Developing Plans for 12-Piece Coordinated Wardrobe

I had a difficult time getting started sewing this year.   I posted my plans on January 1st, but after doing that I found all kinds of reasons to procrastinate.  I did cut out two pants, one black and one navy.  The black one is finally completed and the navy one is almost finished.  I still need to sew the waist band and hem the navy one.    

As I indicated in my last post, I intend to make a 12-piece coordinated spring/summer wardrobe.  I thought I would have two or three pieces of that completed by now.  Instead, I am still working on the first piece (navy pant).    I did, however, spend some time sorting through some of my stash to find fabric I can use for the wardrobe.  Today I went shopping to add some fabric to that from my stash.  Below is a picture of the fabrics for the coordinated wardrobe.

I plan to make three pants from the tan, navy and wine fabrics and I will make a skirt also from navy fabric.  The white fabric will be used to make a short sleeve jacket.   A second jacket will probably be sewn from a light blue fabric which I have not yet purchased.  

I plan to use the same pant pattern I have used since I started this blog, Fit for Art pattern, “Eureka! Pants that Fit”.  I purchased this pattern from www.Fitforartpatterns.com.  I like this pattern because it has detailed instructions on fitting.  It takes time to get a pant pattern to fit, but it is worth the time if you continue to use the same pattern to make more pants.  I recently transferred my pattern to tag board and I am so glad I did.  Now I don’t need to fold up my pattern and place it in the original envelope or plastic bag and I don’t need to try to iron out the wrinkles the next time I want to use it.  The pattern now hangs on a hook in a closet until I need it again.

I may use CNT Pattern Company’s “Start after Breakfast Finish before Lunch” pattern for the jacket.  This pattern is sold online and also in most quilt shops.  I purchased mine from Yards of Fabric in Mason, Michigan with the gift certificate I won at the October meeting of the Lansing Chapter American Sewing Guild.    I have not tried to fit the pattern yet.  Whether or not I use the pattern depends on how successful I am at fitting it. 

One of the pants I make will be capri length.  I plan to use Burda pattern 8341 to overlay on my “Eureka! Pants that Fit” pattern to get the shape and length for the legs.  By doing this, I will not have to start from scratch and fit the Burda pattern to me for the waist, hips and crotch depth.  That will save an incredible amount of time.  I already had the Burda pattern, so I did not need to purchase one.  If I did not already have the Burda pattern, I would use a capri pant that I have that fits me and shape the legs of my pant pattern from that.

A picture of these three patterns are shown below.

The print fabrics will be used for the six tops.  All are knit with the exception of the plaid.  That is 100% Cotton.  I may substitute one of the knits for another 100% cotton.  I have a fabric in mind that is a light wine color and is in my stash somewhere.  However, I have not found the right box for that fabric yet.  I will continue to search for it.

I plan to use McCall’s pattern M6964 for some of the short sleeved tops.  I used this pattern when I made my first coordinated wardrobe in 2016, so I know it fits.  I am hoping to use Very Easy Vogue pattern V9128 also.  The use of this pattern depends on whether or not I can get it fitted.  We will see!

One or two of the tops will be made using Kwik Sew pattern K3555.  I have used this pattern before but it still has one fitting issue that I hope to correct.  If I get that done,  the 100% cotton tops will be made from this pattern.

A picture of these three patterns follow.

Well, I believe most of my planning is complete for the 12-piece coordinated wardrobe.  Now I really need to get busy fitting patterns and sewing. 

How is your planning going?  Are you ready to turn on your sewing machine and sew a great spring/summer wardrobe?   Get organized  so you can sew easier and sew more.   Have fun!

Judy

New Year’s Sewing Resolutions    -  

The first day of the year is a good time to make my sewing plans for 2018.  I have been giving some thought to creating another 12-piece coordinated wardrobe similar to the fall and winter one I created in 2016.  This one will be for spring and summer.  I plan to blog about it a little differently than I did with the first wardrobe.  I am not giving myself a deadline for completion because there are other items I want to sew at the same time, so I won’t put the pressure of a deadline on myself.  I will proceed at whatever pace life circumstances allow and post my progress along the way.  At the same time I will also post about other items I sew as well as any sewing events I attend.

The basic pieces for the summer wardrobe will be similar to the first wardrobe.  There will be four bottom pieces which will consist of 3 pants and a skirt.  The top pieces will consist of two jackets and six tops.  That gives me a total of 12 pieces.  I should be able to get at least 64 outfits from these 12 pieces and maybe more if I find the right colors to use.

 Another project I would like to accomplish in 2018 is to review and organize my entire fabric stash.  That will be quite the task!  I have some fabric stored in my sewing room, some in two bedrooms, and some in the basement.  I want to review it to decide what to keep and what to toss or give away.  I would like to organize it so that I can keep current projects and fabric I plan to use in the near future in my sewing room.  The rest will be relegated to plastic bins with labels for the basement.  I hope I can consider fabric in my stash for every project before buying more!

Right now I am working on black pants because I have a need for them.  They are not part of the new 12-piece wardrobe.  When I looked at my pants pattern, I discovered the pieces were getting tattered.  It was time to make another copy of the  ”Eureka! Pants that Fit” pattern that I altered to my size in 2016 when I made my first 12-piece coordinated wardrobe.   This was the first opportunity I have had to use my newly purchased tag board to make a permanent copy of a pattern.  I ordered the tag board from Amazon.com and I will probably never need to reorder.    It is a large roll and is very heavy.  My husband helped me lift it onto my cutting table.   I traced the pants pattern onto the tag board and transferred the markings.  Then I made a hole in the top of the pieces and inserted the pattern hanger.  I can now store the pattern by hanging it in a closet.  This will be much easier than folding thin pattern paper to place in an envelope and then unfolding and trying to iron the wrinkles out when I want to use the pattern again.

My motto for 2018 is “Sew more and sew easier”!  Organizing my fabric stash and putting my frequently used patterns on tag board will make sewing easier and perhaps give me more time for sewing. 

Are you making some sewing resolutions for the New Year?   Do you plan to learn a new sewing technique or perhaps create a coordinated wardrobe?  Are you planning to take a class or attend a sewing event in 2018?  Today is a good day to formulate a sewing plan for 2018!  If you have sewing plans you would like to share, please do so by clicking on the "Comments" section at the bottom of this post.  

Good luck with your sewing plans.

Judy