Seven Weeks In...

It's Thursday again so it's time for a check-in and an update especially since this is the last day of April.  

Let's start with garments made ~

I've made five dresses.  Three have been blogged. The last two will probably be photographed this weekend because it's supposed to be sunny and warm all weekend. So blog posts next week.

My sewjo came roaring back and I made five versions of my hacked Myosotis dress.

This is what's I'm working on now ~

It's almost finished and may be completed in time to be photographed this weekend too. I hope so. That way I can clear the decks off because I have 3-4 more maxidresses I want to make, as well as a cardigan and shirt from my cut pile. 

Fabric In/Out Update ~
I was relatively good this month. I bought 15 yards of fabric supporting three online fabric stores - StyleMaker Fabrics, Sewing Studio and Fabric Mart.

My out total was 103 yards.  This number included my three latest dresses. Then I gave 90 yards to a sewing friend. She's relatively new to sewing and has no real stash.  All of the fabric stores here in NJ are closed. She was bemoaning that fact so we did a virtual tour. She picked some pieces out and drove over to pick them up while we practiced social distancing. 

Now y'all have seen photos of the fabric collection so it didn't really matter that she got serious yardage. I'm just happy she's going to be able to sew for awhile because here in NJ we still have no open date.

This makes my year in/out totals:
Fabric In: 36.5
Fabric Out: 138.5

Coronavirus Update ~
It's the end of April and I'm trying to stay positive and remain hopeful. I'm believing that we've turned a corner and are getting close to the end of this. I know things won't be the way they were before and that we're headed into a new "normal."  

I also realize that I'm lucky to have a job where I can work from home and still get paid. My heart goes out to those who have lost their jobs, have not yet received their stimulus checks or unemployment money.  I know these are challenging times for you.

I also mourn with anyone who has lost family members to this vicious disease. We've had several deaths of elderly family members too.  Some of my Mother's contemporaries, so this has been hard on her. It's sad that older people who are still living vibrant lives will no longer be with us to share their knowledge, be a bridge between the generations, and share love.

If you live in a state where the virus is not as prevalent, I would hope that you would say a prayer and have some compassion for those of us in states still going through. It's very surreal and believe me we want to go back to work as much as some of you do too. However, I'm thrilled that my Governor and the Governors in surrounding states are taking their time. I DON'T want to have to go through this again!

As I said previously, new makes are coming to the blog next week. Next week which is MAY! Next week which will begin my eighth week of quarantine...

...as always more later!

Sewing Shortcuts

As I was working on the dresses, I realize that I normally do a few things that make my sewing go faster.

Things like:
1. I wind two bobbins when I start a project.

2. I pull all the items I need to complete a project before I start - that means not only are fabric and pattern(s) chosen but notions (zipper/buttons/interfacing) and contrasting fabrics. 

3. I sew as many seams together as possible before I head to the iron.

4. When sewing on shank buttons, I thread 2 needles so I don't have to stop in the middle, especially when I'm sewing a large number of buttons onto the garment.

5.  Other buttons are sewn on by machine.

6.  I keep my basic colors of thread (white, black, brown, navy) in minimum 2 spools but I like to keep them stocked at 3-4 spools.

7.  I buy threads both sewing machine and serger on sale in larger spool sizes.

8.  I have a steam generator iron but it doesn't work in the sewing cave without blowing a fuse so I'm still ironing/pressing with my Rowenta. So before every big sew, I fill up all my water bottles so I don't have to keep going upstairs to have enough water to refill my iron.

Those are a few of the things I do to make sewing easier and a little faster when I start a project or a sewing binge.  How about you? What tricks do you have to make your sewing go a little faster?  This is the Question of the Day so talk back to me!

...as always more later!

Gingham for Spring

I love gingham and spent some time collecting several colors and sizes of this beloved fabric. I've used it for accents in garments and for actual garments, here and here. So it's no surprise that I used some to brighten up this blue chambray maxi shirtdress.

This is the third version in my shirtdress making series. As I was constructing this dress, I realized how similar this is to another dress...guess I'm losing my originality! Honestly though there is a part of me that just doesn't care. I really am more interested in being comfortable and appropriately dressed than anything else.

Supply List ~
- 4.5 yards Blue Chambray purchased from Fabric Mart's Brick & Mortar Store during Carriage Corner Sew Camp
- 1/2 yard light blue gingham also purchased from Fabric Mart's Brick & Mortar Store during Carriage Corner Sew Camp
- 10 3/4" covered button shells from my notions collection
  (There's an interesting story to these covered button shells. I have to share it some day.)

- Interfacing from Steinlauf & Stoeller

Design Changes ~
To distinguish between this version and all of the others previously made and to come, I changed the sleeves. I wanted a longer sleeve but not so long the dress would be uncomfortable to wear in the summer. I decided to add a below elbow length sleeve with a tie.

Here's how I made it:
o  I added 5" to the bottom of the short sleeve 
o  Made a band 4" wide by 35" long from the chambray
o  Added a line of gathering stitches to the hemline of the sleeve 
o  Sewed the band to the sleeve hemline using a 5/8" seam allowance applying the center back of the band to the armhole seam
o  I left a one inch opening at the front of the sleeve to make it easier to tie the band
o  Topstitched the entire band after tucking in the ends 

Those are the only changes I made. It's the fabric speaking for this dress. I wanted a chambray maxi shirtdress and the gingham additions highlight the differences.

A Few Pictures ~

This not only fulfills my need for a chambray maxi shirtdress but also checks off one of the garments in my Chicos wardrobe.  While I may not be sewing from the cut pile right now, I am going back to it because I really do want those pieces in my closet.

My daughters have been amazing during this time. They've picked up groceries for me so I wouldn't have to go to the stores since I'm in the high risk category, and brought my grand kids by so I can talk to them through the car windows...cause Face Time is not all that! Today she showed up with some groceries, caught me taking pictures on the porch and volunteered to photograph this dress before heading home.

It took me awhile to come around to photographing these dresses. It seemed silly to be prancing around on the porch or in the front yard wearing pretty dresses during this crazy time. But I guess we're finding joy and stress/anxiety relief wherever we can find it. This 15 minutes we shared made my day and gave me a little normalcy back. Especially when she criticized my hair (she usually does it when we take pictures) and her naming my dress "The Prairie Dress."

There are two more dresses to share...they will show up here sooner rather than later!

...as always more later!









   

Two New Maxi Shirtdresses

Now I know most people sew with different patterns and that's part of the sewing adventure for them...but me I like TNT patterns where I hack the heck out of them to make the garments I see in my head...or enjoy wearing.

Due to the Corvid-19 quarantine, I'm finding that I want to sew specific garments that will serve me now and later when I venture back into the world.  Unlike most, I'm happiest in a skirt or a dress at home. I'm honestly not a jeans woman. So I've been riffing on my maxi shirtdress while quarantined.

The basis of my maxi shirtdress is the Deer & Doe Myosotis dress pattern. I've changed the following things on the pattern:

1. I added a collar and widen it after using it several times.
2. I lengthened to maxi length using only one tier.
3. The skirt pattern is no longer used to make the bottom of the dress. I now use the width of the fabric twice and a length of 28" for a short dress and 43-44" for a maxi dress.
4. After being inspired by another sewist, I've added a button front to the skirt of the dress.  Allowing it to be buttoned and unbuttoned instead of being slipped over my head.
5. Sleeves - I've made short sleeve, sleeveless, elbow length and long sleeved versions

...and for this first version I've added a ruffle to the hem because I cut it too short!

The Striped Ruffled Hem Maxi Shirtdress ~

Supplies Used ~
- I used a cotton shirting purchased from Fabric Mart last summer during the June Carriage Corner Sew Camp.
- 12 - 7/8" Mother of Pearl shank buttons from the button collection - these are from when I worked at the button company in the 1990s.
- Interfacing from Steinlauf and Stoeller

The main construction change is that bottom ruffle. I also omitted the topstitching on the bodice because I didn't want to mess with how the stripes ran. 

For the bottom ruffle: 
- I cut 3.5 lengths - 4" wide and the width of the fabric. 
- Sewed all of the lengths together and pressed it in half. 
- Then I gathered it to the bottom of the skirt's hemline making sure to match the fold over portion of the button band. 

That's it - easy peasy, well except for the time it took to gather the thing! *LOL*

Some pictures of the finished dress ~

"The Wolf In Sheep's Clothing Dress" ~

I named it after sending an email to a friend and her response was the dress was too sweet for me.  Seriously, she said "too sweet for my sassy personality."  Dayum, I just thought it was a pretty spring dress! But the name stuck in my head and I was determined to call it this in recognition of her comments! *LOL*

I shared a picture of this dress in a previous post.  The fabric was purchased from Gorgeous Fabrics and the 10 5/8" floral buttons are a recent purchase from Pacific Trimmings.  The white linen used on the collar, under collar, front facings and sleeve cuffs are a remnant from the fabric collection. 

As an aside, I'm so thrilled that I've collected and stored all of these bits and bobs over the years. I'm putting some covered buttons on an upcoming dress and while I had no buttons in the collection that worked with the fabric, it was wonderful to head to my covered button stash and pick some to use with the coordinating fabric. All of this collecting has really worked out during #sewstayhome.

Some Construction Details ~

The sleeve cuff - 
o  I cut a 4" band the width of the sleeve 
o  I sewed the side seam of the band, pressed the seam open, then pressed the band in half
o  Used a 1/2" seam allowance to attach it to the wrong side of the sleeve
o  The first band went on no problem - the second one took three tries to get it on!
o  Pressed the seam open and flat then pressed it up. I haven't tacked it down at the side seam yet waiting to see how it wears.

Front Facings -
I've made several of these maxi shirtdresses using a button front opening. Previously, I lapped over the skirt's button front twice, stitched down and then attached the skirt to the top.  However, I kept getting this bump in the center front that I hated.

For this one, an additional 1/2" was added to the front facing to give it a little more width. Then I only lapped the skirt facing over once to match the width of the bodice front facing. The top and skirt were stitched together matching the facing fronts and side seams...

...no bump. Otherwise, everything else is the same in the construction of this dress. Although it has a very small hem. I wanted as much length in the skirt because it was cut short due to lack of fabric. I guess I really do need 4 yards to make one. If I had omitted the sleeves, I would have had the additional length. However, I chose to have the short cuffed sleeves.

A Few Pictures ~

These are the first two in a series of five. The next two are already finished and the fifth one is almost complete. These dresses are about comfort and I'm all about that right now!

...as always more later!

Dayum - Is it Thursday Again?

The days fly by but also go really slowly. How is that possible? I've been home for 35 days now and my sewjo has returned as evidenced in my last post. Luckily I had a 1/2 day on Good Friday and Easter Monday off to just sew. Due to our quarantine status, our normal Easter Dinner was cancelled.  However, the grandkids did come by with their Mother and Aunt and talked to me through the car windows. It's truly a strange new world we're living in.

I have two more maxi shirtdresses almost done. Everything needs either hems, or buttonholes/buttons and hems to be finished and ready to be photographed. It was a good weekend and I felt most like myself those 3.5 half days...

Sewing Update:
Here are a few photos from the 80 hour sew...

Blue Chambray & Gingham Maxi Shirtdress ~

Black & White Cotton/Linen Sleeveless Maxi Shirtdress ~

All of the Maxi Shirtdresses so far ~

Coronavirus Update:
Latest update from my area is May 15th as the possible date for heading back to work. So I'm figuring the beginning of June because of all the things that need to be in place for us to return.  By that time I will have been home for 2.5 months. I'm hoping now that I'm finally sewing, I will have a whole bunch of new things to wear...

I highly encourage you to take some time and read Charlie's blog post about how the virus is affecting her here. It's a powerful read! I live in NJ and as of now, none of my family members have been infected. However, we all have stories of people we know who has someone affected by the virus.

My plan is to finish these dresses this week and take pictures with my daughter in my front yard while social distancing over the weekend. If this works, I will have some finished garment posts to share.

Hope everyone is taking care and staying safe!


...as always more later!

Checking In...

I haven't been sewing much. I'm working from home and I've had quite a few Zoom meetings and projects to complete, so I haven't sewn as much as I thought I would.  Also had some challenges adjusting to all of this but as I enter Week Five of #sewstayhome, I am starting to sew a little more.

As I stated in my last post, my Myosotis dresses are my faves to wear right now. I've started two and have fabric picked to cut out two more. Here's what's in process in the sewing cave now:

This is a midi-length dress using the Myosotis Pattern as the base 

and a new fabric purchase from Gorgeous Fabrics. 

The white linen used for the accents is from the collection.

Striped shirting purchased from Fabric Mart's Brick & Mortar store 

during Carriage Corner Sew Camp last June is a dress is 

based on the Myosotis Dress pattern with a few changes.

I'm not working from home tomorrow or Monday and will be turning off my computer, phone and iPad to social distance myself from social media. I just want to sew for my mental health. Since we're not having an Easter Celebration this year...Imma let Netflix & Amazon Prime play and sew...just sew.

Hopefully I will have some finished garments to share after that...and if I don't well that's okay too.  Hope you're staying home, sane and safe to help flatten the curve.  Sorry that the virus has indeed moved across the country and is now infecting the rural areas of America...glad the cases are starting to slow down overseas...hoping this means that we're coming to the end of the Pandemic soon!


...as always more later!

A Week in Review - Week Six

This is my latest week in review...

Let's start with a Coronavirus Update:
I've been home since March 13th...and I've had some good days, some bad days and some days where I just wanted to sleep the day away. Many mornings I wake up now not knowing what day it is because they're all kinda running together...and I'm still sewing less than I thought I would.

Now this is not to say that I don't realize how blessed I am. My family is still healthy which I say prayerfully since I have two daughters who are considered essential personnel and they go out to work.  One daughter is working from home more than she's out checking on the personnel at the warehouses but every time she leaves the house, I hold my breathe.  The other daughter is the manager of a stock-out crew at the supermarket and luckily she works at night...though two people at her store have been diagnosed with Corvid-19.

I'm still working from home, getting paid and have healthcare so I'm grateful and very thankful for this! However, I have NO idea when I'm going back to work in NYC since it's the epicenter of the disease right now.

Okay some sewing updates...
Let's talk fabric in and out totals since it's the beginning of a new month.

This month 9 yards of fabric arrived in the cave - 3 yards was a gift and 6 yards purchased from Gorgeous Fabrics.

Then I went on a cutting frenzy and cut a bunch of stuff for a cut pile.  This was before I was home bound and believed I would go back to work in 2-3 weeks. So I cut a lot of tops and cardigans to wear over jeans - my standard work outfit. I cut out 21.5 yards of fabric. I've made exactly three pieces from this cut pile.

I did well this month with balancing my in and out totals. This means my year-to-date totals are:  24 yards in and 35.5 yards out - I have 11.5 yards more out than I have in during this first quarter. So while not great, it's a good start.

Sewn Garments ~
Like I said earlier, I'm not sewing as much as I thought I would...three weeks in I'm still adjusting.  Some of it is that I don't like to wear jeans at home, I'm definitely a maxi dress, maxi skirt woman at home.  So my cut pile is totally unappealing since it's an outside the house wardrobe.

It took me a minute to realize that I could wear my Myosotis dresses and other maxis while I'm home. Once I spent a week getting dressed in maxi dresses and feeling more like myself, I shifted my sewing and pulled fabric for more summer maxi dresses.

I've presently got two Myosotis maxi dresses on the cutting table. Since this is what I'm wearing and feel like sewing these will be up on the blog soon.

Other sewing things ~

Lisa, the owner of Black Women Stitch and the podcast, Stitch Please recorded a podcast with me pre-Corvid-19 and it's now available to listen to here. I have a couple of things to say and yes, I rail about pdf patterns again. At least I'm consistent people! *LOL* I hope you will give it a listen, as well as listen to some of Lisa's other podcasts.

Finally, it's April...April in a time such as this...  I hope you and yours are safe, that if you have a shelter in place/just stay home order that you're making it through...


...as always more later!  

Things I'm Grateful for during the Pandemic - Sewing Edition

A couple of days ago, I posted things I was grateful for to my IG account. I did this because I truly believe that things don't change in your situation until you change.  So while the president has decided that staying at home should end in about 2 weeks, I believe I will be here a little longer than that because the Governors of NY and NJ have different ideas.

As I was hemming my Simplicity Flame Topper, I realized that I had quite a few things to be grateful for sewing wise.  So this is the Sewing Edition of my IG post.

I'm grateful for ~

Broadly I'm grateful for a fully stocked sewing cave, specifically...
1. All the fabric I've bought and stored over the years
2. Notions and buttons bought and stored
3. That I'm obsessive about thread colors and have stored all the colors
4. My Wawak thread chart that I've used to buy all the colors
5. Working sewing machines and sergers
6. That the electricity is still working so I can sew away
7. That the internet is on so I can write blog posts and communicate with my sewing friends.
8. For my pattern stash - cause I own a lot of patterns so can make whatever my mind dreams up
9. For Amazon that's still delivering - yeah I ordered some sewing related products the other day.
10. I'm especially grateful for all of you continuing to read my blog and conversate with me and others!

But mostly I'm grateful that I'm still here, still able to sew, in good health and practicing #sewstayhome.

So tell me...what are you grateful for...sewing edition! This is the Question of the Day...so talk back to me!


...as always more later!  

Simplicity 8687 in a Panel Print

How about some sewing? I'm finally adjusting to being home, realizing I'm probably going to be here for at least two months because the rates of infection are rising in the NY/NJ area. So I finally finished the topper and I like it as much as I do the first one. I even wore the original to work before the Coronavirus shut everything down. The ease of wear and great details pretty much insured that I would make it again.

I bought these panels from Fabric Mart right before Spring 2019 Sew Camp and picked them up when we visited the store.

These panels looked different online. I thought the panels were half circles (as pictured above) so was surprised when I laid it out and they were full on starbursts. Which is why it took a little longer to figure out how to use this panel print.

What distinguishes this topper is the panel print layout. I laid the pattern pieces out several times before I got the starburst to lay in the most appealing places. I wanted to avoid a full starburst directly on my backside or an unflattering spot on the front of me.

Supply List ~
2 Panels of the 4 I bought from Fabric Mart
5 - 1" white buttons from Pacific Trimmings
Interfacing from Steinlauf & Stoeller

There are no new construction techniques in this one.  Actually I put the first one together better than this one. I was a little too lax and had to fix some mistakes.

Here are some special details ~

The stripe on the collar was cut from the border on the selvedge edge of the fabric

After I put the label in I covered that seam with some of the blue border stripe so the seam would be finished.

I also added some topstitching to the collar to help it lay flat. Those are the only design changes incorporated in this make.

Finally a few pictures ~

The main difference between this one and the first one is that I pressed the collar flat and open so it has a notched collar appearance. There are also fewer buttons on the front of this one. Finally the adjustment I made to the pattern shoulder is working. I'm not really a drop shouldered kinda woman.
 
I'm blessed that during this time of quarantine I can take pictures on the front porch. I will probably move to the front walk as the trees bloom more. 

This is the second garment from the cut pile. I have a few more pieces to sew from the cut pile before I start sewing the garments in my "Love Chicos" wardrobe. I've also added fabric for two Myosotis to be cut too. I'm finding that I really like wearing my Myosotis dresses at home and don't feel overdressed at all.

One more note ~
There have been several requests made in the comments section of blog posts for me to address making masks for hospitals. However, there is so much information available on the internet and social media that if you're interested in this you should either google, check Facebook or Instagram.  A simple search will give you all the information you need. I really don't have anything else to add to this conversation.

I hope you're all safe, washing your hands and if you have a stay at home order in effect...staying home!

...as always more later!

Slow Sewing During a Pandemic

I've been home since March 12th. I'm staying home, hoping to flatten the curve as the number of infected people in the state of NY and NJ has risen, along with the death toll. I'm blessed that I can work from home and continue to be paid, since I work for a company that has always had a work from home policy.

Actually, I've only worked four days a week in NYC for the last four years...always working from home on Fridays.  So I thought I would have no problem adjusting to staying home. I prefer to stay home, secure in the sewing cave, stitching away. But it's different when you HAVE to stay home.

If you're reading this from a place in the US that isn't stressing stay at home to flatten the curve, and you believe it's not coming your way...oooookkkayy! But viruses don't care about political affiliations, whether or not you like our present president, or whether you believe this is a hoax.  Viruses run on their own time table and courses and for your sake, I hope it doesn't come to you. However, seeing the evidence of what's happened and is continuing to happen across Europe, I would bet on the side of caution and realize it's probably coming.

That diversion was to say that 10 days into staying at home I'm struggling more than I thought I would. I thought I would sleep until 8, get up and get dressed, have some breakfast and then head to the basement to work.  Here's my set-up.

Then around 6pm, I would shut down, swivel around and start sewing. I will tell you that never happened...not one day.
  
- I started in the basement on Monday and Tuesday and even sewed some afterwards but not as much as I thought I would.

- Wednesday I worked on my laptop from the comfort of my bed, never got dressed and no sewing.  

- Thursday I worked a little upstairs and a little downstairs, managing to change out of my pjs but no sewing.

- While Friday I couldn't drag myself out of bed before 11 BUT I had my laptop open to check on things. I ended up working until 7 to make up for oversleeping and not sewing at all.

I was looking forward to Saturday and Sunday to just sew but I've actually done very little. It seems staying home because you WANT TO and staying home because you HAVE TO are two totally different things.

This is where I am with the topper:

I still have to topstitch the front and hand stitch the hem.  Make buttonholes & sew on buttons and remove some hand stitching I did to the collar that's bothering me when I put the topper on. So not finished and no pictures taken.

It's not that I don't want to sew. I still have plenty of ideas and am looking forward to making the next two pieces in the cut pile. It's just I haven't quite adjusted yet to HAVING to stay home OR the unknown.

It's the unknown that's playing with my head right now.  Will my family and I be safe? Because two of my daughters are considered essential and have to go to work everyday.  Will my grandchildren be adversely affected by this? What will life be like whenever I can physically go back to my job? I had another worry - how long will this last? Well right now, I know I'm home until May.  All of early spring will be experienced from looking out the windows or my brief walks around the neighborhood.

So since I can only be honest...this is my post for today. I know I wanted to be a source of distraction but I'm struggling. And I want to say to any other sewists struggling, you're not alone.  I've pretty much gotten off IG because all of the positivity in the posts seem to be accusing me of not being positive enough...when honestly I'm trying not to curl up in a ball and just cry.

Now I know this will pass. I know I will adjust. I know I will learn to sew in the time of Corvid-19. I just didn't know I'd have to fight to get there...

...as always more later!

12 Pieces to Make a Wardrobe

I saw this ad on Instagram.  Yes, I sometimes click on the ads because they've been curated to things I'm interested in. Then again I'm the person who watches the commercials on TV too.  And to me the best part of the September Vogue is all of those pretty print ads. So I guess I've been conditioned over time to enjoy the advertisements.

Anyway, this Chicos ad had 12 pieces to make a wardrobe of 24 outfits.  The 12 garments were:

1.  The Statement Jacket
2.  A Sweater (there's was a metallic v-neck sweater) but I'm generalizing it.
3.  The Crop Jean - again I'm generalizing and just going with jean
4.  White Linen Shirt
5.  The striped crop pant
6.  The Cool Blue Sweater
7.  The Ruana Wrap
8.  The White Jean - thankfully I own a pair that I love!
9.  The Denim Midi Skirt
10. The Tank
11. The Long Denim Shirt
12. The Bridgette Ankle

This is a great jumping off point to manage the things I'm presently sewing for spring. However, after thinking about the Chicos list versus what I actually wear, I made a few changes.  Here's my version of the 12 pieces.

- The Statement Jacket
I've cut out Simplicity 8687 in a patchwork denim. I will use this as the basis of my wardrobe. It's a great jumping off point!

- A Sweater
I'm not really a sweater girl and will be changing some of the sweaters here to tops. But for this one, I'm using my lt. blue Pembroke sleeveless cowl neck which is in my cut pile. Linking to my black one for reference.

- A Crop Jean
Seriously I ain't wearing crop jeans but I do have a pair of RTW jeans that I love so I'm using something in my closet to fill this requirement.

- White Linen Shirt
I have been wanting a white linen shirt. I've made two white shirts that I wear a lot but I've wanted one to transition into spring. I already own the fabric.  So I will be adding a white one to my cut pile. Just have to determine if I want to use my TNT pattern or another one.

- Stripe Crop Pant
Seriously why do they have so many cropped pants in this wardrobe!? *LOL* I'm going to replace this with a Cashmerette Holyoke Skirt. I have some blue & white stripe suiting that I can use to make a shorter version. I have two that I wore quite a bit last spring - another one will work in this wardrobe.

- Cool Blue Sweater
In my cut pile is a shades of blue open weave knit cut from Simplicity 8059. I love a cardigan look and will wear it much more than a sweater. I've linked to another lacey look cardigan made from the Simplicity pattern. This will work great with other pieces in the wardrobe.

- The Ruana Wrap
This piece isn't really me. I love the drama of throwing one over my shoulders but I never actually wear one. I think Imma substitute my RTW short sleeve navy cardigan here.

- The White Jean
I have a RTW pair that I love! So I will use them for this wardrobe.

- The Denim Midi
I have a denim Vogue 1247 that I made in 2015, that will work with the wardrobe. 

- The Tank
I own a bunch of white and navy RTW tanks. I've never successfully sewn a knit tank and it's been too convenient to purchase them. I'm back and forth about whether I should attempt to sew one or just use what I have. I will probably go with what I have.

- The Long Denim Skirt
The denim stripe maxi Cashmerette Holyoke skirt that I made last spring works here. Almost all of the tops in this wardrobe will go with it and I can wear my RTW short sleeve cardigans with it too.

- The Bridgette Ankle
This refers to another crop pant specific to Chicos. I'm just not a pant person when it gets warmer.  So I'm going to substitute a Deer & Doe Myosotis maxidress here. I've been wanting one of my hacked button front versions in a lightweight chambray denim. That would definitely work.

I want to add one more top here.  I want to make a woven version of the Adrienne Blouse or the Adriana Dress cut to top length. Both patterns are from the Friday Pattern Company. I can make it in the pinstripe I'm using for the Holyoke Skirt which will make the two pieces an outfit.  I saw this one at Ann Taylor's site and I really want to copy it.

Since the Simplicity jacket, the Pembroke sleeveless cowl neck sweater and the Simplicity cardigan are already cut they will be sewn soon. I need to cut the linen white shirt, the denim button front Myosotis dress and the shorter white pinstripe Cashmerette Holyoke skirt along with the Adriana/Adrienne top.

This gives a direction to my cut pile. Also giving me a comprehensive wardrobe to start spring sewing. I'm excited. I was excited about my cut pile before because there are so many good things in it...I'm even more excited now! 

As each piece is constructed I will refer back to this post. I will also start my own clothing rack to share what I'm working on with both RTW and memade. This kicks off my spring sewing and I'm kinda excited! *LOL*


...as always more later!