Going forward sewing strategy

I will admit that I'm ready to go on a shopping bender. I'm ready for some new stuff, because (here's my conclusion): it's tough to sew all your own clothes!

I found that it is difficult to sew all of my own clothes primarily because of time. I just don't have enough of it! It takes me a week or 2 to sew a garment like a dress: I can sew about an hour every other day, and perhaps 3-4 hours on the weekends. (Especially in the summer, when I don't want to sit indoors at my machine.)  I have other hobbies that I like to indulge: road cycling, reading, cooking, and Mr. ASW and I love to take little weekend road trips around New England in the fall.

The second is skill/inclination: I want a military-style jacket for fall, but I'd prefer to spend $50 on one than spend a month piecing together my own, if I could even find the right materials - the pattern, knit neckline, little zippers, grommets, materials - and then execute it. I could make a few skirts and tops in that amount of time.

Old Navy Cinched Zip Front Jacket

A cost analysis does come into play: sometimes it's cheaper to buy than make. For example, the military jacket above: after all the materials are added up, it might cost more to sew the jacket. Or little summer tops: Forever 21 has super cute blousy pieces to wear with shorts for well under $20. One could be sewn up for under $10, perhaps, but I'd prefer to use that time to sew distinctive skirts or dresses.

Forever 21 Smocked Chiffon Top

Forever 21 Woven Shirt

My going-forward sewing goals will be much less ambitious than this past year's: I'm going to sew to fill holes in my closet... just not all the holes!  And I'm not going to shy away from a pattern because it may be time-consuming or a challenge.  I'm going to take on more adventurous pieces this year now that I have a basic understanding.

I have definitely been bitten by the sewing bug.  I don't think I could ever stop sewing now. I almost threw the towel in when I could not get the McCall's 5753 dress to work. I was so frustrated.  But there are just too many cool patterns and great fabrics, and I have too many ideas.  Too many pieces that I want that I couldn't buy - they exist only in my imagination right now!  But with sewing, they don't have to stay there.  Don't you just love that?

Almost at the end of my one year challenge + honesty time

I am almost to the end of one year of sewing my own clothes!

I'm sure you're curious whether I really didn't buy any new clothes: truly, I was pretty good! I previously 'fessed up to buying a coat at the A.P.C. outlet in Paris in November.  Also, I did break down and buy 3 merino cardigans from Nordstroms in March.

I was desperate for spring-color sweater cardis, which I can't sew... I bought 3 colors of the same style, so can we pretend that it was one transgression? And really, that was it!  I'm proud of myself for sticking (for the most part) to my goal.

I was hoping that I'd begin wearing many of my own pieces as the year went on, but, to be honest, not all of the pieces I've made this year have went into regular wardrobe rotation. There are a few reasons for this: (1) some pieces were a flop, and (2) I wasn't sewing for my life or wardrobe.

Reason #1 is pretty obvious. Not only were some projects a failure, but my early garments weren't of the best construction. I'm not beating myself up - I was a complete novice at apparel sewing! There is a learning curve, and I think I'm now on the upward swing of it (despite recent poor fabric/pattern choosing - while I admit the skirt does look rather cute in the photos, I just can't bring myself to wear it!). 

For example, I could not figure out what underlining (EDIT: understitching!) was when I first started sewing. But now I think it is the most important construction step (after pressing, of course). I've learned to sew French seams, and have begun doing them on the interiors of dresses and linings.

I also think it looks more professional to match the invisible zipper to a project's colors, even though just the pull is seen. These techniques make a piece look and seem more RTW, and make me want to grab them out of my closet.

Reason #2 needs explaining: I bought patterns or material because I loved the style or fabric, for that reason alone, without much thought to what I really wear. For example, I purchased a gorgeous, soft, high-quality thick satin from WinMil which I turned into this Cynthia Rowley shift:

But I haven't had the occasion to wear it. I'm a suburbanite, and very rarely go to cocktail parties or clubbing (instead, I like to sit at home and sew on a Friday night, heh heh). Or this sheath dress in the awesome jungle-esque material: the material is a bit much for work, but the shape is too stuffy for going out/casual wear.  Not a good fabric/pattern match.

I will get so much more mileage out of my hard-sewn pieces if I carefully consider whether I'd really wear the piece (Where? With what shoes? What pants? Etc.). While I might want a jungle print dress, if I'm never going to wear it, it's a waste of my money and time.

I don't think one should sew only black pencil skirts and button-ups, ignoring that special occassion dress pattern, or passing on a lovely faux fur for a shrug that will only be worn a few times. But if you're aiming to build a better wardrobe via sewing, "I will sew for my real life!" has to be your mantra.

I've been thinking a lot about what my future approach to sewing will be… thoughts on that soon!

Cynthia Rowley Simplicity 2586 Sundress

My husband and I went to a concert in Boston recently, and I wore this dress, which is Cynthia Rowley Simplicity 2586:

 

This dress was so easy to make. There are no darts - only gathers at the front - so it was very quick to sew as well.

I made it in a tomato red cotton with a hint of stretch from WinMil Fabrics in Boston. I serged the seams to finish the inside; I wanted to do French seams (an obsession now that I know how to do them!), however the dress has pockets which would have interfered with French seams.

The dress is rather short as I forgot to add the bottom band!  I didn't even cut it out.  (I was wondering why it was so short!)  I'm not tall (just under 5' 4"), so the length's not too bad.  My cheeky husband took a picture of me walking away to confirm that the length wasn't too scandalous.  Oh well, even if it is a bit short, it's great to wear during these humid days!