The Fabric Alchemist

Thank you bodacious readers for continuing with me on this journey. We have finished another year. I don’t know about you, but half of my brain pictures the year as a big rectangle and tonight at midnight we take the long journey from the lower right corner to the upper left. The other half of my brain knows that years are just numbers humans have layered over time to comprehend and measure its passing. Tomorrow is not a hard reset button, it is another sunrise, another 24 hrs to live, be kind, and do when needs doing. Even so, I like to make goals and resewlutions every year.

After that loooooong reflections post yesterday, this goals list is going to be short and sweet.

1. I am going to start 2017 by clearing my blog backlog, which is mostly unfinished costume tutorials. This will let me wrap those projects up in a nice bow and provide resources to other cosplayers out there.

2. I’m renewing my sustainable pledge and really digging deep into the Slow Fashion Movement. This is why I started sewing, and a number of things keep bringing me back to this position.

3. I will try to use existing fabrics and patterns in my stash for the first 6 months and if I don’t see a use for the fabrics or the patterns, I will find new homes for them.

4. I want to learn about zero-waste design. And figure out how to incorporate zero-waste design/sewing/knitting into my creative process and stashbusting efforts. Zero-waste design seems like a perfect fit for the Fabric Alchemist. 🙂

 

5. I am going to explore what a career in apparel design would look like for me and my family. I missed the design and problem solving that came with making costumes. I felt the happiest when I was sewing this year. When I am at work, I can’t turn off my sewing brain. I am incredibly fascinated with Zero-waste fashion and I think there is a large disconnect between the creative Zero waste designs and clothing that regular people would actually wear. I have no delusions that this career move will be easy, but I want to research all I can to decide if it is a move I want to make. (I keep asking myself how did I get to this fork in my career path, and I have some interesting theories that I’ll expound upon in the new year.)

Bonus Goal: In the midst of all of this in my personal life, I also want to spend time getting to know the people around me in my communities (digital and geographical). Intolerance and xenophobia are rising to the surface in multiple locations, those voices are getting louder, and fractures are forming along identity lines. We are forgetting (or willfully ignoring) what we have in common. My time as an archaeologist and history museum employee highlighted the importance of diverse perspectives and stories. And I know I can do better to learn directly from people, listen to their experiences, and understand their motivations. Here’s to making 2017 a turning point, for the good of humanity and Earth.