To do list

Do you ever come to the end of a big project and think, ok, what next? ... and then become completely overwhelmed by the abyss of possibilities before you.  There's so much to learn; sometimes I just get anxiety ridden over the fact that I can never actually do it all.  I get that way in bookshops too.  How will I ever read them all??

Now that the Victorian Ball is over and done with I'm at that point where there are about 50 different things I want to start on, and somehow that's caused me to fritter away the past week in indecision.  My pinterest boards have gotten bigger, but that's about as productive as I've managed to be.
So to help me along my way, I thought it would be helpful to compile a list of all the things I most want to make right now.

• Regency Outfit - I've been wanting to go to the Jane Austen Festival for years but have nothing to wear.  I need a shift, bodiced petticoat and day dress (already have the fabric).  I'm small busted enough to get away with no stays.  An evening dress would be nice too, if I can find some good sari silk to use.

• Regency bonnets.  I really love the hat making I've done so far, and want to try out a few regency styles that are a bit more interesting than the bog standard straw visor and fabric back generally used in re-enactment

• 18th c. - I want to make everything(!), but maybe I could start with an anglaise or a chemise a la reine?  I have a pair of stays I made a while back, but they're not very comfortable as I used metal boning throughout.  Ideally I want to make a historically accurate new pair, using the knowledge garnered from studying an original I helped replicate at the School of Historical Dress, but maybe for now I'll just replace the boning in the old.

• 1490s Carlo Crivelli gown.  I've made the camicia so far, but that one got put on hold for the Ball.  Time to revisit.

• Tudor - I've been coveting a black velvet Henrician gown since seeing one on Nerissa in The Merchant of Venice last year.  Of course that'll also entail all the necessary underwear.

• Victorian Ball 2017.  The theme is bustles.  I know I want to revisit Becky's blue waterfall dress, and improve the bodice.  As for myself, I want to do something early 1870s with lots of froof.  Will also need a bustle, petticoat, and potentially a new corset if I've got the time?

• Hair pieces.  I want to up my hair game for next years ball, so that means mucking about with synthetic hair and accessories. 

Less pressing: 

• 17th c Mulberry gown.  This was the subject of the Janet Arnold Study Day this year, and I really want to make one of my own.  I can't find the right kind of velvet though, so may have to find some sort of compromise.

• Cranach gown.  I've barely researched this yet, but it definitely strikes my fancy!

I think I'm starting to crack the block now, and I did it like this: last night I taught myself to crochet.  Just the chain and single crochet stitches, and I'm sure I dropped a stitch or two somewhere in there, but it's fine.  It's just comforting to be able to try something new (even if unrelated to my main interests, and have something solid to show for it so quickly.

I've started putting a shift together now as well, so I'll get back to that now.  Tomorrow I'll crack on with my bodiced petticoat.