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Sunday, May 12, 2013

I've Been Thinking...

Periodically I go over my wardrobe for a variety of reasons.  Sometimes I want to cull garments that no longer fit, or that I no longer wear...sometimes it's to figure out what I want to sew for the upcoming season. It was a little of both this time...but I did get a few revelations from this exercise.

1.  I don't really wear tops.
There are very few blouses and tops in my wardrobe.  Lots of tank tops and twinsets, a few t-shirts but very few tops.  I don't even sew a lot of tops...and not because I can't...I just don't like them much.  Maybe it's because to me, tops look best tucked in and well I haven't tucked in anything since I was in my early 30's.

2.  I'm the cardigan queen.
Besides the ones I've made, I own loads of them in all kinds of colors, and fabrications.  I reach for a cardigan every day.  I only wear a jacket when I have to for a work function and that fact is reflected in my wardrobe.

3.  I don't sew casual clothing.
ALL of my casual clothing is RTW.  I have no interest at this time in sewing my casual clothing.  Probably because the small and I mean very small section of my closet devoted to casual, is not worth taking away from my limited and very precious sewing time.  BTW, Melodye I've written a post to answer your question, look for it in the next couple of days.

4.  I'm a clothes horse.
I really DO like clothes.  I like making them.  I like owning and wearing them.  I guess I should be figuring out other things to do with my money but clothes make me happy.  I will be sewing and dressing up until I can no longer rise from my bed to reach my sewing machine.

5.  Ponte is my friend.
I'm presently in love with this fiber!  I've made quite a few pieces from ponte and have several more on the drawing board.  I love how this fiber wears and works for my professional wardrobe.  Now I know that some other sewists have had issues with pilling but it's taken years for my garments to have those challenges. I'm sure it's due to the fact that my garments aren't worn that frequently and also because I try to take care of them.

6. I have a lot of skirts...
...that I'm not wearing much lately.  Let me amend that, I wear them just not as much as I wear my dresses.  And I have a good variety of them...in most of the basic colors and some fun & funky prints, as well as plaids.  When I get dressed now I don't always think of a skirt first, even though there was a time that I did.  I'm going to have to try harder to wear some of the pretty spring/summer ones that are in my closet!

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Which brings me to the fact that I'm making another black suit ~ it will bring the number to five black suits in my closet.  This one will join two winter and two spring/summer ones but when we have serious meetings in the office the black suits just work so well...along with the brown, gray and navy combos to break up the monotony a little.  I have about a month of meetings ahead of me, so I will be putting all of my pretty colorful dresses away and head into suit land.

I'm almost finished making the latest version of my black suit and I've made a top to go with the suit.  A coordinated outfit that I won't have to think about just pull off the hanger and wear.  It will show up in the next day or two!

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Are there any Gladiators out there?  I am sooooo hooked on Scandal that I've just re-watched the last episode because I can not believe the ending!!!! Can't wait for the final episode this week and so glad to hear that it's been renewed for a third season.

Wishful thinking...



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Finally, Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers 
and mothers-to-be out there!


...as always more later!




20 comments:

  1. I am so much a Gladiator! I re-watch all the episodes, because I miss so much. That headline? Not while there's breath in Mellie's body. ;-)

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  2. I'm a clotheshorse too and make no apologies!

    Yes ma'am I'm a Gladiator! I could talk Scandal all night! Mikaela and I called Albatross... there was no body so we knew it had to be him. I think the Cytron disk was a fake. Before we cheer on that headline, Fitz doesn't know about Olivia and Jake.

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  3. oh, miss carolyn!, you have hit on my second and equal obsession---Scandal. Living overseas we get it via Apple tv, and watch it instantly after the download. It is so well written, plotted, cast and paced that every thing else on tv is feeling lumbering by comparison. I will even leave the sewing shack to join hubby in watching. Just delicious.

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  4. Happy mothers day to you too! I have had the best day with my daughters :). I bought myself a pair of ponte pants today. It will be interesting to see how they wear.

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  5. Happy Mother's Day, Carolyn! Good for you to cull the wardrobe once again. I really need to do that. I also love good quality ponte!

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  6. Oh yes mom, I am a gladiator all the way. Love, love everyone on Scandal I agree with Erica the card might be a faked one. I think Olivia knows what she is doing.

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  7. What's Scandal? =) I know, I know. The horror! I missed the first season and don't want to jump in now without knowing what's going on. I'll catch it when it's released on DVD.

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  8. You have infected me with your love of cardigans. I just started making them and now I'm wondering what took me so long.

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  9. Thanks for reminding me that it's wardrobe cleaning time. I really have to make some room for the Spring/Summer wardrobe that I'm planning. Yes, I need to check what I have and wear before finalizing the plan. Scandal? I've heard lots of good things, but I'll have to wait for the DVD release.

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  10. It's so interesting what we wear and don't wear. Like you, I have few tops and when I do sew one I tend to not wear it. I much prefer a knit garment. Unlike you, when I sew a dress I tend to forget that I have it or it's too fancy for most of my life. LOVE skirts and cardigans. They make up a huge percentage of my wardrobe.

    I think these fact finding journeys through our closet can really help us streamline and direct our sewing in both satisfyingly creative and wearable ways. At least, that's what my last trip did. In my case, I need to focus more on the casual wear. I'm sewing too much fancy for my life style.

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  11. I'm not only obssessed with Scandal but with Olivia's clothes!!!Especially that white coat she seems to have worn several times.
    OOh! A new suit! Can't wait to see it.

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  12. Happy Mother's Day. I am a bit of the opposite with the list. Lots of tops, more casual clothes and very seldom wear dresses, most of that is due to my job. I enjoyed reading your list and thoughts, have a good week.

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  13. Hope you had a happy mother's day, Carolyn and I look forward to seeing your new suit!

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  14. Like Lori I wear mainly casual clothes (pants and tops) now that I'm recently retired. I love, love making jackets and no longer wear them on a daily basis since the majority of these are office appropriate. Guess I need to cull them from the wardrobe and sew casual jackets. As always I enjoy reading all your posts.

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  15. Hi, Carolyn -

    I, too, go through my closet at least twice a year. I usually give away at least a 30 gallon bag of clothes to local homeless shelters each time I thin things out to make room for more. Unlike you, however,I do make lots of casual clothes... especially since I am what I like to call 'semi-retired'. I refer to most of the casual attire as casual chic. Then there's my church attire - a bit more upscale that the professional attire one would wear in an office setting. When cleaning out my closet, I have been tempted to offer some of these 'better dresses and suits' for sale on e-bay. Have you or your readers ever considered doing this? If so, has it worked for you?

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  16. Yes, I am a Gladiator! I love Scandal, I am just a Scandal fiend.

    I am just the opposite. I sew only casual wear, and almost always never sew work or formal attire.

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  17. I love that you said you will sew until you can sew no more...I feel the exact same way...and now you have me over here watching my first episode of Scandal....lol ;)

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  18. Well I've seen your sewing room and the mind boggling stash but I would like to see the size of your wardrobes, I'm sure it must be the size of a room to get it all in.

    Unfortunately no Gladiator in the UK but it sounds good.

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  19. I went to Clothes Mentor yesterday to turn in some RTW clothes after working on my closet clean out. The sales girl said, "Wow, you must have a LOT of clothes!" So, at first, I felt like I needed to be apologetic or something, and then quickly said, "In fact, I do. I love clothes, I love wearing them and I love playing around with fashion. I do little else with my money so at this stage of my life, if having and wearing beautiful clothes gives me a kick, then I shall have and wear beautiful clothes!"
    And I guess you can't change that about me..in my blood....along with fabric and patterns!

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  20. I hope you had a wonderful Mother's Day too! I share your feeling of being a clothes horse! So am I! A sewing machine will always be working in my house until I'm gone!

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