I was so happy with my practice on Burda 6408 I picked out some nice fabric and made it again. I fell head over heals in love with a floral patterned polyester knit. I like to live life dangerously so although the pattern does not suggest knit, and I have no experience in knits, I tried it anyway. I found out pretty quickly that knits are a different beast all together.
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My words of wisdom when starting to sew your own clothes. “Pick item pattern types that you already look good in.” I have only ever found one jumpsuit ever to look good and it is the biggest pain to get off. Most jumpsuits have legs that are way to wide for my frame or have ill fitting torsos. So not taking my own advice I chose this pattern to try but didn’t have high hopes that it might actually look good. I decided to make this first out of an old sheet because I am a skeptic of jumpsuits [The sheet is pretty see through so I also have biker shorts on underneath].
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Simpilicy 8186 is a wrap dress/apron pattern that doesn’t use zippers, fusible interface, or lining. For a first project this is one I would recommend. The sizing chart sizes me at a 16. For fabric I used a quilting cotton that was patterned with little flowers in one direction.
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I have had various hobbies through the years. Everything from fine art to gardening. There wasn’t a hobby that was as fun or emotionally rewarding as fine art was when I was younger. As I got older the urge to create fine art dwindled as my professional career started and even more when I became a mom. When I have free time to spend for myself I find myself cleaning the house, doing random chores, or watching TV. I started to feel lost in my own life. I love being a mom, but there is something that was missing that I identify as the need for a creative outlet.
I had always been artsy and thought I would be an artist one day, not just any type of artist an artist of fine art. I would never have guessed when I was young I would grow up and work as an Engineer. My choice of career, many years of part time schooling, and family changed my priorities. I haven’t produced any type of art in years.
I have had many talks with my husband on how I was jealous he has a hobby he enjoys from home and I don’t. Sure I read and have things I do for fun but nothing that was filling the need of the creativity I longed to use. I don’t know when it happened but somehow I got it in my head I should sew my own clothes. Just like that a new hobby emerged. I bought a second hand sewing machine then my mother [in a stroke of luck] found a serger at a garage sale. With little capital investment in supplies I was ready to start.
Sewing really is a true creative outlet. It marries together my love of fashion and my creativity into one. Being a beginner I am using deep sale fabrics and garage sale/thrifted sheets to sew my first round of clothing attempts. As I get better I look forward to shopping differently and planning projects with a more clear result in sight.
I look forward to sharing my journey.
Every time I undertake a massive pruning session I end up with regret. Sometimes it is because of a specific item. Sometimes it is related to the volume and the feeling of waste, loss, and regret. When 2020 lockdown started it became even harder to go through my items and get rid of anything. I was able to fit all owned items somewhat comfortably in my closet and occasionally added items to my wardrobe as well.
Spending so much time at home has got me really upset about the constant clutter. It is much better for me in a clean house. It opens up room for creativity and the ability to easily switch from one task to the next. One of the areas that is not ok is my wardrobe.. AGAIN. Just because everything fits in my closet and dresser doesn’t mean it actually fits. Shoving, pushing, and digging are signs that you might own to many items for the space you have.
Shoes are always a tough spot for me. I don’t buy that many and love the ones I have. I also don’t switch out my shoes all that often and wear my favorites over and over. I admit that I needed to downsize to fit my space. I was unable to use the normal criteria to get get rid of items. I haven’t really styled any clothing in a very long time. I also haven’t worn most of my clothing or shoes since before March 2020.
I have recently been inspired to start styling myself again. It is not easy with a super packed wardrobe. I decided to start with shoes. I pulled all of the shoes I own out of my closet and one by one asked myself some questions.
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It has now been 2 weeks since I started dressing in my planned capsule wardrobe. I had a bit of a rough start because I didn’t really think through my choices. I had to grab items from outside my chosen clothes to be comfortable. I almost quit because I felt like I had already failed. I am not doing this to give myself added stress and to make myself miserable. I needed to give myself slack and be less rigid and inflexible. I have outlined some of the capsule issues below.
Happy Fall! I am excited to share the selections I made for my fall 2020 capsule wardrobe. I waited until last weekend to make my choices. I tend to overthink so waiting until the last moments gave me the push to not only get it done, it helped me by not allowing me time to keep making changes.
The capsule is not really color coded or selected with any sort of greater plan. I used three driving forces. 1. What items do I want for play (playing with my toddler, regular home obligations, and working from home) 2. What items do I need for work (in office). 3. How many items do I need for my laundry schedule.
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My 3rd attempt at finding non-stretch cotton jeans that flatters my body is Everlane’s ’90s Cheeky Straight Jean. After reading the reviews I ordered my regular size of 29. As soon as I was putting them on I knew I was going to like them. The product is made in Vietnam. The material is 100% cotton. The color is Vintage Sun-bleached Blue. The length is ankle. [reminder: I am not an affiliate or sponsor]
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I have B.O. Yes BODY ODOR. Because of this I am unable to wear shirts more than once before being laundered. It all started many years ago when my oh so sensitive skin became unable to tolerate even the most sensitive brands of antiperspirant. Luckily the market for natural deodorants is booming and there are so many choices.
Unfortunately, I find the natural deodorants do not work as well to mask the smell or eliminate odor for us ‘smelly’ people. I have tried so many brands of natural deodorants (some smell better for longer, some have a better consistency, and some mask odor for longer). But at the end of most days unless it truly is a cold day or a day of very little movement my shirts will either smell of B.O. or contain deodorant substance.
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My shopping spree has enabled me to keep receiving new items to review. The next shipment that came to my home was part of my Everlane Order. The items that came was the same shirt The Square Mockneck Tee in two colors [Black and Blue]. [Quick reminder that I am not a sponsor or affiliate]
I have seen this brand be reviewed by so many bloggers and vloggers. Everyone always have wonderful things to say about their clothing. When I saw they not only had a pair of jeans I wanted to try (but haven’t received yet) I searched the site for a bit and came across this tee. In colder weather seasons I almost live in high neck shirts. I am most comfortable in them and I like how they look. The price of the shirt was a reasonable $25.
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The Pruned Closet 