Year in Review: Goodbye 2017, Hello 2018!

It's that time again!  Time to look back and reflect upon the past year's accomplishments, and forward to another twelve months of sewing and blogging.

While I may not have been able to post as frequently as I would have liked, it's certainly a pleasure to look back at all that did happen.  Between work at the museum and college classes, sewing projects, travels and other adventures...2017 was quite the year.  So, without further ado, let's start this year in review!


January - I began the year with a new shift, corset and sleeve puffs to go under an 1830s sky blue ball gown.

February - The big project this month was a new cap, half robe and caramel petticoat.

March - Spent a long weekend thanks to several snow days making a new, 1860s sacque coat with a quilted lining.  Also completed an 18th century bum pad and red petticoat, which was the beginnings of a cosplay costume...

April - Made a splash with a first attempt at trashion (trash + fashion), combining water pollution with early-19th century stays.

April also brought the trip of a lifetime with my friend, Kaela!  We went to Williamsburg (life dream come true!), Jamestown and Pittsburgh...met Samantha of The Couture Courtesan blog fame, who is every bit as personable as she is talented...Janea Whitacre(!) and Fiona of Ruffles Not Rifles in the Margaret Hunter Millinery Shop.  Spent time with our good friends - Matt and Megan, Elyse, Elizabeth and her family, and some former Point Park classmates...I still have trouble believing that it all happened!!

To top it all off, I became a member of the Association for Living History, Farm and Agricultural Museums (ALHFAM) and the Costume Society of America (CSA).


May - May always means the start of a new museum season!  I returned to my home away from home, the Genesee Country Village & Museum, for a fourth season with a new position as the Interpretation Office Assistant.  Though never fear, Hosmer Dinners and shenanigans with friends and fellow interpreters resumed as usual...

Not much sewing happened this month, but I did become both basic life support/first aid and food safety certified.  Oh, and I completed a lengthy, final art project of 50+ sketchbook pieces:

And, I graduated with an Associates Degree in Liberal Arts!  Certificates and medallions were awarded for cumulative 4.0s.  Here's to the class of 2017, we did it!

(Photograph via: Monroe Community College)

June - Hands down, the 2017 ALHFAM conference was the highlight of the month!  I met soo many new people...great to see some familiar faces too - Elyse, Matt and Megan, and Justin all came up.

June also brought one of my favorite village events, the War of 1812/Jane Austen weekend.  I finished my short stays just in time, and helped my good friend, Rhonda, the dressmaker, set up a really neat mourning display in her dress shop.

I believe that I finished the DNA dress and over-hoop petticoat this month...as well as this beribboned, frilly cap:

July - Fashion Fun Camp, year two, happened, and, like the first time, there is just nothing better than sharing the passion with the next generation!  (Or getting to play dress up every day ;)

Speaking of passions, thanks to Deanna and others at the museum, I had the opportunity to write about another passion - the Chinese soldiers of the American Civil War.  The article was published on the Genesee Country Village & Museum Blog, here: That These Dead Shall Not Have Died in Vain.

Corporal Joseph Pierce
(Photograph via: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons)

August - This month brought the honor of making the wedding veil for Allison and Stephen's wedding:

As well as two, other, fun projects...the online CoBloWriMo, which is 100 bloggers strong on Facebook.  And the other, well, it's still a secret, but here's a hint:

A secret project!
(Photograph courtesy of Ruby Foote,
GCV&M photographer)

My family and I finished the summer with a trip down to Memphis.  In our sightseeing, we explored several museums as well as Millionaire’s Row - definitely recommended!

September - Blogging sort of disappeared this month, but for good reason...I started school again at Kent State University!

With seven classes, there wasn't much time for personal sewing :(  But, I did complete a muslin skirt for "Basic Costume Construction" -

October - Sarah (A new friend?  Technically we already met once in person at the village, and online, but now it's official haha!) and I explored Hale Farms on a much-needed 1860s adventure.  Ginny (our blog's traveling doll) received a new dress for the occasion:

As for school projects, I finished an Edwardian picture hat for the historical millinery class:

November - Lots of traveling this month, including making it to GCV&M's 4th annual Domestic Symposium and the "Undressed" exhibit at The Frick!  Class projects included finishing a pair of plaid pajamas and a 19-teens wool felt hat with an upturned brim.

December - Traveling seems to be the reoccurring theme this year...after the semester concluded, I spent some time with a dear friend, Lauren, in Pittsburgh before heading home.  Not before handing in several end of semester projects including a striped top, floral skort, "period bodice," and sampler of millinery trimmings:

The last sewing project for the year was a vintage style Christmas skirt, perfect for ringing in the New Year with family in Tennessee.  (Just for fun, we tallied our travels...in total, it was an 10 state year for me - NY, PA, OH, WV, MD, VA, NC, GA, TN & AR - yippee!)

And that concludes the 2017 year in review!  Shout out to you for making it all the way to the end ;)  I'd like to thank everyone, most dearly and sincerely, for reading and encouraging my sewing adventures.  Each and every "like," comment and follow here (and on Facebook) has meant so much to me – your continued support keeps me sewing!  May your needle always be sharp, and your fabric stash overflowing!

Cheers 2018, and may we make every minute count!