omg hi I haven’t posted this week. I was trying to wait til I had all the new photoshoot pics uploaded, and now that I’ve got them I’m like… augh I haven’t done my wrap-up post for this year! So I’m doing this first instead of a regular post and I’ll do a post about Christmas next.
So at the end of 2020 here’s what I wanted to accomplish in 2021:
1. Star Trek Skant (for my godmom)
2. Finish my Disney projects
3. Liberty Dies Padme
4. Bail Organa
5. Finishing Eliza
6. Remake Endor Leia
7. Lothal Leia
8. Another Leia I hadn’t done yet… either the Jedi Training or TFA Jumpsuit or Rise of Skywalker.
9. Something from Twin Peaks
Let’s go through ’em…
1. Star Trek Skant for Jean – NOPE
I started this in 2020 when we were all going to go to the Huntsville con together 🙁 Last thing I did was baste a zipper in so she could try it on and I can’t even remember if that was this year or last year. But obviously she’s not in a hurry for it now, so I guess next time we get to go to a convention, I’ll finish it up…
2. Finish my Disney projects – YES!
Black Widow was technically finished in 2020, I just never wore her until 2021. Dale, Leia and Padme were split between 2020 and 2021 – Dale’s skirt, most of the top (minus a closure) were 2020. Finishing up the top, making the bag and hat were 2021. Leia’s jacket was mostly done in 2020, I finished it up and made the dress in 2021. The Padme shrug was 2020, the shirt and headband was 2021.
3. Liberty Dies Padme – YES!
To be honest if I hadn’t already bought so much fabric, I don’t know that I would have ever gotten back to this project after 2020 – once I start something it’s really hard for me to set it aside for a long time, I forget where I was going with it and really don’t like picking it up again. It’s why I really don’t have a lot of unfinished projects laying around, I like to make myself finish things without huge delays because I know if I don’t… it won’t happen LOL. So I’m proud of myself for getting back to this one. But it took a lot out of me. When I look at this costume I just feel tired. And I think it’s why I haven’t done much the rest of the year and why I’ve been so slow with making Utena. But I am proud of her, frustrations with making it aside.
4. Bail Organa – YES!
Photo by JenEyre Photography
Same boat as Padme though this was a lot less frustrating to make than her LOL I’m so glad he finally let me make this for him and his 3d printed pieces turned out so nice.
5. Finishing Eliza – YES
I mean this was a given, I really finished this in 2020, just didn’t get pics of it til 2021.
6. Remake Endor Leia – NO
I’ve got the shirt and poncho fabric. I just need to get on it and keep getting distracted by prettier things.
7. Lothal Leia – NO
Nope, never got to it.
8. Another Leia I hadn’t done yet… either the Jedi Training or TFA Jumpsuit or Rise of Skywalker – NO
Nope no Leias this year, except the disneybound.
9. Something from Twin Peaks – YES!
I did Diane from season 3! This was supposed to be “buy some stuff and have a simple dragoncon costume” but turned into making everything myself including designing and creating the appliques on my embroidery machine which was a new experience.
And what else did I make this year, in no particular order…
1. Roxy from Eegah
I technically made this for MCFC this year since Joel from MST3K was going to be a guest, but I made it early to wear to Dragoncon (and glad I did, since Joel ended up only being a virtual guest and we didn’t go to MCFC). But this has been kicking around my “want” list for years so I’m glad to have finally made it.
2. The Scarlet Witch
If Wandavision has premiered earlier and I’d seen this before I wrote my 2021 costume to-do list, it would’ve already been on there. Had to add it to my projects as soon as I saw it. It’s not perfect but I’m really still pretty proud of it. Need to do some updates and clean-up on it but I love it.
3. Dark Gothic Witchy Dress
Not for me…. SADLY because I’m kinda obsessed with it. Made this for a friend for Halloween.
4. T-shirt Quilt
This was my first project of 2021, I made it over New Year’s weekend. Project long time coming.
5. New Minnie Ears
I made 2 new sets of ears for our spring disney trip – this Star Wars toile (see below) and this Stitch/Grogu fabric.
And then I can also show these, I made these for Ash’s trip to Disney next week as her birthday present!
6. Star Wars Toile Shirt
Had a yard of this and decided to make shirt for the disney trip. Also the matching ears (above) and mask.
7. Stitch Set
I made the bulk of this in 2020 when it was a mock-up for my disneybound Leia romper – I didn’t like how it looked so I didn’t go the romper route for Leia and this sat mostly finished in my my sewing room until 2021. I dug it out, took it part and finished the edges to make it 2 pieces and loved it. Super cute and comfy.
Uh is that it? I think that’s it. Let’s move on to 2022 Plans. In order of likely-ness.
1. Finish Utena
Duh
2. Lady Jessica
Chase wants to make a Duke Leto costume, I wanted him to do the suit from this scene but he wants to do the armor, boo. Oh well this was my favourite dress so this is the one I want to do to match. Only problem is lack of references, like it was on display this year and there are only 3 fuzzy photos taken with a potato?!?! WHY
3. Padme’s Packing Gown
Now that I’m out from under my Lake dress spell, I can finally look at making other AOTC Padme costumes, and I’m going for my second favourite, the packing gown. I know this hair will look awful on me but I don’t care, I love everything else about it. I’ve gotten a few swatches that haven’t been right so as soon as I get more done with Utena I’ll start the search again.
4. New Leia Dapper Day Look
I don’t have a pic to show for this one because it’s just a nebulous idea in my head right now. We’re taking our Dapper Day looks back to disney next year, but I did decide I want to make a new Leia look to go with Chase’s Han – because my Bespin Leia look did not read “Leia” to the public LOL Like literally nobody knew who our outfits were based on, I think Bespin is not well known enough to the general public. So I want to do something more obviously Leia.
5. Endor Leia
I’m not posting pics of these either because you know what they look like. And I just need to make myself do this. One weekend I’ll get bored and just dive in. It won’t be a planned thing LOL
6. Jedi Training Leia
I want to but also at the moment I don’t feel like it LOL I’m sure my feelings will swing other way later.
7. A New Belle
Been wanting to do a take 3 for years, I doubt I’ll get to it this year unless the bug bites me at some point.
8. Anne Boleyn
I just really want a black velvet Anne costume. But I only want the baby and not the labor LOL
Last few years my years have been split in 2 (2020 not withstanding) – Disney focus first part of the year and Dragoncon focus over the summer, so if I look at where I’m standing right now:
Focus on new dapper Leia over the spring, along with Lady Jessica and some more fabric searching for Packing Padme since I’m not making so much for Disney this year. Then Dragoncon focus will be Packing Padme and maybe Endor Leia or Jedi training Leia. My goal is to not have my 2022 summer be as stressful as 2021 was.
I really think 2020 broke something in my brain and I’m only now seeing the results; after trying to do 2021 like a normal output year, I did not enjoy it. I enjoyed just making things leisurely and at my own pace with no end goals in 2020. If I didn’t feel like sewing one night, there was no need to. Then going back into the boiling water of a full-on Dragoncon costume production schedule summer of 2021 (after making and finishing multiple things for Disney over the spring), I did not enjoy it. At all. I think I burnt myself out a bit. Which is why I haven’t been pushing to finish Utena. If I want to sit on the couch and play sims instead of sewing, I’m damn well going to do it. So my goal for 2022 is to just make stuff and not overdo it – I still want to have goals and to have things for dragoncon finished for dragoncon obviously, but I don’t want to be working every moment of every day for 2 months straight on costumes again. I’m too old for that shit. (And I’m allowed to say that now because people my age ARE GRANDPARENTS but we’ll talk about that in my Christmas post.)