Best laid plans... Over a month has passed since I started writing this post! The past few weeks saw me confined mostly to bed with pneumonia following a really nasty coughing virus so thanks for bearing with me while I've been unwell and had to put many projects on hold. Now I'm on the mend and ready to get back into the studio to make, make, make!
With plans to sew my own winter capsule wardrobe this year I haven't much time left to prepare so I'm sending all my sewing pattern pdf's to be printed on AO sheets via Officeworks. While I wait for these to arrive, I'm pre-washing all the fabrics in my stash and have put together a few sketches of my wardrobe plans using fabrics I have and at least one special outfit using my own prints... so I'll be sewing a toile of that pattern first before cutting into my fancy fabric because #sewingfail is not an option this time ;)
When I started planning my sewing projects it was a bit of a jumbled mess of ideas and I'm a planner person. I like having a sketch, a to-do list, instructions and more sketches!
Luckily I also read quite a few sewing blogs and stumbled upon the MyModelModel website at some point. I have had so much fun playing dress up with my little paper doll replica of me. You'll see what I mean by the many pictures below.
I confess I did a little research to make sure I understood what the term 'capsule wardrobe' meant before I started sketching plans for the clothes I'd like to sew.
And yes, a capsule wardrobe is simply a bunch of clothes that all work together (in theory) can be mixed and matched and in this case, will be my clothes for Autumn/Winter this year... and most likely next year and the year after.... because let's face it, three years could easily be over by the time I finish sewing this collection.
But let's stay positive! I have a few sewing machines, which between them, work most days and there's a space to sew in my studio, albeit covered in stacks of half finished tea towels and quilts at the moment.
*UPDATE Aug 2021* Sadly, it's already the end of winter here is Australia so yes, I'll be finishing this project next year...or the year after, perhaps?
Let's shove that mess to the side for now and come see what I have planned...
Starting with a list of the fabrics I already have in my stash and filling in a few blanks with some basic solids like cotton drill from Spotlight in toffee & cypress green - either of these could work for the Kelly Anorak (pattern by Closet Core Patterns) which I'm planning to line with a very bright floral minky fleece to make it super snuggly. The first one could be a practice round so we'll see how I go... if I like it, perhaps I'll order some yardage of my own minky fabric with a special print designed just for me.
The last time I sewed a jacket was over 15 years ago... so hopefully my skills & patience have improved since then ;)
The Lichen Duster (pattern by Sew Liberated) I have planned will be using a super soft velveteen called Galena velvet. I've been using this fabric for a while to make cushion covers and just love it. It has a lovely drape so it could work nicely for a long coat with simple lines and shawl style collar.
As you can see I'm a sucker for green fabrics so I have a few options in my stash for coats, jackets and maybe even leggings... my bamboo knit fabrics and stretch velvets would make some pretty fancy & warm leggings.
To break up all the greens and dark teal, I'm mixing in some chestnut & toffee shades with a little mustard and duckegg blue and one dark floral corduroy for the Yanta Overalls (pattern by Helens Closet). Along with my chestnut hair and new green gumboots, there's no shortage of colours. No monochrome winter wardrobe for me!
The 'Eden Dress' is a self drafted pattern I cooked up a few months ago and I sewed my first version to wear to my grandad's 90th birthday party in April! It was a big project for me to get finished on time and I just so happened to loose over 5kg in the six weeks it took me to finish sewing so unfortunately the dress is now much too big for me - more on that in another post (once I have taken some photos) as I'll be putting this dress up for sale. I'd love for someone else to fall in love with it and get some use out of it as it's too pretty to be pushed to the back of a closet.
Other sewing patterns I've bookmarked for filling out my #makenine sewing plans for this winter 2021 #capsulewardrobe include the Plantain T-shirt from Deer & Doe Patterns (one I've sewn before and a much loved garment I've worn to death) I'll need more in a few colours because this is a wardrobe staple.
The Seamwork Elli Shirt is one I've had on my radar for a while. I love the chestnut coloured example in the pattern photos so would love to make something similar. And installing snaps instead of buttons is so satisfying!
The Estuary Skirt from Sew Liberated will probably be last on the list as it's something I can wear in spring & summer without the layers of leggings and boots.
And this is one I'll want to try in a few different materials, starting with a mustard floral rayon I have in my stash already and later I'd love to use Next State Print's Classic Organic Cotton in one of my own prints.
So there you have it! Lot's of plans.
Stay tuned and I'll keep sharing what I make here on my blog with a few snippets on my insta pages @artbygingerkelly & @thistleandfox
until then, keep creating & please share your sewing plans and makes with me in the comments below.
x
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