2019 happened
So… 2019.
2019 definitely happened.
It hasn’t been a great year.
Like everyone, I like to celebrate my accomplishments at the end of each year. And, to be fair, I did have some accomplishments. I did some projects that I’m very proud of. I made, and have successfully sold, some reproducible products. The business grew. I made stuff for myself. I traveled. I did some cool things with cool people.
But I’ve had a lot of personal struggles this year which gave me an overwhelming feeling of “blah” about everything. And the blah-ness has made me take fewer photos, and post less to social media, and has left me with less of a record of this year’s wins.
So I’m feeling less than enthusiastic about the year. I’m excited about the individual projects, but the overall vibe of the year, and of this year-end wrapup, is just blaaaaahhhhhhhhh.
If you’re still reading after the depressing preamble, thank you! And now on with my best of 2019…
Costumes
Padme
My first big project of the year was Padme’s embroidered poncho. This project was ambitious and fun! I used lots of techniques and materials that were new to me, and that embroidery! So! Much! Embroidery! I wrote a lengthy post on this build because it was so big and complex and I was so proud of it when it was done! This is easily the costume I’m most proud of this year!
Toni Basil
Toni Basil probably comes in second for my favorite costume of the year. This one was just so cute and fun, but still technically challenging and different than almost everything else I did this year. The color-blocked skirt was a new technique for me. I’ve always liked this look but had never tried it myself. It required a lot of math but the results are just fabulous! And, of course, look at all that embroidery!
Krennic
That cape! I’m pretty sure the cape is what drew everyone to Krennic. Everyone loves cape drama! This cape is crazy - it has completely unnecessary seam lines and more topstitching than any one garment should ever need. But the results speak for themselves! He is fabulous! I wish I’d gotten a better picture of all the cape detail, but here’s the screen-worn (not my pics). You’ll see what I mean!
Seahawks Alice and Mad Hatter
I have a favorite pair of clients/friends who make a geeky Seahawks couples cosplay every year. This is my second year making for them, and I’m so pleased with how these turned out! They were simple pieces, but just so silly and fun! The dress was one of several dresses I made this year from Gertie’s Ultimate Dress Book, and I can’t recommend her book enough. The patterns are easy, highly customizable, and just super cute! Everything I made from that book was a winner!
The 13th Doctor
This wasn’t the most challenging costume to make, but it was an exercise in piping and trim and clean lines and navigating Spoonflower’s completely weird and inaccurate color printing methods. And it’s worth noting because it’s the thing that brought me back to Doctor Who. I quit watching midway through Matt Smith, and never even started with Capaldi, but Jodie was charming and fun and the community’s enthusiasm for her was infectious! So I jumped at the chance to make this costume, and used this gig as an excuse to buy the season!
And I made a lot of duplicate costumes this year - two Krennics plus another Imperial Officer from the same era, two Qi’ras in addition to the one I made last year, another handmaid, a few 50s-style dresses, and more ponchos than I can count off the top of my head. I didn’t take photos of most of these because I felt like they would seem duplicative and boring on social media. That was probably a mistake. Everything is worth documenting! I’ll do better next year!
Embroidery
I had so much fun with embroidery this year! This year’s projects were bigger, bolder, and more marketable! I made some project-specific pieces, but also expanded my patch selections on Etsy. I’m still learning new techniques, but this has been the thing I’ve been most excited to work on all year!
Padme was insane! She took 19 hoops and countless hours to embroider, not counting all the time spent running tests!. This was a million small designs with gradient colors, lined up just right, and stitched onto a lightweight stretchy fabric. Easily the most challenging embroidery project I’ve done to date!
Toni Basil was all about the fun varsity-style appliqué. And that weird cat head! I mean, what is that? A panther? No idea. Her original panther is UGLY! And amateurish! I can’t imagine any high school having such an unprofessional looking mascot. I took some artistic liberties on mine and hopefully it walks the fine line between being nearly screen-accurate but not embarrassingly terrible. Even with the weirdly ugly panther, I’m super proud of this!
This skirt was a repair job I did for a friend. She had a few tiny campfire holes that she wanted fixed. I decided to completely transform the whole thing! It’s big and bold and colorful now, and she says she gets compliments on it every time she wears it!
I’ve had so much fun making patches this year! These are fun to design, quick to make, and a consistent seller on Etsy. I just can’t say enough about how much I love making patches! I feel like embroidery has really been the superstar of the year. It’s been really fun learning to design and digitize, and rewarding to see these ideas come to life. I’m excited to incorporate more embroidery into my work next year, and expand my product lines to more than just patches!
So, as 2019 comes to an end I have to thank everybody who contributed to my business this year. Everyone who hired me for a commission or bought a pre-made item. Everyone who pushed me to do more and do better. Everyone who offered words of praise and encouragement. It’s been a tough year but knowing that my work matters to people has kept me moving forward.
Here’s to a better 2020!
And here’s a goofy picture of my dog 💖
