Sewing

I am still sewing over here.  Does anyone come here to see those kinds of things anymore?  It has been a while since I was able to share anything about making things.  It is an interesting place to be, moving so much out of my life and loving a craft that creates more stuff.  The Cooper bag is still going strong after a couple months constant use.  I love it and my husband doesn't even mind carrying it.

Most crafters have a "stash."  This is just a nicer word to use than hoard I think.  At least, in my case.  I'm struggling to figure out how to balance.  My goal for the rest of this year is to only use fabric I already have.  I can buy a pattern or the notions but no more fabric for a little while.  I have many ideas about what I'd like to create in the coming weeks and months, especially since I am trying to set up a capsule wardrobe.

In trying to start this right away I noticed that there is a huge imbalance in my closet.  I own about 75% patterned items.  Stripes, flowers, geometric.  You name it, I have it.  The funniest part about this?  I like what I look like best in solid, simpler clothing.  A gray shirt and my favorite jeans and I somehow feel like a million bucks.  And anything in chambray.

So I made myself a deal.  Only solid bottoms and patterns are reserved for tops.  I found I couldn't pare down my closet like I'd like to because my items don't match in a more interchangeable way.  Because I have so many patterned items!  I have one solid skirt right now.  One.  I wear skirts almost daily.  I am always struggling to make matches because of this.  After struggling to create a capsule wardrobe I am at least aware of what is going on.  Obviously I love patterned fabrics.  I'm not giving them up, just restricting them to one half of the outfit.  It shouldn't be too hard.  If I replace some of the patterned items for a blue skirt and a gray skirt they should match every item I own and all the fabric I have in the studio.

All of this to say I made a tank top from fabric that had been wasting away as an old failed dress idea in my hoard stash.  I used Grainline Studio's Tiny Pocket Tank.  It didn't come out the right size for me by the sizing chart so I had to add a little box pleat in the back and a box pleat in the front which I sewed flat all the way down.  I was afraid it would look too much like a maternity top if I let it open like in the back.  I broke my own golden rule: Always measure the pattern pieces.  I think I will go down two sizes for the next go around.  Which there will be.  It is a simple, lovely basic with super easy construction.  A blank slate.  I'm thinking of turning it into a dress once I get the right fit.