I did my 2011 retrospective a little over a week ago and I’ve been spending the first week of the new year really thinking hard about what I would like to pursue over the next year (while I feverishly worked on finishing projects due by next weekend! ).

Goals for 2012

1) Work on my physical fitness and fighting.

I started this one early.  As of this week have been working out regularly for 3 weeks.  I’m in the gym on Tuesdays and Thursdays doing 20 min of cardio (usually on the elliptical b/c it’s my favorite) and 20-30 min of circuit training.  I can now do 15 assisted pull ups, 20 assisted dips, and leg press 200 lbs.  I also try to take the dogs on nice long walks (at least 45 min) 2 other days a week.  Rather than focusing on weight, which always seems to make me crazy, I am focusing instead on how I feel and how my clothes fit.  And honestly I feel great.  I’m even starting to sleep better.  My clothes are also starting to fit better.  My black silk suit fits again (it hasn’t fit in at least a year and a half or more) and today I tried on my beloved black wool doublet and it fit beautifully.  I’m very excited and I’m looking forward to continuing to focus on improveing my health.

As for fighting, weather, the holidays, and projects due by 12th Night has meant that I haven’t been able to make it out to a practice since Thanksgiving but I’m looking forward to attend practice on Sunday after 12th Night and regular weekly practices after that.  And I think my workouts will also be very beneficial to fighting.  This year I want to pick up my sword and shield authorization and I am setting a goal of fighting in all the heavy and rapier warpoints at Pennsic this summer (minus the champions battles of course…unless I’m asked).

For the first time in months I’m really feeling great and I’m very excited about the upcoming tourney season.

2) Complete the projects I start

I started a lot of projects last year that I didn’t really finish.  This year I really want to focus on my follow through.  So far I’ve managed to finish 3 of the projects that I had started last year which is awesome.  I’ve also picked my blackwork jacket back up and I’m making headway on it once again.  I’ve set myself a schedule of two motifs a day and laid out a road map of mini goals so that I can accomplish my goal of wearing for 12th Night 2013.  I’ve also set a goal of finishing the surcoat project and pluderhosen project by Gulf Wars (along with quite a bit of other personal sewing-apparently I have no fencing shirts anymore.  I don’t know where they went but there you are).  I’d also really like to make good progress on the Wardrobe Project (good progress=at least 60% completion) by the end of the year.

3) Work on some sewing projects for myself

This is wear my goal of making good progress on the Wardrobe Project (good progress=at least 60% completion) fits in.  I’m really getting the bug to sew for myself again so I want to make sure that I’m definitely setting aside time for my own projects and not always prioritizing them below projects for others.

4) Write some new articles and start teaching at University again

Like a lot of other things my research took a back burner in 2011.  The last University class I taught was June 2010.  In retrospect this has been pretty disappointing to me.    Currently I’m scheduled to teach several marshal classes at March University but I’m starting to work on ideas for a class and article for Summer University.  I definitely want to make a priority of teaching a new HMA class at at least every other University.

2012 Planned Projects

Each year I keep a list of projects I have planned for that year.  The 2012 Project Plans list went up just before the new year.  I’m pretty sure that I accomplished less last year than I have any other year since I started keeping this list.  So this year I’m trying to start things out with a bang.  Now I just need to keep up the momentum.

My happy, healthy Fozzy Bear

If I was going to describe 2011 in three words those words would have to be: unfinished, unfocused, but hopeful.

2011 was a very odd year.  Our dog Fozzy was very sick with a massive antibiotic resistant staph infection (think doggie MRSA) for nearly the entire year.  He came down with it at the end of 2010 and he didn’t really start to mend until this fall.  It was very bad and at points we were afraid we would loose him.  To be honest if it weren’t for the amazing vets at the NCSU Vet School, and Dr. Murphy in particular, we probably would have lost him.

And to be honest, that’s where most of my year went.  I didn’t go to Pennsic or Gulf Wars, we didn’t go diving, I didn’t accomplish much in the way of projects, and I really stopped blogging for all intents and purposes.  There just wasn’t much good stuff to talk about.

Thankfully though Fozzy is now fully mended and chasing the cat to his little heart’s content so 2012 is looking much more promising…

….provided those crazy Mayan’s are wrong.

I went back to review my 2011 goals and planned projects.

2011 Goals

1)  Continue to improve fitness and fencing
2)  Have one sewing project a month
3)  Publish a new ebook every 1-2 months
4)  Be able to play 1 Elizabethan popular song by December

2011 Planned Projects

Get my fencing in top notch shape In progress
Embroidered Jacket In progress (Started August 2009)
Flander’s Gown In progress
Silver Training Manual In progress
Swetnam Training Manual In progress
14th Century Cloth Hosen ebook
New Rapier Armor
Shirt, Brais, Hosen
Charles de Blois Pourpoint
Edwardian Lingerie Gown
Arming Garments Class

What did I actually accomplish?  Well, I wrote an article on Monochromatic 16th Century Embroidery, two articles on the 1903 Savoye Corset, and finished hosen ebook, one commission, a pair of ventians, and a pair of trunk hose.  I also migrated my entire site to WordPress and I accomplished some cool real life things like starting an awesome new job, picking up two freelance web design jobs, getting my puppy well, and paying off debt.  I did start a 12th Night project, a pluderhosen project, a surcoat project, and a 3rd corset article…all of which need to be finished…very soon.

Highlights of the year though were Gaston’s Pelican, Wistric’s White Scarf, being approached about taking apprentices, and Christmas.

Looking over the past year has given me a lot of food for thought with regards to what I want to do in the new year.  I taking some time to really consider where I want to focus my time and energy but one thing is for sure…I have a lot of projects that need finishing.

I’ve been feeling that way myself lately.  And I’ve come to the conclusion that sometimes it may just be better to shelve a project rather than to keep working on something that is no longer bringing you the joy it once was.  Sometimes its better to shelve it and free yourself up to take on other projects that will bring you joy.  After all, isn’t the fact that they bring us happiness and some measure of joy and fulfillment the whole reason we do these projects in the first place?  Besides there is nothing that says you can’t come back to that old project at a later date.

So I’ve decided to step back from the projects that haven’t been bringing me joy so that I can focus on the things that are.

What am I putting on hold?

1. The eBooks. Working on them and selling them through the site just hasn’t been as fun as I thought it would be so I’m shelving the project.  What will I do with the two I already have?  I’m not sure yet but I’m pondering several options.
2. The Flanders Gown. It was so much more fun when I started it but once the fur went down hill it just wasn’t as inspiring anymore.  Since all it needs are sleeves I will probably finish it but I’ll do something more simple that I had originally planned.
3. Commissions. I’ve enjoyed working on the commissions I’ve taken but now that my most recent one is done I’ve decided to take some time for myself for a while.  I have about 20 buttons to make and that’s it.  I’m going to finish them in the next couple weeks and then I’m going to focus on some personal projects that have really been calling to me.  The calendar will probably open up again for commissions at some point in the future but for now I’m going to focus on personal projects.

What am I still deciding on?

1. The Etsy Shop. I just don’t know what to do about it.  On the one hand I’ve enjoyed it and I have some big ideas for changes to it but on the other I’m not sure that the things I want to produce fit in best at Etsy.  Still pondering this one.

What am I going to do more of?

1. Fight. Fighting has been bringing me a lot of joy lately and I want to free up more time for it.
2. Sew and Embroider for myself. I have several personal sewing projects that are calling to me.  Plus less free time has meant less time for my embroidered jacket.  I worked on it recently and it reminded me how much I’ve enjoyed this project and really want to free up more time for it.
3. Enjoy the fresh air and warm sun. This winter was rather stressful but the thing that always made me feel better was going outside and walking around the building.  Now that its starting to warm up being outside is even more pleasurable.  I want to spend more time outside, go to fighter practice in the daylight, move my workouts outdoors, and get in a little diving.  I can’t wait for Spring.
4. Write. I’ve really enjoyed the FR and YWU articles that I’ve written and I have several ideas for new tutorials and HMA articles that I’ve been neglecting.  I have two more FR articles in the works and I want to get started on at least one of the HMA articles after Ymir.  I might even see about teaching at summer University.

After posting my 2010 retrospective Saturday I spent the rest of the day relaxing with my hubby and friends.  It was wonderful.  Over the last year I’ve begun spending more and more time on commissions and freelance projects and while I have really enjoyed them and the opportunities they brought with them I realized that I needed to make sure I still make time for spending with family and friends.

I have three goals this week:

1. Get over the cold I picked up from the nephews at Christmas.
2. Go to fighter practice Thursday.
3. Finish setting up my drill space.

At some point I need to practice my guitar.  I think I can do that.

2010 Goals:

1)  Continue to work on my physical fitness and fighting.
2)  Only have one embroidery project at a time.  Until it’s finished this means my jacket.
3)  Do more sewing.
4)  Learn to play 2 pieces of music appropriate to Elizabethan England by Pennsic.
5)  Spend more time with my students.
6)  Continue to post Silver and Swetnam installments weekly.

I had a lot of false starts with my first goal of working on my physical fitness and fencing.  I would stay focused for a few weeks and then drop off.  I was really disappointed with myself in this.  These were really important goals for me and I let myself set them on the back burner over and over again.

I did OK with goals two and three.  I couldn’t maintain working on a sewing project and an embroidery project at the same time but I did enjoy more sewing projects this year and kept myself focused on the one embroidery project (my jacket) even if I didn’t get as far on it as I would have liked to.

I wrote about goal four recently already.

I did enjoy spending more time with my students both on and off the field this year and I’m looking forward to even more next year.

I did not continue with my Silver and Swetnam series mostly because I’ve decided to change those projects slightly.  Instead of working on them in a series I’ve decided I want to publish them all at once.

2010 Planned Projects

Get my fencing in top notch shape In progress
Embroidered Jacket In progress (Started August 2009)
Flander’s Gown In progress
Silver Training Blog Series In progress
Swetnam Training Blog Series In progress
Steampunk Gown Finished! January 2010
Wrapped and Stuffed Buttons @ Etsy Opened! January 2010
Grey Wool Bias Cut Hosen Finished! February 2010
Linen Kirtle Finished! April 2010
White Linen Bias Cut Stockings Finished! April 2010
16th-17th Century Stocking Tutorial Finished! April 2010
Blue Linen Bias Cut Hosen Finished! May 2010
14th Century Hosen Tutorial Finished! May 2010
Saviolo Dueling Blog Series Finished! June 2010
Early Modern English Dueling Class Finished! June 2010
Green Linen GFG Finished! September 2010
Burgundy Linen Effigy Bodies Finished! October 2010
Recreating Elizabethan Bodies Tutorial Finished! October 2010
Monochrome Embroidery Tutorial Finished! December 2010
French-Cut gown
A new linen suit
Natural Form Gown

2011 Goals

1)  Continue to improve fitness and fencing
2)  Have one sewing project a month
3)  Publish a new ebook every 1-2 months
4)  Be able to play 1 Elizabethan popular song by December

In December I rededicated myself for improving my fitness and I’m pleased to say that I was able to stay pretty straight and mostly narrow even through the Holidays.  I have also begun outlining my plan for working on my fencing one already and I plan on discussing them in more detail when their more firm.  My first fitness and fencing goals revolve around Gulf Wars and I will be discussing them in future posts.  My other goals are all pretty self explanatory. In order to keep myself on track and focused I’ve decided to keep my total number of goals this year lower than last and I will be posting monthly updates.

2011 Planned Projects

Get my fencing in top notch shape In progress
Embroidered Jacket In progress (Started August 2009)
Flander’s Gown In progress
Silver Training Manual In progress
Swetnam Training Manual In progress
14th Century Cloth Hosen ebook
New Rapier Armor
Shirt, Brais, Hosen
Charles de Blois Pourpoint
Edwardian Lingerie Gown
Arming Garments Class

The first non-fencing related projects I will be working on are the 14th Century Cloth Hosen ebook and finishing my Flanders Gown.

There are things I had hoped to finish this year that I haven’t been able to devote the time to that I wanted (my jacket project) and things that inadvertently ended up on the back burner as other projects took over (my Silver and Swetnam series).  But I also accomplished a lot of things that I hadn’t even thought about last year when I set my goals.  I’ve written three tutorials for Foundations Revealed, I wrote and taught a new class on dueling, I finished my green linen GFG that had sat on my shelf for embarrassingly too long, I learned a ton about working with fur (even if my Flander’s gown isn’t done yet), and I learned a lot about myself and my own fencing.  It’s not where I want it to be but I did learn a good deal about myself and my own mindset this year and I feel good about that.

The year isn’t done yet though.  There is still time to make some good headway on my jacket and now is a great time to start training for Ymir.  It’s also a great time to begin reflecting on 2010 and to start to think about goals for 2011.

One of the big reasons why I decided to take on learning to play classical guitar this year is because I wanted to be able to play popular Elizabethan music at Gardiner’s and SCA events.  Music was such an important part of Elizabethan life and I really want to explore that in more depth.  Singing is pretty much right out so that left me with learning an instrument.  When I originally decided to start this project this year I took a look at all the instrument possibilities.  The lute really interested me the most but I wanted to choose and instrument that I could take structured lessons on, not something I’d need to teach myself how to play.  Teaching myself would be cool but I don’t really have enough time for that with all the other things I have going on.  A big pull for classical guitar was that a wealth of popular lute music had already been transcribed for it and I could take lessons right down the road at one of our local guitar shops, Guru Guitars.  I would still like to learn to play the lute, but I think that’s further down the road.

But enough about my happy weekend plans, let’s talk about today.  It’s the last day of March which means it’s time for a review of my 2010 goals (especially since I forgot to do a February review!) 

2010 Goals: 

1) Continue to work on my physical fitness and fighting.  This has been sort of a mixed bag.  I’ve pretty good about getting in at least one practice a month.  I’ve missed some weeks here and there but overall I’ve been pretty good about it.  The same goes for my gym attendance.  I’ve been pretty good about getting in 3-4 workouts a week but there have been missed workouts.  I’ve been having trouble keeping my focus up and overall I’m fairly lacking in inspiration.  I think I’d do better if I had an event I was training for. 

2) Only have one embroidery project at a time.  Until it’s finished this means my jacket.  I’ve done some work on my jacket over the past couple of months but not a lot.  At this point I don’t know if it’s because I’ve let myself get out of the habit of working on it weekly or I still need the break.  I’m going to spend some time with it this weekend and see if I can figure it out. 

3) Do more sewing.   Between February and March I finished one pair of bias cut hosen in February, one shirt in March, and  finished 90% of the mending that I had let accumualte. I’ve slowed way down on my Flanders gown.  I’ve redone the fur and I’ve pretty much gotten the lining read to go.  This means I’m almost ready to start the outer layers and I’m trying to decide how I want to do the trim layout.  Another project I need to spend some time with this weekend.  I also took some time this month to sit down and make up a list of projects I want to work on for Pennsic.  Now I just need to place a fabric order.  The good news is that I may have found some of my missing shirts.  If so that’s something that can get crossed off the list. 

4) Learn to play 2 pieces of music appropriate to Elizabethan England by Pennsic.  Ok, I’ve let this sit for way too long.  I’ve let it get back burner-ed and if I don’t do something now I’m never going to get around to it.  So I’m going to make a point to have signed up for lessons by the end of the week.  This is going on top of the list. 

5) Spend more time with my students.  On going as always.   It was really nice to have both of them at Ymir. 

6) Continue to post Silver and Swetnam installments weekly.  I have not kept up with this goal as I would have liked to.  Part of it is that most of my free writing time has been going to my articles for Your Wardrobe Unlock’d: the Costume Maker’s Companion and the other part of it is that I’m in an in-between space on this project.  I’m at the point where I’m ready to start posting demonstrations and I’ve been testing out the movie function on my camera.  I’m not really thrilled with it but the good news is Coty got a Flip as a belated Christmas present and I’m sure I can sweet talk him into letting me use it for the project.  It’s really nice.  Much nicer than my camera.  I’m also working on a series of articles on dueling. The research is taking a little longer than I had originally thought it would but that’s ok.  I’m hoping to be able to start it soon but I’m not going to rush it out. 

Goals for February: 

1) I need to be in the gym at least 4-5 days per week. Mostly accomplished.

2) I need to accomplish at least 40 hours of embroidery between Feb 6 and March 6.  Not accomplished.

3) Removed self imposed due date! Continue work on Flanders gown.  If I finish before March I’ll start shirts.  Progress continues so mark this one up as accomplished.

4) I need to actually start lessons.  Epic failure.  Need to get my bum in gear.

6) Post at least 4 Silver or Swetnam installments before March 6.  I posted one, two if you count my article on the importance of height.

 Goals for April: 

1) Be in the gym at least 4-5 days per week.

2) Finish 1^st YWU article.

3) Lets start back slowly: Accomplish 10-20 hours of embroidery between April 1 and April 30.

4) Continue to work on Flanders gown.

5) Finish one Pennsic project.

6) Order Fabric.

7) Start lessons.

8) Post 3-4 HMA articles between April 1 and April 30.

No related posts.

Now I’m going to go enjoy a quick run on the treadmill, get some dinner, and spend the rest of my evening happily working on one of my current projects.

So I’m going to start blocking out time for big projects.  For instance I’m currently working on two articles for Your Wardrobe Unlock’d: the Costume Maker’s Companion.  One is due in April and one is due in May.  We’re traveling several weekends during those months so I want to have these articles finished at least 2 weeks before their deadlines to make sure I have enough time for revisions and edits.  This means I need to be spending more time on them now.  So I’ve decided to block out a big chunk of my Saturday for writing.  If I find I’m too easily distracted at the house I’m going to take my bum down the road to Royal Bean and work there.  This way I can get some good, solid work done on these articles and free up my Saturday evening for sewing and Sunday for fighter practice.  I think it will work well.  Now I just need to stick to it.