself – 1 or 2 for friends. I’ve been thinking of throwing a 6th in there (and if I get to Elsa, that will also be 6). So we’ll see. At least #3 isn’t a factor anymore, though #1 definitely was!