Well hello there readers! I can certainly say it has been a while. Sometimes a year of working seven days a week followed up by a global pandemic and a big move can do that. As 2021 is well underway, I thought I would check in with a long over due blog post.
The past few years have been quite crazy to say the least and I had gone into 2020 with the highest of hopes. There was lots to look forward to; girls weekend getaways, progressing in my career, gaining back a “normal” schedule and getting back to exploring the great city that is New York. It didn’t take long however for that all to change of course. The trips were all cancelled, I was furloughed, had absolutely no schedule and was cooped up in my small New York City apartment, too afraid to set foot outdoors.
So, with all of this new found free time on my hands and a need to distract myself from the scariness of the world, I pulled out my sewing machine, grabbed my dress form (her name is Anne, like Anne Boylen, think about it, it’s funny) and got to work. Back in the coldness of March 2020, all I could think of was the warm summer weather and how when people were finally able to be together again, I wanted a number of fresh new dresses to wear to mark the occasion, all with matching masks of course. In summer there is hope and happiness and I totally channeled that into the pieces I made during the past year. In total, I made seven dresses, one top, one skirt, one tie, one bow tie, one pocket square, one pincushion, one headband, three stuffed bunnies and countless masks. And, if you ask me, the best way to wear a mask is covering your nose and mouth all while matching it to your outfit, a trend I am not quite ready to let go of.
Now, as 2021 is unfolding, the world is looking like a very different place, luckily! I will be forever grateful for my vaccines and for the health care workers who helped world through this global time of need. While things are still a little shaky, New York City is coming alive again thanks to them and it has been so exciting getting back to time with friends and family. Travel restrictions are lessened, museums are open, birthday parties, weddings and other celebrations are back on. All of that time spent at home cramped in my tiny apartment or sewing in the basement of my family’s home proved to be worth it, my wardrobe is fully prepared for every cancelled event that got rescheduled.
Being able to go out in the world again has been so wonderful and it has been equally wonderful to be able to see friends again. Many, many long Zoom calls helped us stay connected and filled the void of not being together. Luckily, not only do we all enjoy nights of laughter, wine and cheese plates, we also all love a good photo shoot opportunity on a roof top! So, photo creds go out to them!
Quick fun fact about this last dress! This was the first dress and mask I made during lock down, so it has a special place in my heart, and an even more special one in my closet. This beautiful Liberty fabric has always made me smile over the years it has been sitting in my fabric drawer and I couldn’t have been happier to finally sew it up into a dress. During a time of such uncertainty, I wanted to make sure to create a dress that would be purely pretty, withstanding the tests of time. With each piece I made, I wanted the cheerful fabrics to have space to speak for themselves, but also be playful, feminine, and most of all, just purely happy. Called the “Jess Dress” since it was made just for me, this was first fully matching mask and dress outfit that I wore when my office fully opened back up early June 2020 and it was the outfit I insisted on wearing to get my final dose of my vaccine on a very windy late April day. I almost got blown away in it down by the Javits Center, myself and my boyfriend had to hold it down in the gusts of wind, but the nurses loved the matching moment and it felt quite poetic to finish off a chapter of life that cast so much darkness, with something that brought me so much happiness and light.
Stay happy, healthy, positive and enjoy getting back to what you love safely. Thanks for reading!