Summer Wardrobe

Over the weekend I finished sewing the last two strip sets of Wonky Wheels together and the flimsy is now done.  Doesn't it feel good to get to a big milestone in a project.  I've got myself on a long arm quilting list for this one so now I can start a new project with a light heart knowing there's nothing more I can do for a few weeks.

So this month will be a garment sewing month.  I have 2 possible projects...

I bought this fabric in February then got so involved with quilting that I've not done anything with it.

Last week I went back to Spool and Spindle and bought the Aida shirt pattern by Sew Liberated and this fabric to make it.

On reflection I am thinking that the navy striped fabric (which I have about 1 meter too much of) would make a nice shirt dress and the Aida shirt would look great in the flamingos.  I think I have enough flamingo fabric, I won't know until I cut the pattern, if not I'll just have to go back and get a bit more.

So my One monthly goal for Elm Street Quilts One Monthly Goal April Link-up is to complete one garment with some of these materials.

Good luck everyone.
Kirstin

New Fabric

Yesterday I made another muslin for a jacket and I think (crossing fingers and toes and all) that although I am not totally in love with the result it is good enough and I will go ahead and make it up.  So today I went shopping.

It feels like a hundred years since I went anywhere other than the grocery store or the pharmacy so I treated myself to a trip to Spool and Spindle in Waterloo.  You can find this fabulous little fabric store online here but as I live close by I popped in for a browse.  It is so worth it to feel all the lovely natural fibre fabrics.

I was very restrained with my purchasing and this is what I bought.

Some interesting knit/soft shell for my jacket (the zipper is from Lens' Mills).

 It's not a great photo I know but on the right is the right side of the fabric and on the left is the inside.  It's quite thick with a very small amount of stretch and it should be wind proof which might be nice.  Also it shouldn't fray so I can probably get away with leaving the seam edges raw inside which is a total bonus.

I also bought this lovely rayon to make myself a little top for summer.  A short sleeved, accent top for my capsule wardrobe I think.

Rose tells me that I have nothing to go with it and it's really not my style but you know what?  I don't care.  I shall make my top and make it 'my style' and she will be jealous that I have a flamingo top and she doesn't.  So there, who's the 10 year old now.

Guess what I forgot to do?  Look for fabric for my Wonky Wheels top.  Oh well, just have to go again next week.

Goals for February

I have quite a lot of things I'd like to achieve this month so I'm going to list all of them then prioritise a couple for my monthly goal.  But first...

In the last couple of days when all my January goals were finished I made a shirt and a scarf.

I'd had the fabric for the shirt since Fall but hadn't got around to it.  I used McCall's M7331 by Nancy Zieman, I've already made the pull on pencil skirt from this pattern and both the skirt and the top came together with minimal faffing about, in fact I can't believe it took me so long and I'll more than likely use the pattern again.

The scarf is for Rose, inspired by an idea in Lotta Jansdotter's book "Everyday Style" and made with leftover fabric from the cosmetics purses I made as favours for her party last October.  It's a little stiff but wearing it and a trip through the washing machine will probably see to that.

So here is what I would like to achieve this month (not all of it is sewing)

• Clear out and organise the pantry
• Put the basement back together after the renovations
• Make something that I can put in my Etsy shop
• Choose fabric to set the Wonky Wheels blocks
• Figure out a layout for Wonky Wheels blocks
• Make myself a jacket
• Dye some old bath towels, cut them up, bind them and re-purpose them as hand towels for the kitchen

I don't think all this will be fitted around daily life so I will choose 2 as my February goals, then at least I'll get something done and anything else is a bonus.

So without further ado, my February goals of the month are ...

1. Choose the fabric and figure out a layout for Wonky Wheels, thus getting one step further down the path of UFO busting
2. Make myself a jacket

Now I'm linking up with Elm Street Quilts One Monthly Goal February Link-up and going to and see what everybody else is up to.

Happy sewing,

Kirstin

Capsule wardrobe #2

More capsule wardrobe as I've been analysing and finessing with Rose while she was off sick this week.

First we got out everything that I have on the 30 pieces list, here it is folded up on the floor.

 And here's some bags and shoes

Altogether that's 25 out of my 30 pieces. seeing everything in one place like that leads me to this question... Is navy blue a colour or a neutral?  If it's a colour I'm doing very well, if not I've got some work to do.

Next Rose put me an outfit together with 2 key pieces and styled it for a warmer and cooler spring day.  My key pieces are a calf length grey pencil skirt and a navy blue accent top.

For cool days she put them with knee boots and a black baggy cardigan and for warm days she went for sneakers and a cropped denim jacket.

I'd wear both of these outfits but I think I need to accessorize.  What do you think?  (about the outfits not the photgraphy, I know that needs work)

Capsule Wardrobe #1

This week I have been thinking about capsule wardrobes and as having less clothes fits in with the general clear out and organisation theme it is my topic for today.

After all my tidying and throwing out in the Fall I actually already have a capsule wardrobe, I just don't know if it counts when it consists almost entirely of jeans, t-shirts, hoodies and baggy cardigans.  In order to shake it up a bit and find out how to become more stylish and less of a complete scruff I went to the library and borrowed 'The Capsule Wardrobe, 1,000 outfits from 30 pieces' by Wendy Mak.

It does exactly what it says on the tin really, no explanation needed, she lists 30 garments/accessories and then makes 1,000 outfits with them.  I found it pretty inspiring and although her recommended pieces don't all fit well with my current stay at home mum, billy-no-mates lifestyle, and I need 3 seasonal versions for the Canadian climate I will customise it and give it a go.

You can read about Wendy and her book here.

This is my list of 30 pieces for Spring, I have listed things I own in black and things I need to acquire in pink.  I have also crossed out some of Wendy's items and substituted Kirstin lifestyle friendly ones in their place.

1. Jeans
2. Casual trousers - more jeans, cannot visualise life at all without at least 2 pairs
3. Tailored black trousers - wide grey linen trousers
4. Tailored stone trousers - grey pencil skirt
5. Tailored shorts
6. Casual skirt 1 - linen, A-line
7. Casual skirt 2 - black and white, gored
8. Black basic tank - black basic, bingo-wing friendly, t-shirt with sleeves
9. White basic tank - Breton (cannot wear white, will cover it in ketchup/chocolate/miscellaneous where-did-that-come-from? dirt) basic t-shirt with sleeves, see above
10. Accent coloured blouse 1
11. Accent coloured blouse 2
12. long sleeve top in black
13. Long sleeve top in colour
14. Casual day dress
15. Little black dress - basic t-shirt in colour
16. Black parka - baggy cardigan, hopefully will not need a parka by May
17. Trench
18. Black (or neutral) cardigan - baggy
19. Black blazer
20. Stone blazer - another baggy cardigan, that's 3
21. Casual jacket
22. Black tote
23. Tan tote - tan cross body bag
24. Black clutch - alternative nice going out bag for all the times I go out, hmm
25. Black knee high boots
26. Black heels - can I put another baggy cardigan here for now or is that cheating?
27. Nude wedges
28. Strappy black heels - I don't need many shoes (and I can't walk in strappy sandals) so I think I'll have another basic t-shirt or accent coloured top here so I don't have to do laundry so often
29. Dressy sandals
30. Ballet flats - sneakers

My challenge is to buy or make the 5 essential items shown above in pink by May so I can put this into action and become less boring and more stylish.  I may even try to do the #30Pieces30Days challenge with my lovely new selection of clothes.

If anyone has any style tips for me around this list I would be very grateful, especially any easy jacket or blazer patterns so I can make my own.

Tomorrow, when it is light, I will try to photograph a couple of outfits from the book with things I already own from the list and update accordingly.