March "What's in the hopper?"

I am still struggling with issues related to motivation, and partly feeling like I shouldn't be using my sewing machine after 9pm but that's when I'm most productive (it's like this while writing too). My building is very quiet and I don't want to disturb my neighbours. Clearly I need more hand-sewing projects ;) This will be a little bit of a stream-of-consciousness post, so I apologize if it gets a little rambly.

HSF

I've got a Regency spencer in the works that just needs a few finishing touches. It will be an entry for one of last year's challenges :D It mainly needs buttons. I had a moment this afternoon as I went "AHHHH I HAVE NOT BUTTONS" and then remembered I had a large tray full of buttons? It has nothing that I want to use, however. So that's still on the table.

The next challenge due is Fairytale, to use one's favourite fairytale as inspiration. At first I wanted to do a Tudor Snow White as I had a dream about it a few years ago and it would be utterly stunning if I could pull it off. Then I decided that it was A: too ambitious, given my track record, B: too expensive, and C: Where would I wear it? So instead, I chose to toot my own horn a little, and do a take on Beauty and the Beast, from a novel I wrote in 2012 for NaNoWriMo. I set it in 1940's England, so it would absolutely fit within this year's timeline. But I'm in the middle of Very Big Things (tm) (and also, not really, but Big Enough (tm)) that prevent me from purchasing the pattern I wanted to get to make it. I'm still searching and Googling my heart out, trying to find a way to alter a modern pattern into a "good enough" situation. Historical accuracy has never been my focus, and even though I've been sewing for close to 20 years, pattern manipulation is still a point I need a lot of work on.

Oh gosh, in the midst of writing this, I found a great pattern for free. That's very exciting! Expect a post on that soon!

I've got several of the next few challenges planned too, right up through mid-summer :D A little cap, a UFO, a riding habit, and a new corset are all on my plate for the future.

Other

I'm starting to realize that it's about 6 weeks until my first major con of the year, and it's primarily a cosplay con. I have one costume in the works for that, but I need to decide on another one to make.

My mum recently decided to clean out some of her fabric stash, so she gave my sisters and I permission to haul away anything she didn't want :D There were some fabrics that had been purchased while my sisters were children (they are in their 20s now) that she never got around to making garments for them. While I think my stepdad was hoping for more fabric to leave, we still left - all three of us - with at least 50lbs of fabric each. My sister's little 2-door Yaris was so full! I need to start cataloging my new stash and deciding on projects :) My Very Big Things (tm) are also currently preventing me from being able to wash it, and there's quite a few cottons in there that need to be washed first (not to mention some of them were stored in cardboard boxes in a basement for who knows how long). I'm quite excited to dig in.

Which does make me wonder, a bit, about how much historical accuracy I want to pursue. Some of the prints are very modern but would make utterly adorable Regency gowns, or short gowns, or Victorian pieces. How much do I want to adhere to "the rules"? It's never been my focus - some of my earliest forays into historical costuming were through the SCA, and 16-year-old me was just horrified that anyone would be heavily criticized for not strictly adhering to "historically accurate" clothing. Thirty-plus year old me knows this is not strictly the case, but it's still something I struggle to wrap my mind around. Sure, that lovely Indian-inspired print is gorgeous, but it's not "accurate enough". How much do I care? On one hand, I care a lot! On the other, screw that noise! I need to find a balance in my mind where I am happy with fabric and prints vs. being "accurate".

Hi Mum... this wool is very lovely.