2019: Another Year in Review

It’s that time of the year, the time for review and the time for goals!

Okay, let’s start with the review. I posted 20 times in 2019, and ranged from sharing my history of mandalas (as well as how I make them by hand and digitally), to some knitting projects, my absolute new favorite pair of Flint trousers, and then a long hiatus.

There’s many things that happened this year to cause that hiatus, and for a short description of that I’ll direct you to my previous post. But if you’re missing me on a more regular basis, feel free to follow me on Instagram where I post marginally more. Marginally.

Okay, now onto the goals from last year. Did I make it, did I not?

This time I got four out of five!

1. Make another pair of Flint trousers. They’re the most comfortable things I’ve worn in awhile. Oh yeah I did! And they’re just as comfy!
   
2. Determine what to actually sell on Etsy. As in, what I make that can sell. I’m still working on producing them, but I’m working on a few beginner sewing patterns!
3. Finally dye, make, and embroider the fabric I bought to make more Onyx tees. Maybe change up patterns if I feel like it; after all I have 10 yards to work with… (Yep, still working on this. Two yards were used for the green Flints, and I think I’m making the SOI Teadress and Onyx’s with the rest. Just need to do it.)
4. Share more of my art on the blog. I’ve been sharing a lot on Instagram, but I’d like to post about it here too. Here’s my three mandala posts, a fabric design post, and my watercolor set in blue.
5. Loosen up and breathe. I’m looking for a job right now, so I’m super anxious, which is no way to start off a new chapter in my life. Taking this time to breathe and open up to new experiences is what I hope will help bridge the gap. I alternated between breathing and being anxious, but in the end I was successful.
   

So I’m calling that a total win!

My top 5 hits:

1. Green Flints. Best Thing Ever.
2.  My two Jasika blazers! They’re purdy.
3. Miss Frizzle! I’m excited to show you the costume, and Liz!
4. Hawkeye and my Nano Gauntlet. While I have much to redo, I’m proud of what I created.
5. My recent knits. I’ve made a sweater, a shawl, a pair of gloves, and a hat in the past two and a half months. I’ll be warm this winter!

Top 3 misses, since I only have three it seems!

1. Jean jackets aren’t my thing. I tried it though, and I’m proud of that.
2. I made an Ogden cami dress and the straps broke because they were delicate and it is heavy… Once I fix that, I doubt it’ll be a miss at that point. But it’s been a few months and I haven’t followed through.
3. I made a warm hat that doesn’t fit on my head… I should tink the ribbing and redo it. Maybe that’ll be a January thing.

Next up, goals for 2020:

1. Get the blog current, and choose what that means. Do I need to feel bad if I don’t post stuff, or is it alright to skip some things?
2. Make one or two new costumes. I really want to make the Iron Man couture gown by ToughTink on Instagram, and I have a few other ideas bouncing around. Plus I’d like to redo/update Hawkeye.
3. Revisit the trousers I’ve made. My most worn jeans (both pairs from this post) were made in October 2016 (gasp!) and they are dying after three years of heavy use. They’ve got holes in the thighs that I’ve been badly mending for the past five months or so, so there’s a great need for a new pair of jeans or two, and I’d like to make yet another pair of Flints. Still super comfortable!
4. Write at least 200 words a day. I’ve been working on a novel, am about to start on a fictional online journal project, and I am so bad at keeping up with the blog. That’s three different things that require putting virtual pen to paper, so I’m hoping to make it a daily habit (finally) this year.
5. Finish and debut the sewing patterns I’ve been drafting and workshopping in 2019.

I’m hoping to post at least once a month this year, not including this one, and will see how these goals go!

This is also the best time to thank you for following me through my adventures through the last decade (college, since I started this blog in the last year and a half of that adventure, grad school, post grad employment woes, and the personal growth in sewing and crafting that I’ve been working on throughout!) and here’s to another ten years!

Happy New Year to all!