Kondo 0.6 – finalising my sewing quarter
This weekend I finished my sewing area in our living room. This included quite a lot of discarding, but I also made some changes.
UFOs (or Unfinished objects)
I honestly believed I don’t do UFOs. My clarity on what I like to wear, what styles work best with my body shape, the colours I prefer, my reasonably good grasp of which fabric is right for the job arrogantly made me believe I don’t get it wrong very often. But of course I do. I just prefer to forget about it – to completely wipe them from my mind in a classic act of denial. The bagged up, unfinished projects are hidden away so that I don’t feel guilty. But what happens when you pull them all out from their hidey holes and look them in the face?
You throw away the things that don’t spark joy. To be honest it is very hard for a poor UFO to spark joy in anyone. You hid it because you couldn’t bring yourself to finish it. It wasn’t working six months ago, whatever made you think it would work now? For those that are still wondering, the quilt pieces have gone to Oxfam.
However some UFOs got saved. There are seven or eight of them. I decided to put them on a tray in my sewing room, with “mending” and “alteration” items. The pile was bigger but I have been quite good at going through it and doing the jobs. Five have already been completed. Since taking the photo the pink jumper has been darned (moth holes…) By having them on the tray I have them in my sight and mind. I will have to finish them by Christmas or they too go in the Dustybin.
My Inspiration Board
I stripped it down. Half of it consisted of drawings I had done before SWAP 2015 started – as you might expect not one garment resembled what I had actually made. I also had off cuts of each fabric I had used. All very interesting but now discarded. In the end I found I had a lot of old post cards and magazine cuttings that I had not looked at for ages. What I have now is a nearly plain board. I have a few colour schemes for future textile planning, and two pictures of sleeves I would like to make. I will add to it again as the mood takes me. I used to use boards a lot more before the internet, but they still have a value. But I think they need regular culling.
Paper
Kondo has a section on what to do about paper. It involves throwing much of it away. I have lots of paper associated with sewing – everything from evening class handouts to cardboard pocket templates, to old magazines with interesting article that I haven’t actually read. As I usually have a good internet connection I have trashed most of it. I admit some patterns have been stuffed into my paper pattern area, which I have yet to tackle. A difficult job I have been putting off. I think I need to take a holiday first. The paper under my ironing board is used for dewaxing fabric but it also stops small items such as socks falling on the floor.
The drawers
The drawers that contain thread, needles, thimbles, chalk, seam rippers and other small items used for sewing are currently tidy and beautifully arranged.
What did I say I would do?
I have a page called Ideas for projects. I set it up a year ago hoping that if I listed what I wanted to do it might focus my attention. Furthermore I planned to use the cute strikethrough feature provided by WordPress once I completed a project.
Some were pattern cutting challenges. Some were items I needed to finish or alter. A few were clothes I promised to make for my son, daughter, mother or step daughter. Many ideas were generated as I sewed and pondered. The ideas kept coming and the list kept growing. I soon realised I would never achieve everything. I completed around a third of what I listed. Then I started ignoring the list. It wasn’t a “plan” – just a set of “fancies”.
The essential difference between a notion, a fancy, a desire on the one hand, and a “plan” on the other, is that the plan takes the idea and turns it into something that is meant to happen. My project ideas were underdeveloped, just impulsive, ethereal thoughts, passing through my imagination, not yet worked through. I think the strength of the Sewing with a Plan approach is that by giving two months for planning and four for sewing it puts a lot of emphasis on planning. It tries to counteract the seamstress’s version of the impulse buy.
My 2015 SWAP plan addressed my need for suits for work; my older suits are well-worn and tired. The SWAP has been helpful (both years) in forcing me to create work outfits that I actually wear on a regular basis.
Since Kondoing my wardrobe I have concluded with that I don’t need many more outfits. However there are a few things I am missing, as I develop my plan for the next six months.
I am thinking of applying the SWAP philiosphy to rest of my sewing time.
I want to set myself some criteria and allow myself six months to deliver it. I enjoy the thinking and planning process as much as I enjoy the making up. I am a “slow sewing” rather than “fast food” type person so I don’t mind if it takes a little longer. I want to make clothes that I will love wearing for a long time and I want to make items that stretch my skills and abilities.
But, before I finalise my plans, let’s Kondo a list! Here is what I currently have on my project page. I have italicised the few items I want to save.
- VW jacket in blue/silver wool
- Stretch cotton VW jacket
- Yellow tailored summer jacket
develop the curvy pencil skirt – grown on waist, shorter and longer, and with floppy pockets- Develop the 30 minute T dress and make a similar one in painted silk
- sporty shorties; make up again with pockets, include key pocket and develop into a cycling skirt
finish the Preen hand-painted silk topDevelop the sports T – include a bust dart, and make up in other colours- Develop the bias top
- try a spiral dress
- A VW inspired waistcoat
- A VW inspired coat
- A VW inspired dress
- Trousers to go with blue air hostess jacket
- Add pockets to air hostess jacket
- Curvy pencil to match air hostess jacket
- Curvy pencil and VW jacket in grey wool and silk
- Make a top in Iris printed silk chiffon
- Develop YSL Mondrian dress pattern
- Do a Mondrian top and skirt
- Remake Mondrian dress in other colour-ways and fabrics
- Help Charlotte complete textile project
- Finish Gus’s jacket
- Linen shirt for Gus in Navy and White
- Develop a pattern for a four way skirt
Make two orange cushions for EsmeMake an outfit for Esme to wear for Gemma’s weddingMake an outfit for the staff summer party (international emphasis- Make a shirt for Ted
Experimenting with smocking – making a 1940s blousea sleeveless 70s dress in light yellowPair of “harem trousers” for MotherPrint fabric for AmandineNavy suit- Grey suit
waistcoat- Dark Brown suit
- Consider a dark green trouser suit (
made dark green trousers) Jump suit- Knickers
- Slip
jersey DVF wrap roundskirt to go with Chanel style jacketchristening gownperfect tailored trousers- handpainted full length silk dress
- make an outfit from the dripping damask in turquoise
- dinosaur blouse
- alter the jungle jumpsuit to make a modern version
- make an outfit from the knives print
- summer skirt
- holiday wardrobe
Now I have considered the 6 PAC, the 30 piece wardrobe, and my varied desires and duties I will pare it all back. Next week I am going to “discard” this long list and publish one that I actually plan to deliver.
The 30 piece wardrobe – is it feasible?
I wondered if it were possible to create a wardrobe with just 30 items, especially in a wet and chilly environment.
I have chosen a sub-set of my existing wardrobe to meet the criteria – just 30 items including shoes and bags, suitable for all UK seasons, for work and weekends. I included some of my newer SWAP items as they haven’t had much wear yet, but I am confident they would stand the test.
14 tops
I chose to go for seven jackets or formal tops, and seven T shirts and cardigans.
Of the five jackets four are hand made – the second navy, and pink, jackets are from this year’s SWAP. The navy padded down jacket on the far left is from Uniqlo. On cold days this will happily sit under the woolen jackets, but is nice on its own with all the bottoms. The turquoise and white overblouses are my Nina Ricci SWAP 2015 tops.
Here I have two blouses – one in white linen (SWAP 2014), the other a formal pink blouse; three T shirts – navy, pink and yellow; and two cashmere cardigans in turquoise and grey
7 bottoms
I included one pair of jeans, and six skirts. The jeans and the yellow leather skirt are RTW. The light blue is from SWAP 2014 and the two pink skirts are from SWAP 2015
4 dresses
I have four hand made dresses – three from SWAP 2015, and one from SWAP 2014. The set includes a “LBD” (dino-dress), a summer dress (peony dress) and two work dresses which can be dressed up or down.
1 coat and 1 bag
I am ashamed of this coat, but it is the one I wear to protect me from snow and rain and it is practical and warm. It works with jeans and a T shirt in summer, and as a final layer over jumpers and jackets in winter with a hat, scarf and gloves. It is not very beautiful. The rucksack is a new addition. It is smaller than my big red hiking bag, but it’s still very practical (now that I am Kondoing).
3 pairs of shoes
I chose three pairs of shoes I wear quite a lot, so they will not last forever if I only wear thee three. But they will go with all the outfits I have chosen.
Now I have selected a 30-piece basic wardrobe together would I really be happy to wear it for a whole year. Nothing else?
Yes! I really think I could. It would be a relief to some extent.
Cutting down to 30 items does feel a bit like Desert Island Discs, so hopefully I could also include
- four or five scarves
- a pair of brown leather gloves
- a cerise cashmere hat
- tights in blue, brown and clear
- half a dozen belts
- stud earrings and three silver necklaces
- sports outfit – shorts, sports bra top, trainers and socks
Of course it is not just about numbers it is also about lifestyle and climate. This wardrobe suits my need for formal but not over corporate working wardrobe, weekend casual and the occasional dressy evening event. The colours are quite diverse – blue, pinky red, yellow and turquoise with dark brown, navy, white and grey as neutrals – providing me with lots of variety. Some capsule wardrobes are based on only two colours and one neutral, but 30 items allows more choice.
Do you think you could last a year with just 30 items? Plus the complete works of Shakespeare?
Mad Men – Betty Draper
I already wrote about the Mad Men from a Menswear perspective. But of course the womenswear was sensational too, and impossible to do justice to in a short blog post, so I am going to give the three leading ladies (here IRL) a post each.
My favourite is Betty Draper, played by January Jones. I find her incredibly beautiful in the series, much more so than in her contemporary outfits. To me she has “the Look” I associate with the 1960s, especially with dressed, set hair, make up and accessories. Although her hair is obviously bleached she has such gorgeous light colouring she glows in pastels and lighter shades, whereas (to my mind) she looks somewhat ordinary in the navy evening blouse and trousers above.
Here is a selection of some of the nicest outfits Betty wore in the series.
In all these images Betty has been dressed in lighter tones, and with her haughty, rather dissatisfied look she epitomises the Cool Blonde made famous in Alfred Hitchcock films. The first picture, of a lovely full-skirted 1950s dress, shows off Jones’ fabulous figure. Her hair, set on jumbo rollers and her deeper lipstick shows how at the start of the 1960s the older trends were still current.
In the series Betty wears some lovely coats – very inspirational for tailors. Isn’t this one super with its flared cuffs, large buttons and typical 1960s flat collar? The outfit with the dark green trousers, neat silk scarf and light tan leather gloves is so beautiful (and entirely unsuitable for riding a horse, IMO). The pearl earings lighten up her face and the round shapes emphasise her full lips and curved face.
In the third image Betty wears a tailored dress with capped sleeves and contrasting polka dot detail. The form-fitting shape looks wonderful and this sort of very simple outfit is lifted by the silk ties around her waist. A tall slim woman in a simple sheath dress is always a great look – but some detail and personalisation makes it stand out from the crowd. Wearing gloves for anything other than warmth was still common in formal wear during the 1960s – a hangover from earlier times when ladies would not want to touch things unguarded. This white glove trend is completely dead now – but gloves can give an outfit a subtle vintage look. Consider wearing a short coloured leather glove in a colour that complements your coat or jacket.
And finally Betty in a shirt-waister – my absolute favourite. I love this look – a soft cotton, long-sleeved dress with collar and cuffs and a nice belt. On Betty in pink, light green or yellow it always looks fresh, summery, pulled together but not too formal. It makes me want to make one.
I will really miss seeing Betty in so many great outfits.
Meeting Marianna of Sew2Pro
I finally met a real, live sewing blogger – Marianna. I discovered her blog when I was searching for information about Pattern Magic. Marianna has written a lot about her experiments with this modern Japanese and highly interesting approach to pattern cutting. She told me that this is how most people come to her site. She tried lots of the PM “patterns” herself and also ran a challenge which many participants. I love that Marianna and many of the participants were somewhat doubtful about the patterns. That was my experience too.
So who is the person behind the blog that goes “from flops to couture”? A petit, pretty, smiley, chic, softly (slightly accented) spoken ball of enthusiasm, creativity and energy. Lovely arms and a runners’ body. Apart from the PM challenge she organised one that required participants to create Great British Sewing Bee items in a week; and another – the Vivienne Westwood Challenge. She writes beautifully and I really love what she makes and wears. Here she is just as she ordered the most interesting things on the menu – tapioca caviar, broad bean houmous and a duck egg – at the wonderful Grainstore restaurant in Kings Cross.
We had so much to discuss. She showed me what she had bought at Simply Fabrics and we discussed how to apply a shimmering metallic finish. We talked about family, jobs, ambition, how we learned to sew, where we live, holiday plans and our families. I am passionate about the regeneration of London so we also had a look around the Kings Cross redevelopment area where some young people were making a 3D map from the earth dug up during the building work. When it is sunny swarms of little kids run through those fountains, squealing and laughing. When we met it was too chilly for us to sit around. So we popped into the college – London’s Central School of Art and St Martin’s College merged and moved into Kings Cross a few years ago. I love to see Japanese students in enormous coats and shoes, men in skirts and teachers who wear more than their fair share of lipstick.
Marianna and I visited the degree shows and had a quick look at the textiles, and fashion design entries. The textiles included printed, woven and knitted fabrics – lots of art work, photographs and videos too. We weren’t allowed to photograph the students’ work. But there was a seaside nurse on show, so Marianna gamely posed again. There are so many short courses being run over the summer at Central St Martins – we picked up brochures and thought about going to learn something new together.
Copying a Zara coat for Esme
Esme has a much-loved yellow, summer coat. I bought for about £60 in Zara, a shop that usually stocks more a good range of yellow items. In fact if you like yellow it is the shop to shop in. I imagine in sunny Spain those dark-haired girls seek out true lemon to make their black clothes and denim jeans come to life.
Anyway a yellow summer coat is a wonderful thing, and I am always looking for nice yellow cloth for myself (more of that later). I love it that Esme wears a yellow coat like it is just an old thing – rather than reserved for “occasion wear”.
Esme has had this coat for two or three years and it has gone from pretty to pretty knackered. She has never washed or cleaned it and to my mind it is ready for throwing out. But she loves it dearly and will even wear it for parties (luckily in Peckham, in summer, grunge is still OK).
As I put the coat on Camilla you could see her lip curling. What are you putting on me? It’s disgusting! Well it won’t be long my dear Duchess, as Esme will want it to wear it later today. You can see the facings rolling out, the sagging pockets, the lack of any proper interfacing, the uneven hem. Please, fellow dressmakers and seamstresses, if any of these thing happen to your jackets and dresses realise it is the norm on RTW.
Anyway my task was to replicate said coat. In exactly the same shade of yellow, the same feel and texture, the exact viscose-linen twill fabric used by the manufacturer. Sorry, Esme, that is not going to happen. Despite searching committedly for fabric that might do I failed miserably. But Esme is a kind and reasonable girl. She agreed with me that a completely different colour, but more or less the right weight would do just fine.
So now we are on the hunt for something suitable.
In the meantime I made up a pattern. It was really a simple task as the coat only has one dart – under bust to hem (the only difficulty was seeing how the grain was arranged around the dart). I made a decision and we will see how it hangs. The sleeve was quite interesting as I have noticed that Zara have narrow, curved two piece sleeves on their jackets (I once altered a black suit for Bianca). So took an existing two piece fitted coat pattern, and made the upper sleeve narrower and more curved. I can use the existing under sleeve. This is to produce a fairly quick wearable toile you understand – I only have around 1 hour before I leave for work. Once it is made up and tried on we can see if it needs some refinement.
Can a machine do a colour analysis?
I had read some of the hype about a new “lipstick matching” service in Boots, which would apparently “change forever how we buy lipstick”.
I must admit getting a lipstick that really suits us is a challenge. We all have a red and a pink that works for us, but finding it can be like looking for a needle in a haystack. I have tried to give some rational advice on this in a previous post. So I was intrigued when I heard about this gadget that can read your skin tone and propose the right shade of foundation and the perfect lipstick.
So, between meetings, I dropped into a Boots in the City. I sat on a high chair and the charming sales assistant asked me if I was wearing foundation. I told her I never did so she started by identifying my skin tone. My skin is, according to her gadget, “deeply beige” a warm/deep shade. Well that made me a little suspicious to start with as I feel pretty sure my complexion is naturally rather cool looking and not a very deep colour. But who knows? When I look at a face, to determine personal colouring, I don’t just look at the shade of the jaw line (where she placed her gadget) but I take into account (in this order)
- Eyes (there are often a range of colours in the eyes – mine have some yellow, for example)
- Natural Hair (and eyebrows, eyelashes)
- Lips (which often include quite a few shades)
- Skin colour (overall, plus translucency, freckles, blushing etc)
And I try to see what the overall look is telling me, rather than fixating on one of the elements. So if technology is going to work in helping us to understand individual colouring I think it would have to take in the whole face and would have to be quite sophisticated.
Having decided I was “Deeply Beige” the sales assistant then asked me what sort of lipstick I prefered? Was it “Moisture Drench” or “Stay Perfect”? I didn’t know which to select, so she suggested the Moisture one was nicer. This meant that all the colours below are said to suit my personal colouring.
I asked her to decide which of these would be the best for me. She chose “Sweet Chestnut” and “Ginger Rose”. I tried both on and didn’t feel they were me. They were a bit orangey, a bit muted too. I am sorry I don’t have a photograph of me in these shades so I could let you be the judge. But I don’t think this “technology” is going to change the way we buy lipstick. It is just not convincing.
Anyone else given something like this a try? Did you come away with the perfect shade?
Kondo 0.5 Tackling “The Stash”
I hate calling it a “stash” – a word I absolutely associate with drugs. In fact I don’t use the S word. The fabrics I have bought and accumulated in my cupboard are my raw materials, my inspiration, my hobby and my future wardrobe. But while I have slimmed down my actual wardrobe considerably, my cupboard overfloweth.
I started on Kondoing my dressmaking area this weekend. It is an uphill task. I have much more fabric than I realised, despite returning to sewing for less than two years. You can buy a lot of fabric in two years. And patterns, lining, interfacing, zips, buttons, ribbon, elastic etc.
Fabric
I started by pulling out all my fabric. I am ashamed to say there were several pieces I had entirely forgotten. Bought some time ago, perhaps with a garment in mind, I never got around to sewing it up.
I went through the each piece, refolding it and to some extent reclassifying. I have pulled out all the smaller pieces and those I have cut into. The rest I have arranged roughly by “wooly”/”cottony” and by colour. Everything fits now without falling out. I can see everything I own. But, OMG, I own far, far too much.
The only thing I can do is to stop buying fabric. I have more than enough here for a year or two of making my own clothes and the occasional item for family and friends. Yet I know if I go to a lovely fabric shop I will see material that I want to buy – because it is beautiful, because it is in my colour, because it is a bargain. Just like nearly everything I already own.
I did throw some fabric out, of course. Anything too small to be immediately useful (the local Oxfam said they like scraps and that they sell easily). A few bits I had bought but don’t really care for due to the inferiority of the fabric or the fact that the colour is not quite right. A few two metre pieces that will be ideal for someone else – I let these go easily. But there was not much that didn’t “spark joy” in me – the potential of fabric is almost the definition of what gives me joy (having said that Cinnabon is pretty close).
As I checked out every piece of fabric I cut off some of the rough edges to make good rectangles – my thriftiness knew no bounds. I folded everything as neatly as I could. The smaller pieces were relegated to a drawer where they can be seen, sitting upright. The larger pieces got shelves. I now have a little space should I need it, but it should become more spacious as I use up my fabric supply.
Reflection
The upshot is that I have resolved not to buy any fabric for a while. I won’t say I will boycott Simply Fabric – it gives me enormous pleasure to look at cloth. But I am cutting right back, with a deliberate aim of always trying to use first what I have. There are some lovely summer fabrics in there, and summer is coming, so I know what I have to do. I don’t need much. A few things maybe – a nicer apron, a summer jacket and a shower cap that I would not be embarrassed by. All of these things I can make from what I already have.
BAG COUNT = 6.5 (Including half from non-participant husband)
My personal sewing plan
Previously I wrote about my sewing plans for the rest of the year. I considered Wendy Mak’s 30 piece wardrobe plan. Before I set out my own thinking I also had a look at what Dr Elizabeth (ejvc on Artisan’s Square) has devised – the seasonal 6PAC.
This is a helpful and interesting concept, I think. It keeps the sewing manageable but also makes wardrobe additions which work with what you already have. Here is Elizabeth’s own sewing plan for her Swedish summer wardrobe:
– a lightweight, shoulder-covering jacket (grey)
– a pair of lightweight trousers (grey)
– a casual skirt (grey or white)
– a long-sleeved lightweight shirt (white or grey)
– a couple of T-shirts (brights or prints)
So now I have a plan. I am thinking six items too but not so much a capsule wardrobe. I want things that I “need” to support and work with what I have already got. I am also inspired by Elizabeth’s simple cool colour scheme – when I have been Kondoing my wardrobe I felt it lacked lightness. What will I make?
- A summer jacket in light grey
- A summer maxi dress
- Something in yellow
- Something in white
- A bias experiment – possibly a blouse/skirt dress
- Painted silk blouse (s)
When I suggested a plan Bunny from LaSewista commented:
“I need the freedom to take creative flights of fancy when they hit. That makes me happy and fulfilled. Just today I went to the thrift shop and the ideas started effervescing and next thing I knew three garments came home with me ready for my flights of creative fancy. It’s how I roll. My sewing universe is a very fluid one.”
I loved this comment and it encapsulates how I feel too. This is why my plan is deliberately non-specific. No patterns or fabrics are specified. I have a few colours and, fabric types and techniques on the list, but it is a plan that I hope I will use to push me to be more creative.
In addition I need to finish a few projects
- Finish the knives print and make something with it
- Make something with the dripping damask
- Finish the turquoise SWAP blouse
Burda blouse 105 - Make a summer coat for Esme to replace her yellow coat
Shabby Zara Coat - Line jacket for Gus (started August last year)
Almost completed jacket for Gus - Help Charlotte finish her textile project
- Alter the jump suit pattern or toile a more modern cut
And finally there are a few things that are not clothes that I would like to make
- Shower cap
- Kindle cover
- Iphone protector
- Cover a few note books for presents
As I am generally more into slow sewing than instant hits I plan to complete my 6PAC between now and Christmas. In between projects I will try to do something from the other lists. One new garment for me a month, roughly speaking, is quite enough. This plan should take me to the start of the next SWAP!
Menswear – looking at Mad Men
Mad Men is nearly over and I admit I am a tiny bit bored now.
At the beginning I loved the programme. Mainly because I liked Don and his story although it became more or more contrived as it progressed. But apart from the story line I especially liked to see what the men were wearing. The clothes and artifacts were well researched and sparked a huge amount of interest in vintage clothing. So here is a short post on some of the highlights of the menswear.
The programme starts in 1960 with the characters wearing early 1960s two or three-piece suits although in reality the 1950s look was still current. But I just love these two (Roger was actually my favourite with his marvellous one liners), and their light grey suits. Their dark narrow ties, crisp white shirts and discreet handkerchiefs and three button jackets sum up the era. The suits in the programme look tailor-made and well-fitting.
By Season 4 we are on to 1964/5. By now the suits have adapted to the style we know as the 1960s – quite a boxy shape in the American style. White shirts were still the norm, with narrow ties and conservative colour schemes. Roger looks a bit bulky in the dark navy three-piece which is not as flattering for his colouring as the light grey above. But Don – the most fashionable of this group – looks great in a “tonic” suit. This cloth was popularised by the Mods and was a genuine innovation in menswear at the time. It included mohair or silk and had a very definite two-tone sheen. This particular shade of blue is very typical and works well with Don’s deep colouring. Pete has a tie pin. Bert is slightly weird with his bow tie and shoeless feet, but his suit is up to the minute. Lane (left, standing) is interesting because he is British. I like it when American soaps include British characters – it gives such an insight into how we are seen. Here Lane wears a slightly brownish-grey Prince of Wales check (I think), a three-piece suit, a slightly creamy shirt (that looks good with this ensemble) and a fuller, silk tie, with a tie pin. The glasses, suit shape and hair style were very much the 1960s style.
But Don doesn’t change much from his classic 1960s look as we enter the 1970s. As those about him lose their inhibitions and start wearing checked jackets, longer hair and cravats, Don sticks to a classic look. Even at a summer garden party the gentlemen wear ties, smart slacks and good leather shoes. The check jackets were known as sports jackets and I remember my father wearing one every weekend. Don chooses a colourful one button jacket with his brownish trousers and a striped tie. The jacket is very shaped showing off this square shoulders and slim waist. The silhouette is nice but the colours are a bit of a mess. That’s the 1970s I suppose. These sort of “smart casual” jackets would also have been tailor-made and generally worn with plain trousers. Both Roger and Pete have coordinated their colours. It is also interesting that Pete has on a coloured skirt – they were just starting to be worn for work too at this time.
Have you enjoyed the programme? Has it influenced how you dress?
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