SWAP #12 Appraising my progress and starting the jacket

I am planning to have my SWAP completed by the deadline this year, which is the end of the month. Which is possible, or deliverable as we say at work.

Let’s have a look at progress so far.

I have constructed

• Grey pencil skirt
• Grey silk evening skirt
• Grey silk patterned blouse
• Navy trousers
• Navy circle skirt
• Navy sweater
• Navy patterned shorts
• Patterned silk scarf

Two other items

• Previously made red coat (with patterned silk scarf), [and red unfinished sweater in a bag in the background]

  

  I have made this coat before, in brown, for Esme. She loves it and still wears it. Recently I did a major operation on this version of the coat as it was coming apart and was a bit worse for wear. Sometimes mending and altering is the only sewing I do.

  

  My own version needed an alteration too. I used big press studs, as proposed in the pattern, to fasten it. They are silver and while Burda suggest covering them in lining, I didn’t bother. Then regretted it. I have removed the press studs, secured the coat with a big pin, and intend to paint them with red nail varnish. Hope it works!

• RTW white shirt

And still to complete (TNT pattern, adapted)

• Grey linen jacket, which I MUST CUT OUT TODAY!

And still to choose from (one more knitted item only)

• Yellow sweater
• Grey striped sweater
• Blue and grey ski sweater (in progress)

  

• Red Perry Ellis sweater (in progress), but I don’t think it will work.

  

As well as complying with the rules, which I believe any of these combinations would do, we have to be able to put together nice outfits that will get worn day to day. I cannot yet decide on which second knitted item to include. The four listed have been started, or completed during the SWAP period, so they would all comply with the rules, but I don’t know which one is best for making outfits up. I guess this will be finally decided when we come to do the photographs. When I chose the colours I knew they would all work together well, and I believe that nearly everything will work well with everything else in terms of

• colour
• pattern
• silhouette and style
• good fit and suitable for my personal look
• work well with existing wardrobe

So let’s see if I can out outfits together. For the purpose of this exercise I am going to use the grey striped sweater. Things would be different if I used any of the other three, but I imagine any would have a place.

1. Grey pencil skirt, grey silk blouse, grey jacket red shoes
2. Grey pencil skirt, white shirt, grey sweater, white sandals
3. Grey pencil skirt, navy sweater, navy tights and navy shoes
4. Grey silk evening skirt, white blouse, red shoes
5. Grey silk evening skirt and grey silk blouse, grey jacket, red shoes
6. Grey evening skirt, grey sweater, navy tights and navy shoes
7. Navy trousers, white shirt, red coat, navy shoes
8. Navy trousers, white shirt, grey jacket, white sandals
9. Navy trousers, grey sweater, white sandals
10. Navy trousers, navy sweater, navy shoes, silk scarf
11. Navy circle skirt, grey blouse, scarf, navy tights, navy shoes
12. Navy circle skirt, white blouse, navy tights and shoes, red coat
13. Navy shorts, white blouse, navy tights and shoes, red coat
14. Navy shorts, grey blouse, grey jacket, navy tights and navy shoes
15. Navy shorts, navy jumper, navy tights and red shoes

The rules on photos have just gone up:

• Provide 6-12 photos.
• Include one photo that includes the full group of garments (plus optional accessory if it applies)
• Include one photo of you wearing an outfit
• Additional 4-10 photos of various outfit combinations
• Every garment must be shown in at least two outfits
• Composite photos are allowed (but not required); however they are limited to a main photo and two smaller insers
• Photos should be sized to fit the page without scrolling.
• Photos should be posted by Monday 7 May

I shall have to work this out precisely. If early May is hot some of these items will be uncomfortable to model. But the woolies and coat are suitable for about nine months of the year. The silk and linen items will be perfect for our short summer season.