Ok has anyone else playing along gone totally off script before they started?
It is not just me, right?
When I started planning for SWAP, I decided to just use the sewing plan from last year. It was a bit on the boring side
but it followed the EF concept of classic basics. The fact I didn't finish sewing the
wardrobe plan the last time should have told me something. The fact that I wasn't excited to just get sewing should have told me something. For fun (and
because I didn't feel like cleaning the sewing room) I spent several days watching Silhouette Pattern sewing videos. Watching those videos really made me rethink my plan.
Case in point: the Pencil Skirt
EF uses a pencil
skirt as her basic 8 skirt. I actually don't wear pencil skirts--they are too
restricting for my life and job as an elementary school teacher. I wear
clothing that is neat but allows me to move--skorts, maxi skirts, gypsy
skirts. I have made many pencil skirts over the years that got dusty and ignored. Even if EF sticks it in her wardrobe plan, I am not going to wear it.
The bottom line is that if I want a skirt in my wardrobe, I need to find a pattern that
works for me that I would make many different ways in many different
fabrics. Enter Silhouettes 18 gore
skirt.
I would never have even looked at that pattern without
watching the skirt episode, mostly because the photo on the pattern has
the wrong combination of proportions (long skirt with a short jacket,
not a long jacket) and that pattern illustration does nothing for me. I hate most of the pattern illustrations and photos from Silhouette patterns. I don't think they do justice to the patterns
in any way. But after watching the videos, I realized this skirt pattern is fitted around the
hips and flared at the bottom and I would absolutely wear this skirt. I actually need a nice basic black skirt suitable to wear as choir blacks.
So, (and yes, this is totally off script for SWAP) I went into the sewing cave and rejigged my 8 gore
skirt pattern from Jalie in order to create an 18 gore skirt pattern with a shape similar to Michelle's one piece skirt. My first mock up was a size disaster: eighteen gores fit my daughter's friend who is a size 24. Since the skirt looked
amazing on her I just finished it and gave it to her. My second try was better and hubbie actually commented positively.
Step one: pattern down.
I decided to make a double layered skirt variation using black stretch lace on the top layer and rayon poly-lycra for the under-layer. It would totally work with lots of garments in my wardrobe including my current choir blacks.
Yeah, no. The 18 gore skirt pattern is a a fabric hog. It takes four or five times the pattern length (there is only one pattern piece) and even though the fabric resource closet is overflowing, I didn't have enough fabric.
Plan, version two: change the gore size from 18 gores to 9 gores (something she shows in the video). That was successful. My black skirt is comfortable and lovely. I have plans for at least five more from the sewing resource
cave. And the experience reinforced why I didn't finish last year's SWAP sewing: the plan did not work for me.
The goal of the EF Core Eight is to give you a mix and match wardrobe that works as a foundational layer, clothing that is the cake of your wardrobe not the icing. EF picks eight basic pieces (four pants shapes and four tops) along with a dress, to create the foundation. Then she adds icing pieces. One of the reasons people love this concept is that it works. The shapes are basic enough to work with a lot of ages and personal styles.
I love this concept and I really wanted to play with it last year and I wasn't the only one. One of my sewing buddies on Artisan Square talked about the videos by Silhouette Patterns looking at sewing an Eileen Inspired basic wardrobe. If you have never tried to sew SWAP and want some basic concepts, these videos are a really good place to start.
EF Core 8, episode one:
EF Core 8, episode 2:
The Plan:
If you break the EF core garment shapes down into a list, the basic eight are taken from this list of basic garments, usually four tops and four bottoms.
woven tank top, long or cropped (high hip length), usually dark
knit layering tank top or tank dress, dark knit
slim pull on pencil pants (dark, stretch woven)
slim leg jeans (denim)
cropped wide leg pants (light, usually woven or stretch woven)
leggings (dark)
woven joggers (your basic every day silk sweat pants, usually dark)
pull on pencil skirt, stretch woven
Two to three dark tops, two to three light tops, jeans, two to three dark bottoms and a light bottom. And a dress because everyone needs a basic black (dark basic) dress. If you a couple of twin sets with a twist and a couple of interesting layer pieces every season in your basic new colour, you are good to go.
As long as you start with pattern shapes that actually flatter your body and fabrics that work with your lifestyle, this is a fantastic formula to work from.
Two things really struck me when I watched the two videos from
Silhouette patterns. One, they switched the knit and wovens for the
tanks. And two, they picked patterns for bottoms that were more
reflective of the lifestyle of the person they were sewing for. I
don't know why this option never occurred to me when I was putting
together my EF basic 8 wardrobe last year. I think I was trying to
level it up with that wardrobe in a way that really didn't work for me.
One
of my few big sewing successes last year was the emergency TRI wardrobe I
made: two knit tanks from the Free Spirit Tank pattern that are organic
bamboo knits, a pair of black pencil pants in
stretch crepe with pockets and a pair of black full legged yoga pants.
They fit my lifestyle (wash and wear) and my body shape. The fabric
makes them just dressy enough I don't look like I am wearing pjs to
work. And they mix and match with everything I already own.
Isn't that the point of EF's basic eight and SWAP--to have clothes that work with everything you wear and already own?
This year with SWAP, I am using the lessons I
learned from my SWAP fail last year and sewing for my real life, not my imaginary life or body.
Outfit One:
Bateau Layering Tank which is a woven boxy shell in silk crepe, and
a pair of stretch crepe slim pants, aka pencil pants in a basic dark
colour. The grey and navy EF uses come and go but there are always black and
natural/white basics in the core.
EF
slim leg pants are generally ankle length pants but they can be cropped in summer.
Readers at home will
recognize that any pull on slim pant can be used as a base for the pant
pattern. I am going to use the Mama Can Do It Fit Pants pattern found
here: https://mammacandoit.com/collections/women/products/fit-pants-pattern-women-sizes-00-20.
It has pockets and I already have the pattern adjusted to fit me. But, honestly, any slim leg pants
pattern that fits you will work. (Let me repeat for long time readers of this blog: if you need the StyleArc Flat bottom Flo pants, you will probably not like my pattern choices so with what works for you.)
The System woven layering shell comes in two lengths: a
high hip length (the boxy shell) and a low hip length (the long layering
shell which currently has a high low straight hem) but they are essentially the same pattern shape.
Last year I stuck to the EF concept really closely. The closest I
came to finding a pattern that works as a woven tank top was the tank from the Mixit
Pattern from Sewing Workshop, found here: https://www.sewingworkshop.com/shop/MixIt-p38307633
I am going to be brutally honest: I made three tops from this pattern last year a white one, a black high/low one and hip length black one). I do not wear them. They do not work for my body shape. The tops are too straight and they are not flattering or comfortable. You can get a better idea about how straight the pattern is from the pattern flat:
It is a great pattern and it works for the concept. I recommend it if it will work for your body shape.
It made me sad it didn't work for mine and it was one of the reasons I didn't finish SWAP last year.
My body shape is more Sophia Loren but six inches shorter and thirty pounds heavier with the beginning of a menopause waist. I have curves. I am not fashion model straight and tall and willowy, all of which seem to be the current focus of fashion. EF is no exception to this trend. Her vibe fits her target market: wealthy, older women starting to have menopause body with a very straight silhouette.
Too straight for my body shape really sums up my whole wardrobe sewing experience last year. This wasn't my only pattern fail. Between the too straight and the inflated size issues, I didn't sew a lot of winners.
It may take some work to get my head around the way these patterns are sized (from clothing you love to wear, not from body measurements). But this pattern is closer to my body shape, and it comes with the D cup pattern work already done.
Basic Outfit Two:
This
is a knit layering tank, a
pair of straight leg pull on pants in crepe and a nice sweater with
texture. I may sew a coloured sweater, depending on what I have in the Fabric Resource Closet.
Most of the time the layering tank is made in organic
knit (natural or black) but EF sometime recreates the tank in
interesting fabrics like stretch velvet and silk knits. If the top is
created in colours, there is often an interesting layer top made of a
coordinating fabric (think interesting twin set). Here is a neutral
coloured example of a 'twin set':
EF does all kinds of variations on the twin set. Long sweater, short sweater. Thin drapey knit tie sweater, soft jacket, button up shirt. I am going to have to really play with this one.
I
have two different options for patterns for the knit layering tank.
Both are Patterns for Pirates patterns. P4P drafts for a 5'4"
hourglass/curvy figure with an ample behind which means I don't need to
do a lot of work except for shorten the pattern to the right point for
my body. When I say curvy figure, I mean a figure with curves, not a plus sized figure. Patterns for Pirates patterns come size 2 to size 24. Your body shape doesn't really change that much with adding or subtracting weight; it gets wider, not differently proportioned. This is one of the things I hate about the use of Curvy to indicate plus sized.
I prefer the Free Spirit tank top because it is fitted at the
bust but not so fitted at the waist and it is easy to change all the
other things about the hem lengths but the Essential Tank pattern is
closer to the EF concept.
For
the straight leg pants (which are made of stretch crepe or stretch
organic cotton or linen, depending on the season), I have two options. The Mama Can Do It Fit Pants Pattern, possibly sizing up one size depending on
the stretch of the fabric since pattern includes all the leg styles you
could ever want and all the leg lengths, and pockets and it already fits me. Or I will walk on the wild side and try the Silhouette Stretch Woven Pant.
I finally decided to use this art piece. I love the lines and the fractured look of it. Even though I don't wear any of the yellows, many of the browns and greens are in my colour set. I'm going for my standard colours: black, grey and cream base and adding
in my usual colour accents: blue, rose and plum with a little dash of
green. (Yes, I know there are too many there at the moment; I expect I
will do a Ruthie and sew more than I need and then mix and match to make
it work). I have lots of black basics but not so many grey or cream
basics. A review of the Resource Closet shows that I have lots of fabrics in my colours that are plain.
I want to base my SWAP on Eileen Fischer's amazing basics concept but I need to make something that will fit both my wash and wear lifestyle and my 5'1" not so slender frame. A lot of the inspiration clothing photos for my SWAP are collected here on my Pintrest board. Eileen is known for flattering simple shapes with expensive lovely fabrics. I spent most of last year getting the basics down in terms of patterns and fit but I didn't manage SWAP.
Her basic eight garments are tanks, tees, and pants in black and winter white along with denim. A woven long layering tank, a cropped woven tank, a knit layering tank, a straight dress, a pair of pencil pants, a pair of cropped pants, a pair of denim pants and a pair of silk joggers. She adds interesting twin sets, sweaters, shirts and layers to these basic eight garments and all of it ends up mix and match (as long as you pick garments that flatter your basic shape).
Some inspiration photos:
Basic Black long tank, pencil pants and a layering sweater
Button shirt, layering tank in white and denim joggers.
I'm going to start with some variation of these outfits.
Pants:
Pull on knit pencil pants and the jobbers will be based on the Mama Can Do It Fit Pant Pattern which I have made about ten times since I purchased it. I own a pair of full legged pants with pockets already that I made before the rules came out. I may add a pair of black or cream straight leg pants to this that can be rolled up and down.
Knit Tank Top: Free Spirit Tank top by P4P. Again, I've made this one many time so it is a real basic for me--grey, cream, black
I am not sure about the shirt pattern yet. I don't have a basic pattern so this is one I am going to have to fit.
As well as those two outfits, I am going to add a basic black dress: either a sleeveless StyleArc Kim dress pattern, shortened to knee length in black rayon poly lycra or the ballet style dress in black with three quarter sleeves. I am actually more likely to wear the second with pockets.
AKA why do I put myself through this planning headache?
SWAP Fantasy: sewing the perfect and elusive mix and match wardrobe
in just eleven garments.
When I start the process of SWAP I always have this odd belief I will sew the perfect wardrobe in eleven garments, no waste, no fails. I imagine I will end up with a wardrobe that looks like this:
Look at all those pretty, neatly organized neutrals made of silk and velvet and organza and rayon hanging in a row...
And then reality strikes
and I start laughing myself silly in the corner. I know you are easing away right now, muttering about needing to be somewhere else. Neutrals on that level make me itch. Sewing should be a gleeful joy, a riot of fabric and fantasy of patterns. Bring on the colour, the chaos, the joy of print, the...
Time for a plan and a reality check, here. I have limited time and energy post concussion and I need to be able to use my time and energy wisely.
This year I have to at least start with a plan.
Planning SWAP will (hopefully) help prevent me from sewing another wardrobe failure. '
I've sewn some pretty memorable SWAP fails over the years. I learned from them even when they were infuriating and expensive learning experiences. My previous wardrobe sewing fails can be summarized as:
failure to sew what I really wear and need (aka sewing for my imaginary life, the evening dress wardrobe when I was a home maker with a two year old and a six year old)
failure to think through how many basics I really needed to make (aka: black may be my basic but when did I decide to become goth?)
failure to recognize what actually looks good on my body (the Lagenlook sack experiment)
failure to recognize how the fabrics will work together as garments and when I will wear them (aka the memorable silk georgette and wool melton SWAP for high summer because the fabrics were perfect colour matches)
There have been years my final wardrobe effort looked like this:
I like colour but....why didn't I sew pants again?
And years it looked like this :
I look like an extra in a black and white film...
I also struggle with the intersection between reality and personal taste.
I love, love, love the Eileen Fisher wardrobe concepts: perfect mix and match basics that work together to create one cohesive look. She
uses simple shapes, fabulous fabrics, ethical sourcing and creates some
really great basics. I lust after those fabulous fabrics: silk crepe, cashmere, organic stretch linen, organic stretch
denim, silk organza....be still my beating heart. Unfortunately for my champagne taste, my life style is beer budget wash and wear. I spend my days on the
run between classes, sitting on the
floor with grade 1's period one and dancing with grade 8's period six and then jet-setting to choir or writing group in the evening.I deal
with glue and paint and little kid germs. Anyone else see my dilemma?
Just picture it:
Cashmere and glue sticks...
Silk linen and paint splatters...
Perhaps not the best fabric choices for my everyday wardrobe.
I need to make an Every Day Wardrobe Plan, not a Fantasy Plan
I need to put my energy into sewing clothing that fits my every day life. The rules for SWAP 2019 are practical and flexible. Two base colours, up to five contrasting fabrics, eleven garments.
I will not be fitting six new patterns this year (what was I thinking last year?) I don't have the energy for that level of new pattern chaos. I have already fitted, good basics I sew over and over again (tank top, pull on pant, skirt) and adding a couple of new ones: a jean, a shirt and an jacket pattern. But even if I don't, I can make a good start with what I already know will fit me.
Fabrics may be an issue. The resource center is really heavy on basics. Black basics abound. Grey is a pretty close second. Winter white is represented, so is dark blue and denim. But the icing pieces, the pretty prints that make my heart sing? They are few and far between.
My head is full of colour choices and garment shapes, the intersecting
jenga of choices and the reality of budgets.
Planning will hopefully
leave me with a cohesive wardrobe at the end of the experience.
