Howdy friends! Over the last few weeks, I’ve been making some toiles and trying to make some sewing plans. I thought I might share what those plans include. The goal of these plans is to make a wearable wardrobe.

I’ve been sewing for about a year and a half now. While I’ve really enjoyed almost every item I’ve made, they aren’t all very wearable. They are all wearable in the since that I can wear them, they fit, etc., but they aren’t very practical items.

A good example of this is my dresses. I love dresses. I love making dresses, and I do it a lot. And I love wearing dresses, but I almost never do. So dresses aren’t a very practical thing for me to make as often as I do. I think it might be because I’m scared of making pants due to my hips and fear of full butt adjustments. 

So, in efforts to have a me-made wearable wardrobe, I’ve started planning (because without plans, nothing gets done around here). I found a craftsy blog post about building a “real wardrobe” which had a lot of really good ideas and points, so I decided to run with it.

The basic idea is to start with 4 items of the same color group to create 4 “color columns” (one bottom + one top). The example starts with black items. Once you have your first color column, you can add in some statement items, like a printed top. Then, you can start another color column that coordinates, like khaki. Eventually I would like to have this whole system worked out, but these things take time. On top of that, I’m honestly still figuring out my style.

I’ve started my planning so that my sewing can be more targeted, if you will. I’m not sure if I’m going to stick with one color group, or mix it up a little with a bunch of neutrals. For starters, my plans include:

• Outer Layer
  • Morris Blazer (Grainline Studio) in grey knit
• Under-layer
  • Aurora Tank (Seamwork Mag) in black, and maybe purple
• Bottoms
  • Ginger Jeans (Closet Case Files)
  • Moss Skirt (Grainline Studio)

Other patterns I want to include are the Sewaholic Cordova Jacket, Grainline Lark Tee, Closet Case Files Morgan Jeans, and another Grainline Maritime Shorts (which I’ve made before). I might swap some of these out for some other patterns, but these are on my radar as of right now. What do you all think? Am I missing any great staples?