Contemplation: Re-evaluating the sewing queue...

I have been thinking... (whats new?) About where I am in my list of garments.

I have also been trying to find a way to collate all my images and stuff and have been trying out ways of creating a theme that fits with the rest of the blog. So here is a few of the garments I've made recently including the Macaron, Lyra, Pearl and Elie dresses, my Mona skirt and Market top!

I thought it would be nice to put together the line drawings of my most recent plan! I have finished 3 of the five.

Here is the group of patterns I intend to make in the next few weeks. But of course most of them are multi view so you lot can't see exactly which garments I want. So I decided to put some together with the fabric and any inspiration I have so here goes...

This is the Lisette dress that I intend to make for the blogger meetup after my disaster with the patterned fabric. I'm making version A with the floral red as the bodice and the royal blue as the skirt.

Next I have Simplicity 2936 Which I have already cut in a lavender poplin as a wearable muslin but it is in preparation for this yummy cotton and silk mix that I bought on the Brighton meetup. All I could say when I bought it was, "I can see full/bell sleeves, I don't know why..." Turns out I had this in my head!

One of my goals I've decided on for pushing myself is making myself a pair of straight legged jeans that fit! Tall order as most ready to wear jeans don't fit! I'm trying McCalls 5142 because they sit above the waist. I'm using this pink ish twill but this is definitely a wearable muslin!

I'm trying so hard to stay on the seperates wagon here. So I also got some purple needlecord in Brighton and thought of the Colette Beignet skirt... The problem? I haven't got the pattern yet because of my aversion to buttonholes! But in the words of Zoe "You just got to get over it" She is right. Once I've practised I'm sure I'll wonder why the hell I worried.

Finally this is one of my little treat dresses! I have loved this hot pink dress and of course everything from the costume dept of Pushing Daisies, and I saw this Lisette Traveller dress in my stash and thought it would really suit the style and colour. I haven't yet got the fabric but this is one I will be on the lookout for in the next blogger meetup in london.

So what do we think? Are the mood boards helping you visualise like me?

I still have my Art Deco skirt to do as well as my Lavender Simplicity 2936, I also have to put the loops and buttons onto Simplicity 2601, (Viola Shirt) But then who doesn't have UFO's?

Pattern V Plain: Building a Wardrobe is Difficult, Difficult, Lemon Difficult.

I am one of those people drawn to pattern all the time especially in fabric (Ahem... See prev post for proof.)
But I really love elegant, simply styled people who wear colour co-ordinated outfits in plain fabrics with the occasional dip into print.

People like Emma Pillsbury from Glee, Michelle Obama, Isla Fisher, Christina Hendricks...

All of them do this style fantastically. For that ladylike chic, They all stick to plain (but bright) fabrics with the occasional flash of pattern in a shirt or cardigan.

This is one of the problems I find in my own wardrobe I have all Print and no basics to go with them! I'd like to fix this so I can start building a handmade workable wardrobe.

My Wardrobe Woes to date are:
Too Much Print
Not enough base colours to layer on
Not enough Skirts

Too many Dresses (Sob! Mostly printed too)
Not enough Cardigans

Not enough Trousers (Patty at SnugBug is doing a fab series on sewing trousers at the moment.)

Too much black

Thats quite a scary looking list isn't it? Like i've walked in on Trinny and Susannah rifling through my drawers. (horrific thought!)

As I mentioned in a prev post I have narrowed down the colours I'd like to wear in a dream summery wardrobe. Were everything can be worn in a million different combinations. So I am going to attempt some basics in various colourways like JCrew have with these skirts. I like to think of it like Gok Wan's "Capsule Wardrobe" or 14 pieces or whatever it is. Where everything harmonises.

Side Note: Is it just me or is it really hard to focus when you have a million zillion things running around in your head shouting "PICK ME! I WILL LOOK AMAZING?"

I find it really difficult to focus on one project and I am awful at sticking to plans I am the first to admit it! I over think and change my mind lots.

I suppose thats why I started my blog in a way. I'm using it as a kind of Diary to keep track of the craziness that runs around my brain.

Your allowed to make grand plans in a diary and you never have to carry them out, on here I'm held accountable by all you lovely people!

My McCalls M5815 Jacket is next on the list.The Blue Linen I was using for a wearable muslin is cut ready, but the camel fabric I ordered was more of a tobacco brown. So If it is finished I will take my Blue linen one to Barcelona and find a different use for the tobacco wool.

I am going to use The Jacket and The Joan Dress as My starting point as they are both made from the same fabric, Prehaps if I added a Lemon yellow or a Mustard belt and necklace this...

might look something similar to this?

What are your Wardrobe Woes, and how does print fit into your style?