Things I wear vs. Things I want to wear

Hi,

I just want to muse on my wardrobe today!

Basically I am starting to feel drab most of the time.

I work in a job where I don't have to be smart all the time. I wear a lab coat most of the day. I am still not the weight I would like to be (not sure I ever will be, I really do enjoy chocolate and carbs and do not enjoy forced exercise). I have an active 1 year old and want to be comfortable but I also want to look 'put together'.

Some current facts about me/my wardrobe:

I never actually use a wardrobe, everything is in boxes in an Ikea Kallax

I currently live in Dorothy Perkins Eden jeans. I have about 8 pairs.

I have a lot of basic tshirts.

My work wear generally consists of 3/4 sleeve tshirts/ stretchy tops.

I like things that are loose on my belly.

I don't like ironing.

I don't like a tight waistband - as soon as a sit down I feel uncomfortable and self conscious.

I never wear patterned fabrics other than stripes

I love a nice wrap dress but only own one.

I recently bought this dress for a wedding and felt quite nice in it.

I have a limited colour palette. 

I wear ugly sketchers shoes as they're comfortable.

I suit a v or a scoop neck

I would never wear a top tucked in

Even in summer I prefer to be relatively covered, I now steer away from sun vest type tops - especially with low backs - it is too much effort lathering myself in sun tan lotion to go out at lunch. After this amazing summer we have had (even up North!) I realise I cannot be in the sun, ever. I prefer a sleeve, especially for work.

In winter I need to be warm, I generally wear a vest top and a jumper. 

Here are the conclusions I think I have come to:

I want to wear more skirts / dresses.

I want to wear more prints and/or colours

I would be willing to iron more often for clothes I love.

I need to find perfect patterns. And buy them if needed.

I want to fully conquer some reliable patterns

I need to learn to cut and sew jersey well

Due to lack of time I need relatively simple projects. 

I would like to use my current fabric stash as much as possible. 

I do love fabric and I am not scared of repetition of a pattern if I love it. I think A Million Dresses is excellent (more active on her Instagram these days), the prints aren't in my confort zone but I love that she has found her style and stuck to it.

These are the clothes patterns I own that I think would help in bringing my conclusions alive:

Cashmerette Appleton

Cashmerette Upton

Cashmerette Concorde

Can you see a theme yet?

Cashmerette Springfield

Colette Zinnia

Unfortunately the Zinnia will need grading up to my waist size but i think it could work perfect, wide waistband and A-line shape (supposedly good for apple shapes)  - I need Cashmerette to bring out a simple skirt pattern!!!

And these are the patterns on my to-buy list - there is more cashmerette! I love her patterns what can I say

Cashmerette Turner

A jersey dress, this is lovely and doesn't look too complicated to start sewing in jersey ( i know I have the appleton and the concorde but I think i will start with this one! Naughty I know)

Cashmerette Montrose

I love the springfield but this is much more practical, a woven top with sleeves! This I think can be made is viscose which I love the variations can get (even if I don't love the ironing). Can also be made in cottons which are easy to pick up too.

Now I don't live in London it is much harder to go 'cheap' fabric shopping, but maybe that isn't a bad thing. I may only have specific projects in mind when I buy fabric, even though Leeds has a couple of really good fabric shops.

Well, this ended up quite long - sorry! I will be back soon with a 'to-do' list to give me a bit more motivation!

What do you think about making the same pattern many times? If it is one you love and suits you?

Thanks for reading!

Kristy 

Made Up Initiative - Simplicity 8523 - FAIL!

Hello!

Hope you are having a glorious weekend!

So this has been a journey that I was hoping to finish by the deadline of 10th September as pledged but unfortunately it wasn't meant to be!

I used fabric bought here (top one) which has a fair amount of stretch in it...as you can see by the picture below my top is stretched out at all angles so I am guessing it doesn't have good recovery from the stretch

The stretched out armholes are just beyond saving.  I don't know what I have done- I stay stitched and tried my best not to be too rigorous when using the bias tape to edge. I'm gutted and totally lost my sewing mojo!

I am determined not to give up on this clothes making lark as I love it just too much but I really need a satisfying make up my (non-stretched) sleeve! I am actually hitting the Xmas present sewing hard today to try make something easy and lovely then I may have another go at this bloody top! Aaaargh I just want to scream at it!!!!

How do you get out of a sewing lull?

Thanks for reading
Kristy xxx

Searching for the perfect woven top...

Hello,

No actual sewing here today to show you but I just wanted to show you what I am aiming for in my sewing!
So basically I went through the Warehouse, Coast, Dorothy Perkins, French Connection, Joy and Hobbs websites to see if there was anything that jumped out to me and saved the picture (I also did it for Oasis but the pictures wouldn't format in the collages). I limited this to woven tops as this is what my next make will be.

Warehouse

Dorothy Perkins

French Connection

Joy

Hobbs

http://www.coast-stores.com/all-tops/dept/fcp-category/list

In a dream world this is what my top selection would look like and what I would buy on the high street, you know if going shopping didn't make me want to kill myself as my boobs so not fit in ANYTHING in any (except Dotty Ps) of these shops unless it is jersey.

It is quite obvious I like a certain silhouette! These kind of tops (if fit the lady lumps) are loose over my belly so not self concious but look feminine and can get in gorgeous fabrics.

I said in my previous post that I am going to try making muslins for these patterns:

SBCC Mimosa Blouse

Simplicity 8523

Angel Sleeve Top

And I really cannot stop looking at the Sutton Blouse by True Bias 

but I will try the above three first before buying anymore patterns! Even thought there are so many nice versions out there......

Can anyone suggest any different patterns that maybe match some of my chosen pictures above?

Thanks for stopping buy!

Kristy

p.s. Have you seen my new blog background? Pretty huh?

The cost of a handmade wardrobe

Two posts in one day? No nothing is wrong with me but I have just wasted my morning by fiddling around with the costs as promised on my previous post.

There is now a total of 5 pages on my blog:

Home - self explanatory
My Handmade Wardrobe - pictures with links to the successes of my labour
My Handmade Fails - pictures with links to details of my fails
My Handmade Wardrobe Costs - breakdown of costs for each item I have made - this will be updated each time I make something
Pattern Stash Costs - it is wayyy too easy to keep buying patterns, but the more I buy the less economic sewing becomes surely? This is a way to keep an eye on it and see what I use more and more
Fabric Stash Costs - I think this spirals out of control for a lot of sewers, could quite easily happen to me so I am aiming to keep an eye on this (plus small flat means less storage space) but it nice to know how much I am spending for it to just be sat in a draw.


Thanks again for reading and apologies for hogging your blog reader...

Kristy xxx