After looking back, it’s time to look ahead!
Usually, my plans for a new year are pretty directly correlated to plans for events to attend. I want to make the things I can wear somewhere.
Obviously, that makes planning for 2021 a little bit different. Any events which are tentatively planned are those that got moved or cancelled last year. And mostly, I’ve already made the outfits for them.
This makes planning more difficult obviously, but is also an opportunity in a way, to tackle some projects that never happened because no events came up.
So far, I’ve already started on some UFO’s. I finished a winter dress I started last year, my 1830s hat, and an 1940’s dress which has been in my UFO basket for at least 2 years.
I also want to finally make the 1830’s golden pelerine to go with my golden dress, which I’ve been stalling a bit because it has tons of scallops. I started on that last weekend!
And obviously, I want to continue working on my hand-sewn stays. I’m getting an increasing itch to do more 18th century stuff, and it would be really nice if I could actually fit things over new stays. The good news on these is that I’m now on the back-panels, which are both the last ones, and the one with the least boning in them. So the end of sewing channels is actually in sight!
I’ve also been thinking of making a vest to go with my split skirt. I’ve already got the fabric and pattern for that, so it would be a really nice venture into tailoring.
The final thing I’ve got plans for is slightly different, as I’ll be making my sister-in-law to be’s wedding dress! I’ve already started on it, as I wanted to make sure I’d have plenty of time to work on this. It’s a little different from what I usually do, but I’m very excited to work on it. It gives me the opportunity to work with different fabric and use new techniques, which is really exciting.
So, as you can see, I don’t have a lot of full-outfit plans yet! I’m taking this slight ‘lag’ in event-sewing as an opportunity to not plan quite so far ahead. And to do first whatever strikes my fancy first. I have plenty of long-term projects, a lot of which I actually have fabric for already. So some of that list might finally happen! Below are some inspirations of things that are floating in my mind somewhere.
Early 1850s Mourning perhaps? I have some lovely thin black cotton which would work well.
I also have white silk and black lace, which I want to make into a late 1850s ballgown. Though I’d have to check whether I have enough lace for this precise design, I do love it.
Of course, I’ve also still got green wool for an 1830’s coat
Or, if I’m in a mood for bustles, I’ve got the perfect checkered silk for this outfit on the left?
And, if I finish my stays, I can perhaps even finally start on that chemise gown I have the perfect fabric for….
Of course, a lack of events is also a chance to sew on a whim a little bit more, so we’ll see which of these actually happens. But it’s fun to cream of all the pretty things!
Atelier Nostalgia 
Those are some beautiful projects you’ve got planned! With no deadlines ahead, you should really enjoy the journey!
Thank you, I definitely will! I always try to take enough time to enjoy the journey, but that also means planning far ahead for events, and that does mean I don’t often do spontaneous projects. I’m looking forward to doing those a bit more this year :).
So funny seeing your staymaking photos that look so much like my staymaking photos because we are using the same fabric! 😉 Are you definitely doing no. 24 in PoF5, the 1760s stays? Your front panels look the same as mine but your others look quite different in style….?
I really love how many people are making these, it’s so nice to see all the little differences ;). I’m indeed going for those, although I might not bind the back edge, as I’m still a bit confused about how that’d work and Luca didn’t show that either. I’m finding out tiny details that are different in my pattern in the shaping of tabs etc. as I’m sewing boning channels, but I think in general I’m quite close in shapes to the book. The very wide seam allowance might make them a bit difficult to see clearly? And I’m noticing that I somehow have a back panel which is narrower at the top and wider at the bottom than the original, which makes that less boning fits in there proportionally. Then again, I’m very pear-shaped, so it does sort of makes sense to have the top smaller and bottom bigger ;). I’m definitely learning a lot as I go on though!
I can’t wait to see the final results!!!
Pingback: 2021 year in review | Atelier Nostalgia