Imitating Eileen, take two. Inspiration

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.

After that, we add colour. 

Cashmere and Glue Sticks...

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. 

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. 

Still Fasting, just...

I haven't purchased anything other than fabric, shoes, and purses since January 1 of this year.  I walk three times a week with a friend at the mall and I'm not tempted to purchase clothing.  I'm not even tempted to try anything on so that is good.  I've seen maybe three items in the last three months that interest me enough that I want to try to make them--a pretty white top, an interesting jacket with metal eyelet trim details, and a lace over cotton dress in a fabric I cannot find.  So I'm surviving the fast.

The only problem is that I haven't been sewing, or for that matter, writing.  

The biggest reason is that my rehabilitation post-concussion, and the exhaustion that goes with an improving brain post-concussion, mean more activity.  The activity and the energy that is going into healing has seriously affected my enthusiasm to hide in the sewing room cave.  I'm five and a half months past the accident.   Reading on the computer came back just after New Years but reading books and physical print items didn't come back until the middle of February and I still struggle.  Sewing is actually excellent visual tracking therapy.  I just get tired.

The other big reason is that I've developed some new food sensitivities.  Cooking has taken more time than I expected because I have to make many more things from scratch. I'm putting energy into experimenting with food that I can eat and that doesn't take all day and night to make. I'm sorting through cookbooks (and letting a lot of them go), creating a new master cook book, and figuring out food planning and preparation for the new me.   

It will all balance out eventually. 

I've slowed down my purchasing of everything (even patterns).  I made a deal with myself that I would not buy something unless I could use it within the month and I have no energy to sew.  The only good side of this drought is that I did enough sewing during my Pirates spree that I can comfortably dress myself every day with lots of choices and the vast majority of my options are made by me options.  It is actually hard to even consider trying on clothing when the made by me options fit better and are more comfortable than anything I can purchase ready-to-wear.

I don't know if I will manage to finish my Stitcher's Guild SWAP by the deadline though I will finish it eventually.   I've made two long sleeve shirts in the current 'drop shoulder' style, one in a cool black sparkle print that doesn't photograph, and another in a plum and white stripe.  The jury is still out on that drop shoulder style.  I don't know if it is my age, my height or my curvy body type, but I am not convinced. The sleeveless tops are wonderful. I have fabric for pants; I just haven't gotten farther than taping the pattern together.   I have a pattern for jeans that is as far as purchased but not yet printed.  The fabric is pre-treated and waiting.  Between the huge Facebook Scandal and my lack of energy to read anything, I haven't checked up on everyone else.  I will get there.  It just may take time. 

The Goodbye Valentino RTW fast--January Report

I'm one of  the members of the Goodbye Valentino Ready to Wear Fast 2018.  Sewing what I wear was a lifestyle choice for me long before I joined the fast, so why am I participating?  There are great prizes.  This is a chance to elevate sewing as a viable life option.  I get a chance to stretch my sewing skills with a group of like minded tailors and seamstresses and it is fun being part of a group that sews, participating in the discussion and seeing what other people make and how it fits in their lives.

Since January 1, my only purchases have been fabrics.  I've been shopping with my family and not been tempted to buy myself any RTW.  I'm also not over-compensating by purchasing all kinds of clothing for the rest of family, something I did the last time I tried a RTW Fast. The Fast has really made me think about why I purchase clothing instead of spending time in the sewing room.

We had a series of heated discussions this week about 'allowed to purchase' and 'Not allowed to Purchase' over on the private Facebook Group.  For those who aren't members of the Fast, the official rules are no purchases except for your dream Wedding dress, undergarments and uniforms.  I don't shop for the 'emotional satisfaction' or buy things because they are a bargain, but I do shop second hand. I realized I buy second hand RTW when I have unanticipated lifestyle needs combined with a lack of time, energy or resources to solve the need with sewing.  

I've done one  RTW fast before, February to February.  I bought nothing that year except for one item: a coat. I was at a conference in late May.  I had packed for my trip based on a forecast of warm spring weather. And it snowed. In Canada, particularly at Universities and other institutions, central heat gets turned off the beginning of April. It was late May.  It was cold, inside the buildings and out. I wore that coat to bed over everything else I brought, I was so cold.  But I still remember how guilty I felt breaking my fast.  I think now in the same circumstances, I would do the same thing  but without the guilt. In my personal opinion, safety trumps Fasting. 
 
The 'Is buying ski wear allowed?' discussion on the board hit a weird place in my gut. I know with enough time, energy, and resources you can problem solve your way through any sewing project--snow gear, wedding dress, rain wear, winter coat, undergarments--and be proud of yourself after the fact. But if I was in the unexpected situation and needed a ski suit in two days and my friends didn't have something I could borrow, I would have bought a pair of snow pants and a jacket and not stressed about it. Safety trumps fasting and I know that I would lack resources and time to get the job done safely in that situation.

Maintaining a RTW fast or having a sewing lifestyle over the long term, requires learning how to accurately anticipate what you need and having the skills, resources and time to sew to meet those needs.  Taking the coat as an example, I had an unexpected lifestyle need and I lacked access to sewing machines and fabric store.  I also had very limited time between sessions at the conference.  The  emergency shopping trip for something to wear to my goddaughter's wedding came as a result of a failure to plan ahead properly and a lack of time and energy to solve the problem with sewing because I didn't realize the dress I had chosen to wear to my goddaughter's wedding didn't fit me until I put it on before the rehearsal dinner. And sometimes things come up that are totally not anticipated.  After my concussion in the fall, I needed clothing for therapy that was not dress pants (all I owned at the time).  Lack of energy and time upright sent me to the second hand store to buy sweat pants to wear to therapy instead of the sewing room even though I have everything I need to make sweat pants in my stash.

So, looking at all of this, I realize I need to think and sew more 'long term' than I am now if I want to make it to the end of the fast without having to 'buy a coat'.  I will likely need a funeral dress in the next six months (my grandmother is ill) and that means I should start thinking about sewing it now instead of realizing the night before getting on the plane I need a dress to wear. 

Wedding dress reveal

Hello dear readers.  This is the wedding dress reveal.  While I designed and made the dress, it was beaded by many hands and the last fitting was accomplished with my daughter Nicole's help.

We hand placed every single motif on the dress.  This is half of the skirt filling my 17' living room.

The under layer--a sparkle organza that shed, a lot, everywhere.

The picture that decided how we were going to make the back of the dress

'Oh Cr... I lost a beading needle somewhere under here!'

Beading, beading, beading

Details of the back trim and zipper

It has pockets!

I made a simple pearl edged veil to complete the outfit from the leftovers of the lace netting.

I became a Pirate!

 Sewing with Patterns for Pirates patterns, A Review:

I'm starting my year of 'using what you have and sewing what is there' with a bang and a whole lot of new clothes.  It is time to use and review all those patterns hiding in my stash.  Why am I keeping all of this flat clothing potential?  It is time to use, and keep or let go depending on the results.  Someone else will be blessed by my decision making I am sure.

MiniWardrobe Contest:  Two weeks, nine garments.

 Patterns for Pirates had a fall 'sew 9 items in two weeks' mini-wardrobe contest.  This is a new to me pattern  company.  Until I sewed for the contest, I had only ever tried their peg leg pattern and the essential tank top.  But I am a sucker for wardrobe contests and I had to give it a go.

I used mostly stash fabric for this contest.  The flower print, the black and white stripe and the light grey sweater knit fabrics were both new purchases but everything else has been marinating in my stash for more than a year. 

I started late--five days before the deadline (I was working on the wedding dress).  In the end, I sewed 20 different garments.  I am not the only person in the Pirate Community who sewed multiple 9 garment wardrobes. Quite a few people sewed me and mini-me wardrobes.  I'm not even close to the highest number of garments sewn in two weeks.  At least one person made four 'mini-wardrobes' so 36 garments.  I only made two sets of nine garments.

Well, 19 garments because the white shirt got thrown in at the last minute or 20 if you count the leggings I made and promptly gave to my daughter because the fabric did not have enough stretch for my body lol.

Patterns for Pirates: A Review

P4P is a downloadable pdf pattern company (aka, purchase, print, tape the pattern together).  They design modern stylish patterns for everyday life in a respectable size range (from very small (XXS) to 3XL) which means I can sew with them for my sister who is a size 4 and my SIL who is on the larger end of the size range.  They  have maternity add-ons to their patterns.

 The patterns are 'no trim' pdf patterns; you can put them together with a glue stick and you don't lose the lines of the pattern at the edges of the paper.   Many (but not all) of their patterns have pdf layers.  That means you can print a single size instead of having to find your line in the many sizes (after printing and trimming a Jalie pattern, I would say this is a definite bonus).  You can also print two or three sizes to easily grade between them. 

The patterns are modestly priced (averaging about 7-10 dollars US each) and offer family bundle packs. They allow you to sew for others and sell the items made from their patterns at no extra cost.  

The woman's pattern block is based on a realistic curvy body shape. I have a generous 'european' curvy backside and I measure on the smaller end of the XL. I do not have to grade between sizes to get a pattern to reflect my waist curve.  The back rise on their pants reflects a curvy body shape and has a significantly longer back rise.  (Translation: if you need the StyleArc Flat bottom Flo pants,  these patterns are going to take work for you to get them to fit.)

Their block is based on an average height of  5'4" which is significantly shorter than the big4's block of an average height of 5'8".  I still had to shorten the patterns but I'm 5'1" if I measure right after I see the chiropractor.  On average, I took out an inch above the armhole, an inch between waist and hip on the tops and one to three inches between waist and the floor on the pants and the maxidress (a far cry from the average 7-10 inches I take out of most patterns).

Most of their patterns are designed for stretch fabrics, anywhere from 30 to 100% stretch.I have only tried the women's patterns and I haven't tried any of their patterns for wovens (none of them but the Linen Loungers appealed to me) but I made seven of their knit patterns.

Rating:

I love these patterns.  They fit the way they say they will (always a bonus!) and for every pattern you can see what they look like on lots of different sized and shaped people.  There is reasonable ease in the patterns I tried, in other words, they fit like they say they will.  The pants have decent sized pockets.  My iphone6 fits in my front pocket of my Sos pants.  They have lots of options in every pattern and they don't cost an arm and a leg.

They also have an amazing community in their private Facebook group.  Lots of support if you need help with a pattern or a technique or need to figure out how to make a pattern work for you.  I am in good company with my crazy love of sewing an instant wardrobe. It made me feel better to know I am not the only crazy person who sews a wardrobe in four days.

You can try their legging pattern and skirt pattern for free. And that includes the maternity add on to the leggings and the color blocked version of their legging with pockets.

I wish they would put up a top pattern for free as well because I think that they would sell more patterns if you could try both a top and bottom.  That said, I am sure there will be a lot more garments made from patterns by this company in my future. 

My first set: Sos Pants and the Essential Tank.  The tank fits exactly like a tank top I purchased and love.  The  pile of fabric is the plan of what is to come.  My sewing room looked like this when I started. 

Sos Pants made from stretch denim, and the Essential Tee without a band. The essential Tee fits like a tee shirt I purchased and wore out.  I am thrilled to find a tee shirt that is not tight across my belly and hips. Notice the clean sewing room.

Essential Tee and Sos pants. These pants are like the Jalie Elanor stretch jeans but they have real front  pockets!  I straightened the pants from an inch above the knee to hem so they are not tight on my calves.  I can roll them up to capris, no problem.

Sos Pants in black ponte, Essential Tee with a band in a rayon sweater knit. Wow, I need to clean that mirror.

Sunshine dress maxi with a lot more skirt than the pattern calls for because I wanted the fullness. I didn't put pockets in the skirt and I am going to add them. I wore this dress to karaoke with my daughter and goddaughter.  And how do other people get such good selfies?   These are my first selfies and they are no where near that good. You can't see the decent coverage on this dress.

The Wedding Dress

I'm reviving this blog to document my fibre frolics.

It probably won't be a lot of writing.  Once a month would be good.  But I  want to do a year of sewing stash patterns, in imitation of Sewing Pattern Review's Stash Pattern contest, and I thought that the blog would be the prefect place to document the journey. I collect patterns.  I need to use them or let them go. 

First up will be the Patterns for Pirates patterns I have in the stash.  I have a few I have tried and many that I need to sew that are all printed and ready to tape together. 

The other big project is the remake of  my goddaughter's wedding dress. We are adding a custom lace layer to her dress, complete with changing the top part.  Right now the skirt is taking up my dining room table while I bead and  there are beads and pearls and sparkles all over the house.  It is a little crazy.

But that is normal for Fibres and Fashion in the Fast Lane.