SWAP 2019: Start with Art

The first step of wardrobe planning is finding inspiration.  Well, maybe a more realistic first step of wardrobe planning is really taking everything that you never wear out of your wardrobe, figuring out your holes, and then finding inspiration.  But this time I am starting with inspiration. 

The problem is that I can't decide which piece of art I want to be inspired by. The first piece I was inspired by was this piece:

I am playing around with a colour sampler program by Sherwin-Williams and a lot of images. 
If you are interested in trying it, it is here: http://snapyourcolors.com/

I love the lines, and the blues and greens and pinks.  It has the black base I need, but it is very light and bright and my colours are more on the dulled than these. I like Caviar and Commodore as colours but the yellows and some of the greens are not right. 

Honestly, this scarf is more along the blacks, greys and pinks I wear.  I was surprised when the blues and the greens didn't show up in the colour samples. 

 But I also like the greens, blues, pinks and reds shown in these images:

The greys like Dark Night and Still Water are wardrobe colours I wear.  The Black is right.  And similar colours show up.  But that first stained glass piece just speaks on a real level, the gut level.

Then again, maybe I will do what other stitchers have done--use a piece of fabric in my stash as inspiration. 

Stitcher's Guild Sewing with a Plan 2019

Yay!  SWAP is starting over at Stitcher's Guild.  

I 've done SWAP for years.  It is a sewing jigsaw puzzle to make things you will like and wear.  I still wear pieces from my very first Timmel Swap.  To keep myself organized I like to post the rules here on the blog.  I know I am going to 'pull a Ruthie' with this SWAP--sew more than I need and then mix and match to get everything to follow the rules--but I am OK with that.  Sewing is my hobby and making more is not a problem.

2019 Seasonal Designer Collection II SWAP Rules

You are still the Designer. Create a cohesive seasonal collection of eleven garments of your choice.

Plan:
Choose an inspiration piece of your choice --  Could be a scarf, artwork, fabric print, photograph, etc
Choose two neutrals that coordinate with your inspiration piece
Add 1-5 accents and/or prints that will work with your inspiration piece (ie: not clash)
Make 9 garments that form your core.
You must create multiple outfits using at least two core garment items that work for your personal style.
Make 2 wild card pieces that can be worn alone or with other core items or with other wardrobe items.
Wild card pieces should still blend in with inspiration piece.
Combining fabrics is fine.
No restrictions on type of garments


Rules
Sewing begins on 26 December 2018 and ends 30 April 2019
One garment may be completed by today (28 October 2018)
One garment may be started on 29 October 2018 and completed prior to 26 December 2018
One RTW garment may be included (it can be existing or purchased at any time before or during the SWAP)
Garments knitted, crocheted or woven by you may be included (limit of two since we are a sewing site)
Garments such as poncho, cape or wrap must include at least two pattern pieces, be one of your knitted, crocheted or woven items or have stitch work done by you to be considered a garment
Neutrals do not need to be the same fabrics
Neutrals may be textured
Note that accents fabric must be the same (so not two different fabrics of the same accent color)
You will need a photo of your inspiration piece
Addendum: If you make your own inspiration piece it must be completed, photographed and posted prior to 26 Decomeber 2018

A few thoughts after a year of no RTW purchases

What I did not do this year: shop for clothing

This is the third time I've done a ready to wear fast and the first time I've managed to go a full year without purchasing ready to wear, even second hand ready to wear.  The notable exception was uniform shorts and a bathing suit for my summer volunteer work.  And socks.  All my socks started developing holes in October so I had to buy socks. I was gifted several pieces of clothing for Christmas by my daughter: a leather jacket that fits me perfectly, even over my curves, and a wonderful double knit wool cape with a perfect hood.  But other than socks, shoes and a couple of handbags, I really didn't shop.

I didn't need to shop.  And I didn't want to shop. I have patterns that work for my lifestyle and my body like the P4P tees and tanks, and the MamaCanDoIt Fit pants pattern  and I have a stash.  Fabric is getting harder to come by around here but I can go diving in the sewing cave and make something that will work as long as I have the energy to make decisions.  When I needed comfortable, loose clothes for a week of assessments in October, it was easy to go into the sewing cave and sew three outfits.  I didn't have to think about anything but colour.  I just picked fabric, cut it out, sewed it up, and threw the clothes in my suitcase.

My success rate was fifty fifty for any sewing project that needed more complex decision making.  If it was a new pattern to me or hadn't already been fitted I didn't always get through it because I didn't have the energy. I didn't manage to make any of the more complex items on my list (jeans, a button up white shirt, dress pants, fitted dress, all items on my sewing list for this year).  I have the fabric, washed and ready to go.  But the last three months I've been too tired to do much more than go to work and come home and fall into bed. Even writing has been challenging.  This meant I didn't blog as much as I probably should have about the journey. 

I also struggled with being realistic about my size and shape. I've gained weight due to lack of activity post-concussion.  It is only around eight pounds but somewhere along the line I decided I was bigger than I really am.  I had a couple of months when I made several new to me garments in my mythical size. I made a beautiful white shirt that fit my SIL perfectly but drowned me, a lovely center front pleated v neck popover that also looks amazing on my SIL and a 16 gore skirt mock up that fit one of my daughter's best friends.

The problem was I only had enough energy to make one garment, not the three I needed to make to get to a pattern I can use repeatedly (one mock up fail, one mock up that works and the actual garment).  At least with the gored skirt, I was finally better enough I had enough energy to get myself through the project to garment.

I also ran into a month when I just made do because I didn't have the energy to deal with figuring out what size I really was and making all the decisions that went with sewing.  My concert blacks are just a little snug but I wore them anyway for both concerts.  If I had been planning ahead, I would have made a couple of back up pieces during the summer, but by the time the concert came around I was doing well to be upright.  Sewing didn't happen.   

Overall, though,  it was a successful year and I won't go back to shopping for RTW.  I may pick up some second hand pieces that I can use to clone or use as fabric, but I would rather sew than shop.  I am picking through my garments and making decisions--keep or go.  Do I love it enough to give it house room or can I pass it on to someone else who will love it?

My reward for not spending money on clothing will be a down coat. This is something I would never make myself because one: who needs to find feathers for the next ten years through the entire house if you sneeze in the sewing room and two: my school yard duty coat is getting sad and starting to shed and desperately needs replacing. But I don't think I will ever go back to purchasing RTW regularly.  Sewing was easier most of the time.