Apparently once a year I come back here and start again. The fabric cave is overflowing, my friends. The fact that I am not sewing post concussion is pretty apparent. Yeah—I can sew, I do sew. But my brain currently shuts me down before I have enough energy to actually sew anything. That said, it is SWAP time on Artisan Square Sewing Guild. For the last two years, I have planned an EF inspired swap and not finished more than one item. This year, I swear it will be different. This year I will compete.
(Cue hysterical laughter and many people muttering—sure you will, including both of my children).
The rules are pretty easy: 11 items, 1 or 2 have to go with everything, 2 can be made previously (1 can even be bought). Other than that—go for it.
These are the rules that dreams are made of. This is Dress SWAP rules. Honestly: 9 dresses, 2 sweaters may actually be my SWAP.
I’ve been sewing Capsules that work together in my colours for at least seven years now and I have clothing that works for my lifestyle. Wash and wear, smart casual, cute and curved, just one step up from stay at home mom. I teach primary school—down on the carpet, playing with glitter and glue and mucky fingers. I love silk, wool and dry clean only fabrics in theory; my life, she be wash and wear. I’m not quite at the point of only wearing pull on gym pants but I love pull on stretch woven dress pants and tees and nice sweaters. I currently have a dearth of dresses that are suitable for my life.
So, if I was going to do SWAP (who am I kidding? I am doing this) I would end up doing two different SWAPs and one would be all dresses. And every single one of those dresses would have pockets. Every day dresses that work with my current run through the playground but still look nice to talk to parents and the admin along with a few that would work for graduation and for choir events where I need dressy black.
If I was going to do a Dress SWAP it would look like this:
Two sweaters: one black (which I already own) and one that I would knit on my knitting machine
Cross over bodice black flowered maxi, three quarter length sleeves
Black ballet neck full skirt dress, casual fabric (rayon Lycra jersey)
Black ballet neck full skirt dress, 3/4 sleeve, black stretch velvet
Black eyelet, boat neck dress with pleated skirt
Knee length cross over bodice dress, 3/4 circle skirt (likely not black though the print may have a black background)
Ballet style Tank dress with Aline skirt (maybe not black, though seriously, black would just be easier—this could be lace over rayon Lycra jersey or it could be a print or it could be teal)
Cross over bodice dress, cap sleeves, three quarter skirt, side pockets (blue or rose)
Cap sleeve dress, Aline, woven, with pockets, knee length (able to be colour blocked, using quilting cottons or the cute blue flowered print currently marinating in my stash).
I need the universal little back dress (people in my life keep getting older, getting cancer, getting frail) and I need a comfortable graduation dress this year that will manage both hot (no air conditioning) and cold (who turned the air conditioning up to arctic?). And it would be fun. No worrying about what goes with what. It all goes with a sweater. Maybe that will be my inspiration phrase.
So, what are your SWAP plans?
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