Winter Wardrobe 2009

So this might not be as interesting to me as it is to anyone else… but I spent months and months planning this out, so here we go. My inherited stash of material and patterns loomed large, and I was rapidly shedding the baby weight I had gained while pregnant with my first son. So, I pulled out the patterns whose smallest size was my current size – 16, which is roughly a ready-to-wear 12. Side note: sewing is not for the faint of heart. You have to accept the fact that the patterns are 1-2 sizes larger than what you find in the stores. Just think of it this way: clothing manufacturer fat-cats want you to spend money so they make you feel good by slapping a size 12 label on a size 16. You, however, are not a sucker. Be proud and buy patterns by your measurements! Anyway, once I pulled all the patterns that only went down to a 16, I matched fabric to them from my stash and supplemented with some patterns that go all the way from XS to XL. What emerged was a color palette and a wardrobe that was pretty functional for Atlanta winters.

• Easy McCall’s/Sew News 2351 – tank and skirt in teal double knit
• Easy McCall’s/Sew News 2350 – hooded jacket and skirt in black knit
• Simplicity 7905 – short slip dress and short sleeve overdress in black knit and black novelty sheer, respectively
• Kwik Sew 2694 – long and short-sleeve surplice tops in white knit and raspberry sweater, respectively
• Simplicity Millenium 8626 – skirt, pants and knit tunic in purple plaid on bias, purple and black double knit and burgundy sweater
• Easy McCall’s/Sew News 2348 – long jumper and unlined jacket in teal wool woven
• Kwik Sew 2184 – long sleeve rugby, extended into a dress that falls at knee, in a green-purple stripe double knit
• Kwik Sew 2966 View A – long sleeve button down in black-purple leaf print woven
• Kwik Sew 1607 View A – racing-style back swimsuit in a purple/pink print
• Kwik Sew 3206 All Views – purses made from leftover fabrics
• Rucksack – burgundy corduroy
• Simplicity 7457 – lined coat with detachable hood in burgundy wool woven
• “Shrug Your Shoulders” article in white and black double knit
• “Sew RETRO” article with green capri and tan chino

To Hand Stitch or to Stitch Witch?

That is the question. The answer, as it turns out, is to stitch-witch whenever possible. This is the result of recent battle in the war of me versus perfectionism. I sat for a while with a half-finished shirt, debating on whether I should take a short cut and finish the shirt or if I should follow the instructions exactly and hand-stitch the hems and inside-shoulder seams. Shouldn’t I takethe long road and do the hand-stitching? Make my bones, so to speak, in the sewing world? Didn’t mom hand-stitch when she first started to sew? Don’t I have to “earn” the right to utilize tools that make a sewer’s life easier? Won’t I be cheating if I don’t struggle through this pattern? And so I sat and thunk. And thunk some more. In the end – and this is after some genuine soul searching far beyond what the situation called for – I decided to use Stitch Witchery instead of hand stitiching. Honestly, this is a comfort garment, not an elegant evening gown where hand-crafted details would make it a one-of-a-kind piece. And, if Sewing with Nancy can do it, so can I. But this is indicative of what goes on in my head in all aspects of my life: if I can’t do things exactly how I want to, or how the instructions tell me to, or at the right time or with the right materials, or if the planets aren’t aligned… I struggle to start projects, let alone finish them. In my mind, I see myself toiling romantically with needle and thread for years and years until I am a master tailor or some such nonsense. In reality, I want to sew for myself, friends and family and to enjoy it. I need to leave my perfectionism behind and embrace the act of sewing. Or I will never get anywhere.


This skirt and tank turned out to be very comfortable – the tank so much so that I am already noting that if I have another baby I am keeping this top and some of my yoga pants for suuuuper stretchy comfort in the summer months. Since it is winter here in upstate NY I tried the top with a button down blouse underneath… it kind of worked. The model on the pattern paired the tank and skirt with a wide belt below the waist. I do not own a belt anymore (since I went shopping for one after my first son was born and they didn’t make one big enough for me anywhere in the entirety of Perimeter Mall – I have not tried to repeat this horrifying experience since). The skirt is really long – great since I am tall – so I am hoping that I can fit into my knee boots (post-pregnancy calf bloat is a threat). With some tights and boots the skirt could be winter-friendly and cute.


A couple of problems with the construction: I went a little stitch-witch crazy in tacking down the interfacing. I should have stuck with fusing just at the sides – the rectangle shows at the front. I might have to cover it up with a chunky necklace of some kind… but I am accessory-challenged, so one step at a time!