2023 My Year in Review

I had almost given up writing this final post of 2023 because it’s been a year of unfinished and incomplete sewing. For many years I have been told my accumulation of finished costumes has amazed people, sometimes even myself. And here I thought 2023 would be my comeback year, after 3 years of Pandemic malaise.

I felt like I started this year in full throttle while getting my blue plaid bustle done to wear in the Riverside Dickens fashion show in February. I had the trims ready to hand sew onto the bodice, when an unusual weather system came through and brought torrential rain and cold, plus snow in the mountains, which would prevent many attendees and vendors from getting to the outdoor event. So just shortly before the date, it was cancelled. The good news? This dress is done except for those trims, and I had a bonnet custom made for it as my birthday present, so it will be worn next year in Port Townsend for the Victorian Festival in April.

I took advantage of that enthusiasm, and pulled out the three 1860s cotton dresses I’d started the last couple years that needed the waistbands attached to the skirts and finished that. But then I realized that any events I could wear them to would involve walking outdoors on uneven dirt (aka Dickens or Civil War events) and I knew my badly injured knee couldn’t handle that. So those three dresses still need their button closures, and I can’t remember if I ever hemmed them. I bet probably not. I guess I could do those. But then, why?

Then I finished my pink striped seaside dress for this year’s Port Townsend fashion show in April. I also decided I needed to make a corset cover to go under another sheer dress I was wearing there. That was a quick and easy make that I finished in almost one day. Yes! A couple things did get finished!

I had originally started a blue and white striped seaside polonaise to wear to the same event the previous year but in the end decided to wear something else that was already done so its still in the “need to finish”-mode. I’ve got rows of ruffles sitting on my sewing table that will go on its skirt, which I don’t know if it’s done without digging through my closet. But I think it is. I could possibly wear that to Port Townsend next year. Hmm….

I became excited about making a 1911 tea dress to wear to an afternoon tea event, and after doing research on multiple versions, I decided to set up my assembly line method and cut out 3 at a time, each one trimmed differently. I couldn’t get the muslin fitted on me properly by myself, and it was a few more months before I could go to a sewing workshop to get help with them. I had to do a complete re-do on the pattern bodice to get it right on me. The kimono bodice shoulders were too far down on me, and I had to bring in the sides and narrow the front and back panels to fit me. I finally got two of them done but not the 3^rd lavender one, and it would have the most extensive trims on it. None of these have their skirts yet. But life kept popping up and blocking me from finishing anything. So I again wore my pink striped seaside dress to the Costumers Guild West tea.

For Costume College in July, I decided to wear my 1890s aqua ballgown from 2012 for the Gala but added a pretty floral garland to the neckline to freshen it up. And I made that. I wore my pink striped seaside dress for the Sunday tea, and that’s all I wore for that event this year.

My next couple months were taken with getting up to speed in becoming the Dean of Costume College 2024 and that took a tremendous amount of time. Also, my Mother’s health was failing even more, and with so many distractions, I found I couldn’t focus on sewing. I’ve also realized if my days are broken up into needing to leave the house, going to appointments, etc., it breaks up my focus also. I do better with many days in a row that I can put my brain cells into just one thing.

After we came back from a vacation in Alaska, I was able to start on a re-creation of the Disney’s Haunted Mansion maid’s outfit that my original plan is to wear to Costume College in 2024 but also to wear it for Halloween for our neighborhood event. I didn’t have any luck finding a solid green fabric for the skirt in the short time I had but was going to use a black one I already had. I still needed to finish the sleeves and front closures, but then my Mom occupied a lot of my time, and I gave up trying to finish it, instead just putting an all-white outfit together as a ghost. Sadly, Mom passed away on Halloween, so she didn’t get to see that, although I showed her photos of my progress. I plan on continuing my search for the solid green for the skirt, as it’s an odd shade that I want to match as close as possible to the striped green bodice. And I’ll finish it, as planned, for Costume College.

I was glad that I was able to share my love of sewing costumes with her, as she was a very creative seamstress in her younger days, and made most of my clothes. I was also thrilled one year that I was able to make her a costume to wear with me at the Port Townsend Victorian Festival that wasn't far from where she lived. 

If you’ve ever been a Trustee for someone, you already know the huge amount of legal paperwork you have to deal with. It’s a mind suck, and I could barely focus on day-to-day things, much less sewing. I took a chance and went to a sewing workshop the first weekend of December to try and start a fitting muslin for a Regency bedgown I wanted to make for another Costume College event, but my brain wasn’t working, and the instructions were confusing, so I didn’t get that made. Later, after talking with the pattern designer, there were some mistakes on the instructions and she’s corrected those, so I’m going to try and make another start on it again in January. I also need to get my muslin made for my fantasy Regency dress for the Bridgerton Regency Gala we’re having at Costume College.

In the meantime, right after January 1, I will need to get a start on organizing the fashion show in Port Townsend, which means FINISH MY BLUE PLAID DRESS. Maybe even my Autumn plaid one? But that has a lot more to finish on it. Or maybe just do the blue striped seaside dress. Of course, the weather may determine which one would be more suitable. It can still be pretty chilly at the end of April but I’ve been able to wear cottons even if it was cold.

I also need to plan on having some hand sewing to do because in May I’m finally getting my knee replacement surgery. I’ve been promised I’ll be fine by the time Costume College comes around in July.

I know what's also missing now, my sewing supervisor. There's no one to pull pins out of my patterns, or keep the fabric, or my sewing machine warm for me. 

So here’s to wishing you all a safe and productive New Year, and may the Sewing Fairies bring you inspiration and focus in your sewing endeavors.