2021 Recap + 2022 Plans

Whew.

2021 was another bad year in a growing line of bad years. In a lot of ways, it was worse than 2020. I wasn't sure I was going to do a costume recap, since I did pick at a lot of things and even finished a few but didn't keep track of progress much. But I figured even without much to really *show* I still wanted to just jot down some of the stuff that got worked on.

January was pretty much a month-long mental breakdown so I bought a Heart of the Ocean replica, as one does. It's mostly meant to be a prop for display and "just because," so I don't know how much costuming use it'll get, but it's technically a costuming accessory so it goes on the list (and wouldn't it look lovely with an over-the-top late Victorian evening gown?).

Falling headlong into that was directly linked to my brain deciding I should be hyperfixated on the RMS Titanic and all things related like I was 7 years old again, so I decided the hellscape of early 2021 was the perfect time to start Rose's boarding suit. But to still go easy on myself, I decided to start with just the accessories: mostly pieces that could be customized or used as-is, with just a little scratch building. Over the winter, spring, and summer I picked away at the accessories and got the earrings, tie pin, hat pin, digital file for the hat ribbon, and some hat experimenting done. I also got base shoes for modification and fabric swatches to go along with it. (Still don't have any photos of these things, so hopefully I can get a post about some of that stuff done soon.)

Throughout the spring I was also working on Agnes/Agatha Harkness from WandaVision. Her 1990s tracksuit was a great easy project to kind of whet my need to costume without being overwhelming.

I loved the project and the result, and was really pleased with testing out some new techniques, but I wasn't totally happy with the weird fit of the premade tracksuit. So I'm thinking about making a new one from scratch. Might end up being another fun light project for 2022.

I also finally started on Evie's library/prison costume from The Mummy. I already had a pattern and fabric for the skirt from the year before, and then bought a shirt, earrings, belt, and shoes, and started modifying the shoes. I think I need to replace the skirt fabric with a khaki that's more tan and less pink-y, and at that point I might look at different fabric types too.

In October, I did a project on Instagram where each day on the week leading up to Halloween I posted a sort of closet cosplay of some character. I wasn't at home with my whole costume collection so that made things more challenging, but also more in the spirit of doing makeshift ensembles. I managed to put together a library Evie Carnahan (The Mummy), Janet Snakehole (Parks and Recreation), Morticia Addams (live-action The Addams Family), 1950s Agnes/Agatha Harkness (WandaVision),  Constance Hatchaway (The Haunted Mansion ride), and Mother Ghost (Crimson Peak).

So the 2021 breakdown (heh) was:

• The Mummy: Evie library ensemble (earrings, shirt, shoes)
  
• Titanic: gratuitous Heart of the Ocean, Rose boarding suit accessories (earrings, tie pin, hatpin)
  
• WandaVision: 1990s Agatha tracksuit
• various closet cosplays
  

At this point I'm making almost no definite plans and just continuing to pick away at things and see what happens. But there is something of a list to go along with that:

• French Revolution Zombaes: continue weathering dresses, play with new makeup
  
• Hocus Pocus: continue spellbook 2.0, upgrades for Ice (new pants, new jacket for events), Mary upgrades, start Billy and Winifred
• Indiana Jones: continue Grail Diary pages, Indy pants, Jock shirt, Marian Nepal bar shirt, Elsa desert undershirt
• Kingsman: start Agent Tequila
• Letterkenny: start Wayne
  
• The Mummy: continue Evie library ensemble (shoes modifications, scarf, new skirt fabric, skirt mockup)
• Shadow and Bone: continue Kirigan research and fabric swatches
  
• Titanic: finish Rose boarding suit accessories (hat, gloves, shoes)
• WandaVision: new fabric for 1950s Agatha dress, research on other Agatha costumes
  

Stay tuned!