A Few New Fabrics

 Category 2 - casual life outside the house. I haven't done an inventory, but this is probably the largest category of clothing I have. Clothes that look good, feel good and work for many situations -- casual dining, museum visits, movies, brewery or vineyard tastings -- all the things put on hold for so long. Since most items here haven't seen much wear lately, I really don't see a pressing need to replace anything. I did purchase a navy sweater blazer on sale as it seems like a versatile third layer.  I'll make a few new things -- just for fun and a little mood brightening -- and because I keep buying fabric.

I found an interesting ponte at Stylemaker Fabrics:  

It has a napped, almost wooly feeling outer layer and a tweedy reverse side. It would make a nice jacket, using the reverse side as a contrast. I made pants however (Style Arc Barb), so only used the herringbone side. Love the way they feel and I hope they won't be prone to pilling due to the texture. I got the black/grey colorway -- they may still have the black/white and black/burgundy options.

Also from Stylemaker Fabrics -- how about an animal print French terry?  Love that it's grey (and not brown tones) -- at the time I bought it a couple of weeks ago they also had it in two other background colors.

The version I chose was the Cozy Animal Spot French terry cream/grey.

My original thought was to use it for Simplicity 9275, but when it arrived I felt it was just too drapy for that style. Instead I'll happily use it for a cozy cowl neck, or perhaps Style Arc Verity Knit top.

Since my autumn/winter neutral colors are black, grey and navy these two fabrics will work with many items already in the wardrobe.

I also picked up a navy/grey stripe shirting fabric (100% cotton) from Fabric Mart and will make a long-sleeved shirt from that. The stripes are not evenly spaced, so that should provide an opportunity for some creative pattern placement. 

So, a few new things to brighten up the wardrobe, but no real needs. I should have plenty of time to devote to sewing for my last category -- at home wear. This is an area that really could use a large dose of style -- am I up to the challenge?

Planning takes a detour

Planning continues, but now with serious intent. Instead of just pairing up fabrics/patterns I want to answer: "What do I already have, and what do I need for the life I actually lead?"

In these uncertain times, I've narrowed my needs down to 3 categories: 1) life at home 2) casual life outside the house and 3) business suitable. At present there seems to be no need for formal party attire -- should it arise it would most likely be dealt with by a RTW purchase.

I start with the smallest category - 3) business suitable.  I am a woman of retirement age, so no need for a daily professional wardrobe. However, at times I find myself in settings where I am more comfortable looking more pulled together than usual. A classic blazer would work well for this, but I don't find the look to be that flattering to my shape. A tailored pant suit is taking 'business' a step too far. Instead, I've gone with a RTW sweater jacket in a black/white check. The knit fabric softens the look, but still gives a more polished third layer.  I recently received a 'you haven't shopped with us lately' offer from Talbots, which combined with a sale and a free shipping offer, offered up this merino sweater jacket at a very nice price. 

Black slacks and a white, jewel-neck top will be the other 2 components of this look.Those will be sewn by me. 

I have a nice black knit from Gorgeous Fabrics, (Italian viscose doubleknit) for the slacks. My go to pattern is Style Arc Barb, but SA Linda would work too.

For the top I’ll go with a fine gauge merino jersey. I hope to be able to get this fromThe Fabric Store in NZ. Pandemic lockdowns appear to be affecting their shipping of some items at the moment, so we’ll see how that goes.

I’ll use my TNT top pattern from Pamela’s Patterns - The Perfect T-Shirt, altered to have a slightly raised neckline, long sleeves and a straightened hem.

So, two easily sewn and already fitted patterns to complete Category 3. Should be very do-able. 

Next time: Category 2) Casual life outside the house. Here’s hoping there will actually be a need for this grouping in the coming months.

Planning for autumn

 

I’m not entirely sure that it pays to make many wardrobe plans this season. The resurgent virus makes it unlikely we’ll be doing much more than last year it seems. Ah well, might as well plan for a mostly home-based lifestyle I suppose.

My first garment for the cooler weather is yet another Toaster sweater from Sew House 7. It’s a style I find comfortable and suiting my casual life. I shorten the cowl collar a bit, and lengthen the body so the front and back are one piece each instead of them having a deep ‘cuff’. This works for me when sewing with heavier weight fabrics as I don’t have the bulk of an additional seam. Also it’s a blessing when sewing a plaid.

Fabric is a cotton/poly blend from Fabric Mart — probably no longer there though. I used the reverse side for the collar and sleeve cuffs. I love when a fabric has two attractive sides!

Well, it’s a start anyway — now to figure out what’s next.