an idea

i found this in my feed today:

source 

and this in my burda pattern library:

i also have lots of sheers and laces just wondering WTF they're doing sitting in my stash forever...would be a fun party wrap or wedding layer, no? who's getting married!?

Wooly waver jacket: everything can't be a winner.

Fun fact: did you know that nice wool coating fabric can cost $20-30/yard? At that rate, plus the time involved, it seems kinds of inefficient to make a wool coat. Not everyone sews to be frugal, but I do. 

So while I wanted to use up flannel scraps and fur leftovers for parts...i didn't have the important outer layer. I found myself with a fabulous pattern and no fabric to sew it. (see this year's resolution. i am a pattern glutton. we all have flaws ;)

Luckily, expensive places like cities also have special super bargain places like the East Bay Depot for Creative REuse. Isn't it great that creative is IN THE TITLE? like, don't just use it, make it GREAT, people. 

On a very productive I scored the bundle above for less than $10. excellent pressing tools, 2-3 yards of wool fabric, and that adorable bunny sateen - maybe a lining? Not wanting to lose my thunder, i took the barfy pink home and plunked it in a stew pot with some aqua dye. 

in process, with instagram filter. looks a dream, no?

it turned out ok. I'd prefer the color were more saturated, but it had gotten really cold out, I'd already dyed my fingers once, and i wanted a flippin coat. 

IT went together really easily. YAY! I interlined with leftover flannel bits from various dresses and PJs, used some paracute cord i bought for a long gone BF for the inner drawstring and, my favorite part, reused some gift fur from a dear friend's 2006 christmas gift for a luscious faux fur hood. 

see? it all fit together so nicely! This lining is some tahari stretch satin i thought i would use for lingerie about a year ago. Turns out I don't wear satin pjs and don't really have a satin lounge robe kind of life. You guys. it's good to be honest with yourself. 

my handstiching is getting better....inside the lovely perfect length everything fit together cuff.

anyway, the color's not great on me. 

the hood is 100 pounds.

all the photos with me in em are on my laptop at work (school).

i think i messed up the button placement.

all those layers in the middle make the cinching kinda lumpy.

image stolen from student artwork @ my school. i love it.

something i'm doing makes all of my lower right plackets wonky.

everything can't be a winner. It's the process sometimes. Learning.

tell me about your near misses?

Goals for 2016: this gets long but not because it's a lot of goals

This year I did a really good job of making clothes I'll wear again and again, from pajamas and undies to jeans and party dresses. 

Stuff I made /top nine in 2015- from bottom- light jacket, swimsuit, jeans, summer dress, pjs, t shirts, and a sick Halloween cape. Not pictured but worn regularly: flannel dress, workout pants, pj variations, kid clothes and swimmers, 500 undies for me and people near by ;). 

Now I'd like to find my next /new /expanded tried and trues to make my wardrobe mega functional and totally me.

This year I have one goal. Beyond continuing to grow my skills and reducing the global impact of getting dressed, I want to go on a pattern fast. I've done pretty well with a fast on fabric, using what I have, I mean, before buying more. I make exceptions for a particular project that I force to the top of the list (my wool coat right now, for instance!), so it doesn't go into the stash hole. I've shopped the same at the reuse shops as regular fabric outlets: very judicious, with a plan, execute that plan. No hoarding! 

I scored this coat-making bundle at the reuse shop and immediately got to dyeing. Put it to work!

It may be trickier for patterns, because buying patterns feels low impact, resource wise, as so many are PDFs. Even more, they have that exciting NEW feeling, and make me feel like I'm supporting the indie sewing industry, which means employment for so many creative women. That's tricky, right? 

I love that these women (and Taylor), are kicking ass and making dollars, but I need to let others do the spending for a minute. 

That sicky pink wool after dyeing, with fur that has been in my closet since xmas 2006. Geez that's a long time! It's interlined with flannel left from my flannel dress and some pj pants. 

On the list, then:

Black Birkin/Kendall skinny jeans, this time in a straight 29. Nail that fit!

Sutton blouse v 1

Another Papercut Alexandria (v2) or Moji (v1) casual pant, especially for hiking. This is the pant I reach for most on the weekends, but it's missing from my wardrobe. 

Finish Waver jacket (in process photo above)finished: here 

Maybe this is the year for a finlayson...? I love how easy and profesh the kid version turned out, I can imagine getting lots of play from an adult edition.

Happy child wears handmade 

Halifax hoodie! (Replacing a threadbare h&m zip up from around 2007?? Frugal fanny, that's me!) Two versions: In $1 mystery fabric and maybe again in a nice one like merino 💓

Try out Cambie dress (I fell for the bday sale 😭) It's built for someone shaped completely different from me, but also seems like a fun dress that could be made in a variety of fabrics to go lots of places/events. Let's see!

Investigate pencil pants. I have the sew over it pattern, the Manhattan trouser, and a burda pattern, but I haven't been able to cut fabric for them. What's that about? I know some of it is body stuff- not wanting to suffer ill fitting pants, worry that I'll cut the complete wrong size...sadness after all that time and fabric and $ invested. 

Watch this space for continued fear and avoidance or a deep dive like I did with t shirts...which got me a go-to I love, and helps me avoid new pattern hysteria😳😁😀. 

Silk blouse, wool twill jacket with flashy insides, excellent denim, sneaky unders, all me made. That, my friends, is a wardrobe. 

How do you stay inspired but not shopping? Please share your sources!

And happy happy happy new year.

Xoxo

Bex