Capsule planning is a huge ordeal. I’ve been working on mine. I know now that in order to do capsule wardrobe planning you need to determine your body shape. I found Joy of Clothes has a great blog on finding your personal body shape. Most of this we may already know. I’ve been dressing for my shape for years and just not realizing why some things worked and others didn’t. Those things that didn’t work, required extra accessories to make them “work”. At least they looked good in my mind. 🙂 If you really want to get technical, you can also figure out your colors. I remember as a child doing this with the grown ups. Color me Beautiful was a huge book that changed a lot of peoples opinion of colors for themselves. With the wonderment of the internet, we no longer have to have a consultant visit our home. The link directs you to the quiz to determine your colors.
So, once your colors and body shape are figured out, you can get down to business. My capsule is more of the stay at home mom capsule. Even though I don’t have kids here with me 🙂 I still like to look good. My body shape is a rectangle and I’m a winter. Using these three things I was able to find patterns and colors for my wardrobe. I wasn’t sure how many pieces I needed to have, so I used a formula that will require one laundry day a week, at most! Here’s the colors I chose [envira-gallery id="738"] [envira-gallery slug="my-colors"]
I have most of these colors in my stash of fabric, that made my choices easier. Then I decided on
SEVEN BOTTOMS
three of which are denim.
two shorts
one pants
black skirt
patterned pants (cream, brown, pink)
black and cream check pants
leopard print (I haven’t decided yet, probably cigarette pants)
FIFTEEN TOPS
I won’t bore you with all the different tops.
They all match with at least three of the bottoms
This was easier since three of my bottoms are denim 😉
THREE THROW ON AND GO
skater dress
maxi dress
jumpsuit
shift dress ***the beauty of these is they do not have to match anything else in your wardrobe!
I mix and match patterns that I own and garments I have already made and arrived at around 33 different outfits. I’ve been buying the same colors for my wardrobe for quite awhile though. Also keep in mind, only one of my bottoms is a print that cannot readily mix with all the solids in my wardrobe. The pink, brown, cream pants are a little limiting, but not bad. The hardest part probably is going to be throwing things away in my closet.
So, my friend gave me this awesome furniture for Lucy’s Sewing Lab! But, I really have a dislike for white anything. Lacquer finish on top of white paint poses a few problems. Number one, paint doesn’t adhere to lacquer.
So, after a little research and a trip to Home Depot, a can of Zinsser primer tinted grey, and hard work. [envira-gallery id="710"] [envira-gallery slug="primer-shelves"]Next time, I’ll take my time and remove the shelves 🙂 Painting those shelves, another story! The primer dried quite fast. My excitement overcame me and the BLACK paint soon covered my furniture. I used a foam roller and foam brush. You know, the ones from any craft store for under a dollar?[envira-gallery id=”3528″] It is really humid this week in Oklahoma. Drying time lasted forever and when it dried, I did not like it. The paint was not black enough. Can you believe that’s a thing? Not black enough! More painting research determined Lucy’s Sewing Lab required GLOSS paint. Not just gloss paint, but high gloss paint! I think at this point I started going into an OCD coma because I was obsessed with finding the perfect paint for this furniture. Mainly, I think exhaustion played a major role. I wanted this furniture finished, yesterday! I had a driving force. I could not sew anything until this furniture dried. We love our fabrics! Black glossy paint on my fabrics? Not. Going to. Happen. EVER! [envira-gallery id="713"] [envira-gallery slug="black-gloss"]
While waiting for the paint to cure, I browsed the internet a little. I wanted more ideas on what to do with my room. I found a few that really inspired. I love this home office! I wanted something, more, you know, more POW….more defined color and contrast. This room is amazing! All the storage space and ideas blow me away. Maybe you can search and find your dream lab?
When I bought my first sewing machine after not sewing for about 25 or so years, I had no idea what I needed to make my lab a paradise.
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I knew I needed a sewing machine and a table. So, that is pretty much where I started.
As my projects grew my supplies began to outgrow the teeny space. The room next door was larger, had more windows, and wonderful storage. The only problem, the room was neon green with carpeting. I worked really hard, removed the carpet to reveal a nice wood floor. The walls, were another challenge. I covered them with fabric using spray adhesive. It seemed like a great idea and quick way to cover the green walls. [envira-gallery id=”649″]
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The closet doors do not close anymore. A great, or so I thought, solution was to place my sewing table against them. The doors, were not attractive. Yes, I took over a teenage girl’s bedroom! So far I was pretty happy though. I had more space and that is really all that mattered to me.
Until I moved things from the other room, such as the curtains. This became a real issue, they didn’t fit the window. So, I could make more right? I wish! The fabric was now out of print. 🙁 [envira-gallery id=”653″]
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As you can see by the mess on the cutting table, I didn’t really care if the curtains fit or not. I was still sewing!
The next problem for any seamstress is storage. Sewing requires places to store all the supplies. With supplies in their place, the room looks presentable and everyone is happy. As you can see, organization and storage in this room required a huge overhaul.
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No, the room isn’t completely decorated. But, I was still chugging away and sewing my little heart out. One day a friend called to tell me about her garage sale. Not much for sale really just some furniture from her daughter’s room. She thought I needed. The next thing I knew, she sent me a picture of this furniture.
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WOW! Almost perfect….I’m not a fan of white. Anything looks better with new paint! That furniture would be black in no time!
While shopping for the black paint, I found a can of OOPS paint. It just happened to be pink…and five dollars. Who could resist? Next thing I knew, the ugly, wrong shade of pink fabric was pulled off the walls and the new color applied. I liked the way it looked! So, I headed back to the store for more.
This is a repost of an earlier blog. Actually one of my earliest blogs, a little rewriting and possibly this time people enjoy it!
I sewed with knit six months upon completing the striped skirt. What an accomplishment. For the first time ever, people liked my product and commented about how much they liked it. I felt FAMOUS! Let me tell you, this didn’t happen overnight. Lots of things can go wrong when sewing with knit fabric. Hopefully my mishaps will be a blessing in disguise and help you avoid those same issues.
1. Knit can be two way or four way stretch. This doesn’t really matter, it all stretches right? I thought that too. Then I spent about an hour or two making the ultimate tee shirt. It looked amazing! But, I sewed it with the stretch going vertical instead of horizontal. In case you’ve never made this mistake, it means I couldn’t fit into the shirt. It had no stretch at all in the areas that need to stretch. But, I could probably pull it down far enough to wear it as a dress. Funny, unless it’s your shirt. haha
2. Leggings wear best in a four way stretch. Yes, you can make pants to your heart’s delight in two way stretch fabric. But, chances are the knees will bag throughout the day. Unflattering? YES! A four way stretch ensures the fabric maintains a proper fit all over your legs. So professional, no one guesses you sewed the legings. Okay seriously, no one will consider you made it yourself unless you tell them.
3. Heming Isn’t really an issue, or so they say. Most people do not hem their knit garments. To me, this never really made sense. I don’t find clothing at the GAP that is not hemmed. So, I have always hemmed my garments. I’ve tried several ways.
UPDATE: If the knit is spandex and rayon blend, no hem is needed. Similar clothing sells in department stores and boutiques upwards of $4o!
Rolled hem, created using a rolled hem or cording foot. This works well for some knits. I have found it works best with those containing a little rayon. I tried it recently with jersey. This did not work so well.
Double hem, is primarily used in the ready to wear industry. Lots of articles and websites will tell you this cannot be done without a double needle. Simply not true! I have done them since day one with my normal sewing machine. When it’s time to hem use the standard 5/8″ seam, then go over it again using the 3/8″ seam. The same look is achieved. Now, when you tell people, because you will want them to know, you made this. They will not believe you! Added BONUS, no extra equipment required.
Cut edge hem, again this is one I do not use because I’ve never seen it in ready to wear and it makes me self conscious. If you like it or need to put that just finished garment on and head out for the evening. By all means do it. It is a time saver for sure. This would probably be easiest to get away with when using tissue knits.
The three D’s of blogging are as follows (anyone hear a Dr. Seuss song?) disclose, deliver, and disclaim. From time to time, hopefully more often than not, this blog will accept compensation for opinions provided.
Lucy’s Disclosure—
The opportunity to accept such wonderful perks may at times influence the posts herein. The content may not always be identified as an advertisement, paid post, or sponsored content. Compensation for blogging will in no way prevent me from giving my honest opinion, experiences, and beliefs. Everything contained in Lucy’s Sewing Lab is my personal opinion or view.
Lucy’s Disclaimer—
I link to a lot of other websites, it’s a great way to share a wealth of information with my readers. I am very generous with sewing information and websites. I cannot be held responsible for the content found on the linked blogs. I also am not responsible for any actions the other bloggers may take. The accuracy of information provided is current only on the day of publishing.
Lucy’s Deliverance—
Cute huh? Lucy will try to feed her readers new information at least twice a week. We all have lives though right? So, I sincerely hope my lovely readers will understand if more than seven days pass without hearing from me. I promise I am sewing, hopefully, and thinking about you and your needs to learn more and more about the wonderful world of sewing. Now that all the D’s are out of the way.
Simplicity 1165 is one of my favorite patterns. I’ve used all the versions and love the way it turns out. I’ve made view A and cropped them to make them look like Audrey pants. For this view I used stretch poplin in pink and white polka dots on a black background. They are wonderfully comfy. I did notice my normal size in Simplicity patterns did not fit. I needed to use a size smaller. Not an issue. It’s easier to reduce a size than enlarge it once the pattern is sewn.
Next I made the shorter shorts view D in denim. They are great! Perfect fit the first time around. I also left the hem off and distressed them a little. I love the lived in look they give. I did not like the largeness of the leg opening at first. Then, I loved the comfort of them so much I didn’t really notice the legs anymore.
Nonetheless,I decided to try the longer tighter shorts. This is view C, I used linen blend fabric in medium gray. I stuck with the same size used for the other shorts and pants. WOW! Not my favorite shorts. Not at all! They are like a second skin. I’m not sure what I’ll end up doing with these. I do know at this point, they will not be worn much. I guess it’s time to start bicycling again? Anyway, I fully recommend this pattern, Simplicity 1165 to anyone looking to add variety to a summer wardrobe without much effort.
What exactly does that mean? Capsule Wardrobe? At first, I wasn’t sure. A time capsule? And why would anyone want a time capsule wardrobe is beyond me. But actually capsule wardrobe simply means a minimalistic wardrobe. This is of great interest to me. I vowed at the beginning of the year not to buy any clothing. I’ve done incredibly well, although I did purchase a shirt my daughter designed. I don’t really count that as clothing though,it is art!
So, while researching this new idea I came to realize the wardrobes are normally about 32-37 pieces. I better get sewing! Unless I count all my shoes, maybe even one by one, I am seriously lacking. But, in theory, this sounds like a great challenge! There are various methods of creating this wardrobe. In most methods, the first step to a capsule wardrobe is to empty, yes empty, everything out of your closet. Okay, I just moved my clothing into new closet so that sounds like a pain. But, it is the first step, so guess what I’m doing today?
Possibly the easiest method I found suggested creating seven outfits from the clothing you already own. That sounds great but, to me, that already means seven bottoms. I’m not sure I have seven bottoms, so, again, I better get sewing. I found this great app though to keep track of your outfits. For me, this wardrobe plan consists of finding great sewing patterns that are versatile.
So far, I use all the patterns in the photo above. The pants/shorts pattern has supplied me with two pair of pants and two shorts. The skirt pattern I’ve used once and I’ve made two of those dresses. I just love the jacket though. I need to make that as well. I guess I really only need to make one more bottom. I have more clothing than I thought. I bet you do too. Really this concept is much easier for the seamstress. We do not have to scrounge around for clothing in stores. We can simply find four or five fabrics that work well together both in prints and solids. The most challenging part for me isn’t finding the patterns to make or the fabric for that matter. The challenge is to find the time to sew all the clothing required for a “minimalist” wardrobe. I don’t know about you, but I’m going to give it a try, I may even pick up a book or two from Amazon to help me through the struggle.
The Kindle Books are especially helpful to me. I can always find my phone or iPad to read them when needed. So, with my patterns, fabric, app, and kindle books, I am ready to get started. Look for my outfit combinations on future blogs. Most of all ENJOY!
When I first started this blog I made a best of list to include what I thought was the best sewing blogs. Well, some time has passed and now I think I need to revise that list or better yet create a best of list for beginners. When I started sewing again, I had no idea where to look for anything! I was so glad I had a friend that was willing to help me find my way around.
Singer it’s the brand of machine I purchased. I don’t know if the brand makes a difference or not but, the section for beginner sewing has projects. I didn’t have a single pattern when I started sewing. They have a very easy section. I used this quite a bit in the beginning.
Pink Chocolate Break she has a great beginner sewing tutorial section. Wonderful, especially if, like me, you haven’t bought any patterns yet.
Andrea’s Notebook I used this and made the most beautiful kimono. HINT*** I used stretch lace with a border. I didn’t need to hem it. That, for me, is always a huge plus!
What the Craft has an awesome tutorial for making a circle skirt. You know, so you have something to wear to work. Your friends will be so impressed!
Sewing Directory one of the best beginner sewing shopping trip guides. Actually, if I was an organized type beginner, this would be number one on my list.
Simplicity this company has a section of patterns called learn to sew. Yes! Of course I have used most of these. I love them! If you like using videos to sew there are several produced by Simplicity that have video tutorials online as well.
Mimi G. this is a designer that produces patterns for Simplicity along with tutorials. The link will take you to her tutorial page.
Pattern Review this is a good resource for pattern shopping. I find a pattern I think I may like and search for a review on here. This helps me decide if the pattern is worth the money or not. It’s saved me a few hours. The occasions I wasted time and money trying to make something and failed I did not refer to this resource. 🙁
Craftsy I love this place! So many free sewing lessons. I have all the free ones I could find. Free topics include everything from sewing machine feet, zippers, bag making, sewing with knits, and probably more I have not found yet.
So Sew Easy she shares tutorials as she masters the technique.
Possibly you haven’t really looked into sewing books much. I got back into sewing and immediately had to have a sewing book my grandmother gave me 30 years ago. It’s the Simplicity Sewing Basics book. Then, I ventured out on my own and found Gertie Sews Vintage Casual. This book is amazing! It’s staggering the amount of information I have learned from this book, not to mention the FREE patterns she includes.
Let me start over, Gertie has a blog and not only do you get to learn from her daily, but you get to see what she looks like. Very refreshing and on trend immediately you feel HIP just for having clicked on her blog. She’s a tattooed girl with great vintage taste and a vast amount of sewing information to share. But, for people like me. I really like to have the book in hand. I wasn’t to use my pretty highlighters, you know? Pages come alive for me when I get to add color and quickly find the information I need. Honestly, I am kicking myself for not purchasing this book sooner. The patterns she included with the book would’ve saved me a ton of money. Because, I’ve purchased as many of those patterns as I could find, and they are not even by Gertie! I wish they were though.
Her book is divided into two sections SKILLS and WARDROBE. The wardrobe section is essential to the seamstress hoping to banish RTW clothing from her life. She included 22 patterns! Okay, this book sells on Amazon for around $25. For the price of the patterns alone on sale for 1.99 each, you know, Hancock and Joann’s like to have the sales. Anyway, at that price you could only walk out the door with 12 patterns. Gertie, that sweet but sassy girl, is packaging the patterns and the book together for $25 what a sweetheart, right? Seriously, don’t take it from me. Look at the Gertie Sews Vintage Casual: A Modern Guide to Sportswear Styles of the 1940s and 1950s“>book, her website, and see what you think.
Most of all ENJOY!
***I was not paid in anyway for this blog. These opinions are solely the opinions of Lucy’s Sewing Lab.
Sew, I was thinking the other day about sewing in the 1980s. Before all the wonderful technology we have now. I remember when I got stuck on a pattern, I had to travel 30 miles to my grandma’s house for help. Imagine when the first Singer machine in 1895. Singer machines then were not only a crafty useful tool but also a way to get some exercise. I cannot imagine wanting to sew and having to work that hard. People were passionate about it evidently.
Actually, I’ve been told by family members sewing was mostly out of necessity. Especially during wartime when so many things required sewing. My great grandmother worked at Camp Swift sewing during the war. My grandmother sewed for both her children and grandchildren. I am very happy to have been taught this wonderful art. Not only did I have a very experienced one on one teacher but, I also gained knowledge of historical sewing.
As grateful as I am for the experience of sewing without technology. I’m doubly grateful for the technology we have now. It is great that if I want to learn something I can login to Pinterest, or search Google for anything I need. I love the groups on Facebook that are so helpful. I use Girl Charlee, Sew Trendy,Sew Divas, and one of my very favorites, Sewing for Dummies. Help is always just a click away. When garments are complete posting photos is a great self esteem boost for those who like input. Several members of the group are sure to comment and make you feel wonderful about your hard work.
Shopping for supplies is much easier as well. We don’t even have to leave our sewing room to find the supplies needed. Amazon, the retail giant is always my go to for supplies. I am sure there are others out there, and I have used them. But, Amazon is just an easy and timely fix for what I need. Yes, I may have to wait a few days for my items, but I never had to leave my home. I cannot imagine sewing without technology. It makes life so much more enjoyable.
I only have one friend who sews currently. If she was not home prior to technology my project would just have to wait until I could find her to help me. Our life is certainly easier now isn’t it?
“>book, her website, and see what you think.