SWAP 2014 Fashion a Capsule Wardrobe Sewing Plan

It's time to plan, and maybe none of it will get sewn, what with hoodies and snow pants and other miscellaneous adventures that may come up, but that's all right because the plan is the most enjoyable part anyway. It's a happy SWAP (Sewing with a Plan for the unindoctrinated)  to give me a little pick-me-up in the dreary of winter. I just love sewing happy colors, particularly when it's not so happy outdoors.

The rules:
5 Tops, 3 Bottoms, 3 Wildcards. All tops must match all bottoms, and one item must use refashioning or be a convertible garment.

I really enjoyed working with my cheap watercolors. 

I am currently missing one Wild Card, but that's all right since I can also use a previously made/bought item. Ah, arbitrary rules, I love them so.

This is the pile of wonderful fabrics I snagged during one of fabricmart's diabolical online sales. The mustard challis is beautifully drapey and exactly the color I wanted. The silk plaid may not get into the swap. It's a little bit heavy and I'm not sure it will go with... the butterfly shirting. I love it so. Love love love. I just want to drape it around my neck and race around all, SUPERBUTTERFLY!!!

Here's an up close you couldn't live without.

This is how far my SWAP has progressed so far. Rather impressive considering the hoodie madness going on in here.

Anyone else going to get SWAPPing this year? Or, just planning capsule wardrobes is pretty nice.

3rd Hoodie Set Sewn Up! Deer Hoodie!

This is a story of a dear girl who transformed one day into a deer girl! This would make a fun story. Hm. 

About the hoodie. Same pattern as the boy hoodie, which I tell you is not fair, or the sexist elitist chauvenistic zipper men should be thrown to the streets until they come to their senses. There are no long pink zippers. In patterns, try to find a long hoodie that doesn't stop at the waist created for girls. I tell you, it's a conspiracy! So we had to use a gender neutral brown zipper because brown, blue, white, are long enough, but certainly not pink. We'll survive these major traumas, I suppose, but it does say something about zipper makers, or maybe the stockers at JoAnn's. 

This hoodie came together much nicer than the last one. It even looks quite good on the inside. Small victories. Seriously, the zipper thing had me hung up for days. I have a large collection of zippers that I've bought or stripped from done clothing, but none of the pink ones were right for this job. I had to go to the store and remember to bring my coupon, and buy some yellow thread. JoAnn's is full of dangerous distractions. I'm like Red Riding Hood straying off the path every time I go there tempted to pick flowers and buy cross stitch precious moments patterns that I'd never make.

Consumerism, which I'm rather opposed to, (part of why I make all these clothes for these children) wins when I go to JoAnn's. Sad really.  

This is the deer. It does not look like a lamb. At all. 

you must peer closely to see the brown trim on the pockets.

Something sweet. She tried to eat, but she doesn't see what the deer like about it.

2nd Fleece Set done! Plus a T

This thing made my pride hurt. I felt a sewing novice trying to add a lining to this jacket the pattern did not call for. Also, zippers. I don't think my brain is ready for this technological advancement. Also, using up knit I already have is not quite as intentional looking as buying it all new. Of course, then I would just buy a fleece hoodie already made up. Except that they are too wrong.

I made a shirt out of the hoodie pattern, because I had it out, and that's the biggest challenge for me- finding the pattern I want to use. Or the fabric. Or the thread, or the foot, you get the idea. My life is not organized. Oh well.

This morning we started an interesting homeschool thing. We're going through the National Archive original documents on the founding of America. Boring, right? Hah! No. Did you know there is a Cherokee origins myth that ends up with a brother hitting his sister with a fish to create more humans? Oh yes. There are treasures of knowledge in there. We laughed, and I thought of the scene in Monty Python with knights of kneet and the herring.  Then we listened to music from the 1600's. Happening times at our house.

No LEGO MAGAZINE!!!!! (mail trauma)

Coming down the stairs in a spooky manner

Oh yeah. I'm cool. I mean warm.

 In the end, in spite of my inept sewing, the hoodie is a functional thing. Only three more to go. Sigh.

Oh, I ordered fabric from my favorite online discount store. Bright yellow sweatshirt knit for $2/yard. You know that I could not resist, not when my in-house sunshine needs a hoodie. And... the new SWAP rules are up, so mustard yellow challis and butterfly twill... coming soon.