Fascination with the Capsule Concept

Ever since I was a teenager, I've been fascinated with the "Capsule Concept" in wardrobe planning. The basic principle is that you have a limited number of bottoms and tops in limited color scheme. Usually about 3 or 4 bottoms, 3 or 4 tops, and a jacket in a 3 color scheme. The idea is that all pieces are completely interchangeable. Every top can go with every bottom. There is a sewing version of this called "SWAP" (Sewing With A Plan). I've always wanted to build a wardrobe using this concept. Since this is the year I'm sewing down my obscene fabric stash, it seemed like a good time to do it. And I wanted to try to do it entirely from my stash. Last night I finished the master plan. I will enter it in an online contest IF I can get 10 pieces sewn by April 30th! The tricky part is trying to predict where I will be in my weight loss efforts by the end of April. :( :( It makes it very difficult to try to cut out a size and to fit to a body I don't have yet. But I'm not going to all this work only to end up being too small for the wardrobe after I reach goal weight. And I AM reaching goal weight this year.

So...anyway...here is my first SWAP effort. It will be a Spring/Summer wardrobe in red, white and blue and is nautically inspired. Last night I did a quick muslin run on the pattern I will use for the polka dot blouse. I was happy with the results. A cute pattern. About 15 pounds too snug right now, but that's the way I want it. I will cut the blouse today! And on the Vogue 8090 front...the jacket is almost ready for photographing. Pants and skirt no where near a reality yet.



Charity

200th Post

My 200th Post snuck up on me! I should have done a give-away or something. Oh well...300, maybe. :) I've been too busy sewing and cooking and homemaking and family-raising and not paying attention to post counts.

Today was A Major Kitchen Day. I spent $300 in groceries. Ouch! And that took a couple of hours just to organize and put away. And then, of course, I wanted to cook. A major grocery shopping trip always makes me want to bake and cook. So I made 4 dozen Orange-Cranberry Bran Muffins and put some away in the freezer. I roasted a chicken for dinner. I made 2 13x9 pans of Seven Layers of Sin for Casey's lunches, wrapped the bars individually and popped them in the freezer. Already for pulling out and popping in a paper bag. I also made a big pan of Rice Krispie treats because I had some cereal that had sat for a bit and was going to go stale. I made a huge rainbow pasta salad and another big Tropical Spinach Salad. I have my OutBack WannaBe Brown bread in the bread machine. After dinner I will put together some mini-Calzones for the freezer as well. Casey loves Hot Pockets and these are my more affordable alternative to those.

I also started on the my next sewing project, Vogue 8090 in a salmon quilted twill for the jacket and salmon denim for pants and skirt. The jacket has about 3 more hours left on it. I'm binding all the internal seams so it's taking awhile.



Charity

And Another One Bites the Dust

Finished! Because of the lining, the bias layout and the ruffles, this design ate up 7 yards from my stash. I have now used about 27 yards for the year. Twenty-seven down and 773 yards to go! I'm heading to bed!

Plaid Madness

Work continues on the mixed plaids jumper. I only have about 3 hours left on it. Here is a pic of the Hong Kong finish on the interior seams. I think I'm going to be very pleased with it when completed. It will look cute with my red cowboy boots.



Update: Only have lining left to complete.

Exterior Shell Ready for Lining


Bias Cut Contrast Band with Ruffles

Catholic School Girl Jumper

I bought the Daisy Kingdom pattern in the post below years ago. Of course, in the meantime, Daisy Kingdom went out of business and that fabric was discontinued. Without that fabric, it's just a plain ol' A-line jumper. However, since this is the year I am sewing down my stash, I'm not allowed to shop for it, even it if WAS still available. So I have to approximate with what I have on hand. I found two wool/rayon challis blends in my stash that will be used for the plaid jumper and the bias cut contrast plaid band. I found a paisley that I will use for the ruffles. Of course, it's the floral border down the side that is the style statement in this baby, but you can't have everything. The jumper is not lined and I am in "line everything that isn't nailed down" mode. I'm sold on lined garments. They drape better on the body. They're more comfortable. They wear well. They hide seam allowances. They're just classy. :) :) So I'll be lining the jumper instead of using facings. I am going to bind the neckline and armscyes with bias binding strips made from the paisley. I will also be repeating the paisley in a felted wool and yo-yo flower broach that I will make to adorn the front pocket.

Here is a rough mock-up. Side seams are done, red plaid is just pinned on so I can get the effect. The paisley will be the ruffles and binding. It smacks a little of Catholic School Girl to me. But I'm pretty sure it just needs the finishing details that always make a garment. If not...well...I'll have to convert to Catholicism.



UPDATE - I bound the pocket edges and attached it to the jumper front. I'm now playing around with felted wool and yo-yo to create a pocket embellishment. But no more tonight, I'm heading to bed and will pick this up tomm.



charity

The Year of Persevering Productivity

I was reading a discussion online about the latest trend of "year-naming." Evidently New Year's resolutions are passe. Time management experts now believe that giving the year a name that indicates your intentions produces a better likelihood of meeting your proposed goals. Well, gee. If that's all it takes then....drumroll, please....

I NOW DUB THEE, 2008, THE YEAR OF....."Realized Skinnyhood".

Hopefully, you will see me in church next Sunday wearing my new size 6!

Okay, okay...I guess it doesn't work that way. All joking aside I do like the concept. It focuses things down to just a few words. And it is easier to pursue a concept than a long list of actual specific realities. I like the concept and I would like to put my hopes for this year into a snappy tagline. Some of the gals participating in the discussion I read online were planning on "The Year of Austerity" (a couple who wanted to pay down their debt) and "The Year of Integrity" (a gal who wanted her daily choices to reflect her values). My hopes for this year are simply to get a LOT done. I'd like to perfectly organize and clean every square inch of our home. I'd like to sew down my 800 yard stash. I'd like to REALLY get in shape. Marathon-running kind of shape. I'd like to make a ton of quilts. I'd like to make all my Christmas gifts by October. So...my first thoughts were to name my year "The Year of Butt-Busting". However, my second thoughts encouraged me to think of something a little more ladylike. Something I could actually announce without sounding like Bart Simpson.

So this year for me is...."The Year of Persevering Productivity". Has a nice ring, huh? And with that in mind, I'm going to get off here and go clean up my sewing area so I can start my next stash-busting project. See below.



Charity