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| 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.
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