new sewing plans – The Self-Made Wardrobe Week 42
The Self-Made Wardrobe is a project where I only wear garments I’ve made.
It’s a year long experiment in getting dressed without clothing labels –
it’s a year about noticing patterns, trying things, and observing what happens.
Day 288 – Friday, May 15th
archer button up shirt // black tank top // black maxi skirt
robot necklace // bracelets // various rings // black flats
Day 289 – Saturday, May 16th
archer button up // black tank top // graphic silk circle skirt
clock robot necklace // bracelets // various rings // sneakers
Day 290 – Sunday, May 17th
the easiest jersey vest ever // black tank top // cascading flowers skirt
robot clock necklace // bead crochet bracelets // rings // black flats
Day 291 – Monday, May 18th
my 2nd purple pullover // black tank top // jeans
robot necklace // bracelets // rings // black flats
Day 292 – Tuesday, May 19th
archer button up shirt // black tank top // jeans
pocket watch necklace // various rings // black heels
Day 293 – Wednesday, May 20th
my 2nd archer button up shirt // black tank top // black maxi
robot clock necklace // various rings // black flats
Day 294 – Thursday, May 21st
blue kimono // black tank top // graphic silk circle skirt
pocket watch necklace // bead crochet bracelets // rings // sneakers
10 weeks to go…
A couple weeks ago, I wrote about some of the goals I had for the remainder of the self-made wardrobe, and with just 10 weeks left, I figured it was time to revisit them.
Goal 1: another chunky sweater. – didn’t happen. Oh well.
Goal 2: another light, thin, long sleeved pullover. – Done!
Goal 3: another 3−4 skirts. – Started.
Goal 4: jeans. – Ta-da!
Goal 5: start looking forward to summer. – Started? I made new tank tops.
Overall, that’s not too bad.
I think I’m now going to focus primarily on sewing skirts & summer things. I definitely want to make another pair of jeans, but I’m not positive that is 100% the most pressing project to be working on. And I still want to make that chunky sweater, but that will probably wait until the fall.
So, the new & revised goals:
Goal 1: 2-3 couple easy, light, breathable maxi dress (possibly a By Hand London’s “Anna,” maybe a simple drop waist 20’s inspired number) – otherwise it’s going to be a pretty miserable summer.
Goal 2: 3-4 more easy breezy skirts – I have plans & fabric for a few.
Goal 3: More tank tops… always more tank tops.
That’s totally doable! We’ll see how it pans out.
a week of working on my second button up shirt
Each Wednesday, I take stock of the projects I’m working on.
what I’m Working On…
: my second Archer button up shirt.
I started this project ages ago, and am just now getting back into it. I finished the collar, cuffs & hem this week, so just the buttons & button holes left to go – but considering how many weeks I wore my first Archer button up shirt sans buttons – the buttons could wait awhile.
: And in case you missed it! I wrote about my vine print skirt yesterday, including a couple alterations I want to make.
Finished: Black & White Vine Print Skirt
I’ve always loved an elastic waist skirt that doesn’t look bulky, or frumpy, or lazy, and I think this skirt fits that bill perfectly.
MATERIALS
– About 3 yards of a very light weight, slightly translucent fabric. (The fabric was actually a pair of curtains that a friend was getting rid of, and so this skirt came into being all Scarlett O’Hara like.)
– Black thread
– 1” elastic
PATTERN
This is a pretty basic circle skirt with a handkerchief hem, and an elastic waistband. My graphic silk circle skirt was this same style, and I love this basic recipe for it’s ease & simplicity.
For this skirt, I cut three layers, and layered them so that the points at the hem are offset. Then I added a waistband, and hemmed miles of hem.
WHAT WORKED WELL
I love the cut. I love the fullness. And I adore the fact that it’s an elastic waist skirt that still looks put-together.
WHAT I’D DO DIFFERENTLY
There are two alterations I’m contemplating making.
I’d like to shorten the hem by an inch or two – though I’m not looking forward to hemming all that hem again.
And I think I’d like to tea stain it – the white is currently a very stark white. Maybe I’ll do that when it gets it’s first stain. At the moment the print on the bottom layers is pretty clearly visible through the top layer, and I think tea staining might help with this also.
But other than those two tiny alterations, I’m pretty damn happy with this project.
