dream projects for 2018

Happy New Year, lovely humans! So far 2018 has been grey and windy and wet and dark, which is not great, but I've also had Patrick home all week before he starts his new job, which means last minute matinee Hamilton tickets (people are correct, it's really good). For both those reasons, I haven't managed to take any project photos. I have a bunch of things to share so I'll get on that this week. In the meantime, I am in MAJOR planning mode for both sewing and life in general, so here's a very specific type of forward planning I've been working on.

I know a lot of people do Make Nine at the beginning of the year, and that is just not for me at all. Picking nine specific patterns at the beginning of the year would go one of two ways: I choose well, and everything's finished by March (making it just an extra seasonal plan), or I choose badly, and none of it gets made at all. It's just not worth it to me, even if it means missing out on hashtags and whatnot.

However, there is a type of year-long plan that might be of some use to me. I have a few ideas in my head, ranging from the quite vague to the extremely specific, that aren't tied to any pattern or fabric I've seen and thus can't really go on my three-month plans because three months is usually not enough time to find the right components. But then they're not on my list, so I tend to forget about them when I'm shopping and never get any closer to making them. If I put them on their own separate list, so that they're on my mind when I'm shopping but not tied to a time limit that might make me panic-buy stuff that isn't quite right, there might be more of a chance that I can make at least some of them.

So here is my list of "things I'm actively seeking to make this year, but might not happen because I'm not prepared to compromise and make something that's only sort of what I wanted". Snappy title there, Jen. Anyway:

- A leather/faux leather jacket. This is one of the time consuming projects I've resolved to make this year, and while I'm pretty sure there are loads of patterns for biker-style jackets, I haven't decided exactly what I want yet. I'm probably going with classic black, but am prepared to be swayed by an interesting bronze or similar if it comes my way.

- A black jumpsuit for eveningwear. I was heavily anti-jumpsuit until about four years ago, when I tried on a low-cut black surplice jumpsuit and realised it was the best thing I'd put on my body in quite some time. I bought that jumpsuit and still have it, but it doesn't currently fit. I'm not looking to clone it, but I would like to make a jumpsuit that's more on the sexy side than the casual side.

- The perfect "going away for three days" bag. Patrick and I quite often do short breaks, and I never know what to pack. I feel ridiculous taking a suitcase, but the couple of shoulder bags I've bought for the purpose have been way too unwieldy. I don't have a clue what style I'm looking for here, but I'd like to find it before the year is out.

- A pair of high-waisted trousers. I actually only realised as I was writing this one that I've internalised something I read as a rank beginner which said you only need one decently-fitting trouser pattern. Since the Thurlows fit me I haven't really looked at other patterns, even though honestly they're not really the vibe I'm going for. I would love a pair of high-waisted swishy trousers, and I think I'd wear trousers a lot more if I had some.

- A form-fitting dress. I want a dress that fits my hips but doesn't cling to my stomach, and I don't even know if that's possible. I'm pretty sure it isn't right now because yay medication-related weight gain, but even after I (hopefully) get that sorted out a bit I am never going to have a flat stomach. I don't even know where to start on this one, but it's something I want to bear in mind.

- THIS COAT:

I was browsing the Diane von Furstenberg website looking for inspiration, and after a few "oh cool, that's something I could think about" pieces, I stumbled upon this sea green suede trench coat and I WANT it. Since I could never actually buy it (£1000 in the half price sale and sold out in every size except extra small, hah), I want to copy it. I want this shape, this collar, these pockets, this waist tie, and most importantly I want this fabric. Basically my year's mission is to find this shade of sea green suede, or failing that, this shade of sea green fabric that can reasonably be made into a trench coat.

Those are basically my dream projects for the year, and I hope I can make at least one or two of them. For now, I'm going to return to making my camel coat and trying to force myself to get some pictures taken. Finished garment post coming next week, I promise.

sewing plans: winter 2016/17

I didn't do a project plan at the beginning of November. I sat down to write it and had a bit of a freak out - I wouldn't be able to start any sewing til mid-November due to holiday, I had to make at least two Christmas presents, the list of things I wanted/needed to make for myself was growing at an alarming rate, I still hadn't made the trousers from my autumn plan, I wanted to make a coat which seemed like a way bigger project than I had time for, and I had absolutely no idea what I was going to do. After mildly stressing about it for a few days, I decided to restructure my plans and do one per season instead.

So here is my winter plan. To celebrate, we're switching gif families:

1. A winter coat

I'll make clear at the outset that this may or may not happen. I am in genuine need of a big winter coat and was all set to make a Leanne Marshall for Simplicity pattern with a massive collar that turned into a hood. I was very excited about it. But then I stumbled across a review, which led to more reviews, which led to the very sad conclusion that the collar/hood thing just looks terrible in every single real version I've seen. I tried looking for other patterns and I can't find a single one that I like. I want something a bit different, preferably with a hood, at least knee length, which isn't going to take twenty-eight miles of fabric. Such a thing does not seem to exist. But if I can find fabric and pattern, I will be prioritising this.

2. A colour blocked skirt

Yes, I am planning to make a skirt that isn't a tulip skirt. I can't really believe it either. I bought two different colours of suedette on Goldhawk Road - one aubergine, one a mink colour - and I think they'll work well together on a skirt. I'm not 100% sure what pattern to use yet; ideally I'd like to find one which has colour block options already, but if not I might dig out my Hollyburn pattern and see if I can get anything out of that.

3. A little black dress

A couple of months ago I bought some kind of fake silk-type fabric from Sew Over It, for the sole reason that it had a large, sparse floral print. It's the only kind of floral I really like and it seems impossible to find, so I snapped up two metres immediately. I want to make a dress for wearing to nice dinners and Christmas parties and such, and my plan - though it might change - is to go back to Butterick 4443 and try that again, possibly with cap or flutter sleeves.

4. A jersey day dress

I've made a couple of these in November and will be posting about them soon, but what I'd really like to do now is make a slightly more complicated one. I have some mottled grey ribbed sweater knit and I'd like to try Vogue 8685 - the long sleeved version with the fuller skirt. Historically I've found Vogue patterns a bit overwhelming and backed out of making them, but I've accumulated several and I AM going to do it this time, dammit.

5. Some pyjamas

It is cold and I really could do with some warmer bedclothes. I'm planning to make some pyjama bottoms from navy and green check, and a top to go with it (though I haven't decided on pattern or fabric for that yet). Again, something I keep meaning to do and then forgetting about, so I'm writing it down this time and making it official.

I will probably be doing various end-of-year review posts this month, because a) it's the time for it and b) you know me, I love that stuff. Reviews and plans and analysis and project photos with incongruous Santa hats ahoy!

Pre And Post Move Assorted Projects (PAPMAP)

Yes, I'm going with PAPMAP. You can't stop me.

(As a side note: the wedding guest dress from my last two-month plan is still to come; the jacket for my grandmother is not. It went wrong in a way I don't even remotely understand and I've had to bin it. I haven't come up with an alternative plan yet because I am feeling confused and discouraged. Sigh.)

This particular plan is going to be structured slightly differently, because, as the title implies, I'll be moving house in the middle of it. I don't want to be buying a bunch of fabric and printing out new patterns which I won't get round to using before I have to start packing, so things I already own are going to be made up pre-move, and patterns and fabric I have yet to purchase are on the back burner until afterwards. Most of the projects are summer-themed even though we're already in July and there has been literally no sign of summer so far. I want my shiny summer clothes, dammit, and if it turns out that we're not getting summer this year then we'll just have to go on a particularly fancy holiday.

First, as recent tradition dictates, your Simpsons gif:

(That is one hypnotic gif. This post has taken me ages to write because I just keep staring at it.)

Before the move

1. Deer and Doe Belladone dress

I've been sighing after Deer and Doe patterns for a little while now, and last month I bought a bunch of them. My first experience (the Chataigne shorts, which you will be seeing soon) was entirely positive, and the Belladone is the only one I've really seen other people make, so I'm interested to see how it'll look on me. I have a patterned Art Gallery broadcloth that I'm planning to use, but I want to make a toile of the bodice first (I know, right, what have I become?) because I haven't quite worked out how best to alter two-dart bodices for my shape yet.

2. By Hand London Anna maxi dress

I want to make another jersey Anna, but a maxi version, with a black top and patterned skirt. I picked up a piece of jersey in one of my earliest remnant bin raids that I've never identified the right pattern for (the print is rather awkward), and I think this is as good a bet as any. Based on my previous jersey Anna, I'm going to make liberal use of elastic to stabilise the shoulders and waistline and see if that helps at all.

3. Closet Case Files Sallie jumpsuit

These are so comfy and I want another one. I have a piece of black and white floral jersey for the top, and I have some black bamboo jersey on its way for the bottoms (this was the last piece of fabric I allowed myself to buy before the move). I'm going to add a small amount of length to the midsection this time, but that's the only change I'm planning from jumpsuit number one.

After the move

4. Closet Case Files Bombshell swimsuit

The one thing I promised myself was that I'd attempt a swimsuit this year, and August is the time. It was always going to be a jewel-toned Bombshell (I'm holding off on buying the fabric, but I'd like a deep green if I can find it) and I'm sticking to that, even though I'm not sure it's quite right for FF boobs.

5. Megan Nielsen Tania culottes

This just seems like the best idea. Looks like a skirt, but it's shorts. Light and comfy AND no chub rub! I am very excited. Again, I'm holding off on fabric buying so that I don't have to transport it, and I don't have any particular ideas about what colour or print I might want. I'll just wait for something to grab me.

Stashbusting Spring/Summer Haberdashery Haul (SSSHH)

So I made a lot in March and April. Like, a LOT. Over a dozen things, some of which you have seen and some of which you have not. That's kind of insane, and yet I don't know if I can promise that things will be different in May and June. I'm suddenly very aware of how much I have to get through, as we will see.

Also, yes, I know the title makes no sense, but I really wanted to call it SSSHH. Remember when I said not to get used to the acronyms being almost-words? Forget that. All of the acronyms will now be words or almost-words, but the expanded titles will cease to mean anything.

Since only one of these patterns has a physical cover that I can photograph, I'm just going to dispense with that entirely and give you a Simpsons gif with every project plan because we all like those and I'm not interested in hearing any contradictory opinions.

Here we go!

1. Wool jersey kimono jacket

My first project is - gasp - for someone else. My grandmother has always appreciated homemade gifts much more than bought ones, to the extent that my brother and I have just made her biscuits and marzipan fruit for every Christmas and birthday for the last twenty years (seriously, I cannot draw, paint, sculpt. or anything else that might be called artistic, but my marzipan fruits are now untouchable). On her last birthday I broke with tradition and made her a cushion, because new skill, and I'd like to employ that skill again. She's turning 95 this year, and she's decided to make a bit of a thing out of it, so I want to make something a bit more special than "another cushion". I'm going to make her a Sew Over It jersey kimono jacket out of this lovely dark rose wool jersey, which seems like it would be of use to her wardrobe.

2. A wedding guest dress

My partner's sister is getting married in June and I want to make my dress. I want something that feels special but also isn't going to feel like a chore to wear. It's almost certainly going to be an Anna bodice, but I haven't decided whether to make a straight midi-length Anna or try a different skirt. I want it to be a good colour and have some amazing rainbow viscose challis, though I may decide that's a bit much for an early summer wedding in north Wales. Decisions!

3. Sew Over It Doris dress

New pattern! I bought this the day it came out, because it seems like the perfect thing for just throwing on and still looking put together - not overly fitted but still shape-defining, simple bodice with a couple of nice details, skirt with some volume but no bulk at the waist. I'm going to modify it slightly because I have no interest in a button-up bodice (or a button-up anything), and if this version works I'm hoping to figure out how to add sleeves. It's going to be made from aqua feather-print rayon, unless I decide I need that for the dress above...

4. Some stashbusting

Rather than try to pick a fourth pattern (which I could definitely do), I want to make the goal for this one slightly different - to use up some of the metre-length pieces of fabric sitting in my stash. I'll be moving during my next pattern haul (eek!) so I'd like to start using things up now. I have a few ideas as to what they could become, but I'm going to let Me Made May show me what I actually need instead of assigning fabric to pattern randomly in advance. I will, however, commit to making at least one top and one skirt.

Also in this two-month period, I want to:

a) actually get rid of some of my homemade stuff (i.e. out of my house and not just loitering in a bag)
b) get rid of the patterns I'll never make, or never make again
c) work out how to store my printed PDFs, which don't like being folded up

The Have Less Stuff By August mission continues apace, by which I mean hasn't got very far at all and I really need to get a move on. Adulting!

Overly Considered March Project Plan (OCMPP)

So, I've been thinking a LOT about this. I've written three or four completely different versions of this post, and none of them seemed quite right. I had too many ideas in conflict - stashbusting vs finding the right fabric; frivolity vs practicality; learning new skills vs improving on current ones; shiny new toys vs having food and somewhere to live. So while I still fully intend to do my planning this way, I'm going to change up how I do it.

My last two pattern hauls have been made up exclusively of patterns that were new to me, but that's going to get impractical and expensive pretty quickly. It's also not necessarily going to give me the clothes I really want. So I'm going to start calling this Project Planning rather than Pattern Haul (even though it sounds a lot less fun), and I'm going to include at least one new pattern and one remake in each one.

I've covered my bases pretty well this time - one frivolous dress, one practical outfit and one new skill. It's three PDFs and some instructions from a book, so I don't have a photo. Have a gif Ned Flanders squeeing about curtains instead.

Patterns!

By Hand London Anna dress

I got a printer, so this is happening. I'm going to make the midi version in an orange-coral lily print raw cotton, which I'm not sure is really me and it's definitely not March, but I really wanted to make a happy dress. This pattern is ubiquitous and I've not seen a bad version yet, so I'm hoping to be able to make lots, including a first attempt at a silk dress if this one comes out OK.

Jennifer Lauren Vintage Bronte top

I've been dying to make this one. Thank you, printer! I LOVE the shoulder detail on this and I haven't seen much else like it. If I can get it to work, I am possibly putting this shoulder on everything I ever make. Even the skirts. I want to make something that will go with the skirts I'm planning to make, so I've got a navy ponte for the main top and some teal to use as binding.

Sew Over It tulip skirt

This is actually my remake, even though blogland hasn't seen it yet. I've already made two, and that post is going up on Monday. Spoiler alert: I love this pattern and you will be seeing a LOT more of it. I have plans for one in red and one in mustard with navy topstitching, both of which will go with the above top, though the mustard one is contingent on my being able to find the right fabric.

Sew Over It Vintage bodice block

I've been meaning to try this for ages, and if I want to make anything else in the book I need to do this first. I'm just planning this as a toile for me to experiment with and get the fit right, so I'm going to use remnants to make it and not plan for it to go with anything in particular.

These are my priorities. I made loads of things besides the ones in my haul last time, but none of them were the ones I thought I was going to get to, so I'm not doing that again. However, I am going to see Dita von Teese perform at the Crazy Horse in Paris this month (she says, not at all smugly), and if I can I'd really like to make myself something nice to wear to that. We shall see.

Jen attempts to develop style: 2016 plans

I'm not yet done with figuring out how to dress myself, so this series will be carrying on, on a semi-regular basis, until I don't feel the need to do it anymore. And do I have plans? Why yes, I do have plans!

As well as my two-monthly pattern hauls with acronyms of varying quality, I will be keeping my projects to plan by making a list of all the fabric and patterns in my stash and putting some kind of time limit on using them, so that I don't have stuff taking up space for years and years. I am making a commitment right here: when I move house in August, none of the fabric that's sitting in my stash cupboard right now will be coming with me. Either I use it up in the next six months or I get rid of it. I also currently have seventeen unused paper patterns, and while I won't be as strict with those I will at least get rid of a few of them (I am NEVER going to make a stupid Walkaway dress anyway; it uses about eight miles of fabric and isn't me in the slightest). I've also started keeping track of fabric in/fabric out.

I have a separate list covering:

 - projects currently in progress and exactly where in the construction process they are right now
 - potential fabric-pattern matches and any notions I need to buy or difficulties I need to work out before I start it
 - things I think I'd like to make but don't have the fabric and/or pattern for, which need to be on the list for at least a couple of days before I start shopping

In terms of specific projects, I'm hoping to find my ideal trouser pattern this year, and I'd like to up my loungewear game a bit. I've tended to think of things I wear at home as not real clothes, and I don't think that's helpful. Especially since entire weekends slobbing around watching terrible TV and eating cinnamon popcorn aren't exactly uncommon for me (my terrible TV recommendation is the short-lived VH1 reality show Scream Queens, which aired about eight years ago and is ridiculous and awful and sheer effing genius. Everyone I've shown it to has been forced to agree with me on this). I'd like a pretty dressing gown, some comfortable but attractive lounging-about trousers, and possibly something completely impractical and fabulous like a kimono with massive sleeves or an indoors-only embellished capelet. Shut up, I can if I want.

I'd also like to pick up some new skills this year. I imagine some things will just come with the patterns (i.e. I want to make this, but I don't know how to do that, I'd better learn how to do that, then), but here are a few specifics I know I'd like to have a go at:

Working with lace
Working with silk
Working with leather
Outerwear
Swimwear
Eveningwear
Pattern hacking
Making a dress block
Basic pattern drafting
Actually getting the stupid overlocker working and making an actual dress with it, WHY IS TAKING YOU SO LONG JEN

I have absolutely no expectation whatsoever of getting to all of these. If I manage half of them I'll be very pleased with myself. I am determined to try making a swimsuit this year (imagine NO SWIMSUIT SHOPPING AGAIN EVER) and I think if my overlocker isn't up and running by August I won't be able to justify bringing it to my new house, but nothing else is a particular priority so I'll get to it when I get to it. I'm going to turn New Skills into a series (or at least a tag. Tags are also going to be a thing) so that I can keep track of what I've learned.

Over the course of the year I'm also going to run a series of posts on my attempts at more creative sewing. For pretty much everything I've made, I've followed the patterns and instructions to the letter (apart from when I skip steps because I can't be arsed), and that's pretty limiting. The series will (hopefully) cover pattern hacking, mixing up fabrics, translating inspiration into a project, experimenting with things I wouldn't ordinarily wear, and whatever else I can think of. The first few will probably be hilariously small-scale because I am a wimp: using a fabric not specifically listed in the recommended fabrics bit, sort of thing. But hopefully by the end of the year I will have built up to something much more interesting/ridiculous.

On the non-sewing front, I want a better collection of shoes, more excuses to wear fancy hats and some earrings longer than my hair. That's about it.

Sensible New Year Pattern Haul (SNYPH)

Planning! I am full of plans! So full of plans that it's actually a bit overwhelming! Help!

This year I want to approach what I make a bit more deliberately. I'm wearing the things I make on a fairly regular basis, so I'm not just looking for patterns that don't look too tricky and fabric that isn't too expensive. I'm trying to make things that I would buy if I saw them - a combination of things I think I need and things I'd really love to have, filling practical gaps in my wardrobe and making my wardrobe as a whole more interesting. The overall goal is to look attractively put together on a day-to-day basis with the option of going into vintage drag or something more casually interesting if I feel like it, while looking comfortable and like myself the whole time. Which may be a bit of a tall order. We shall see.

I liked the way the Unnecessary October Dress Pattern Haul worked out for me, and I'm planning to try it as a structure for this year. Four or five projects planned at the beginning of every two month period, and if I have the time and inclination to do other things too, then I will. Here are my patterns for January and February. Check it out - a sensible collection of patterns for the next two months AND a slightly less unwieldy acronym that could actually be pronounced like a word! Probably best you don't get used to that.

Sewaholic Cordova jacket

I've had this pattern for months, and I'd bought all the bits and pieces for it before I decided the fabric wasn't quite what I wanted. A little while ago I bought some black and white fabric for a cape and then decided it wasn't right for the pattern, so I'm going to repurpose it for this jacket.

By Hand London Holly trousers

I bought this pattern ages ago all excited about making a jumpsuit, and then when it came in the post I decided I was never actually going to make it up. However, it's also a pattern for wide-leg trousers and I think it might be just right for my swishy trousers. I'm going to make this first pair in black for practical reasons, though I haven't yet acquired fabric of quite the right swish.

Sew Over It 1940s wrap dress

I don't have a photo of this pattern as I'm going to a class to make the dress. I'll write more about it when I blog the finished project, but this dress is basically the reason I started sewing and I've been waiting for months for them to run the class again. I have some bright blue crepe to make it in and I'm planning for it to be my birthday dress (I don't have a birthday plan yet, so it'll probably come down to "where can I wear this dress?").

Cashmerette Appleton Dress

It's time I used my goddamn aubergine print jersey. I wanted it to be a wrap dress when I first bought it, and since all the wrap dresses I've tried so far have given me some gaping problems, it makes sense to try a pattern specifically designed for bigger busts.

These four are my priority for the next two months. I originally had five, but I have several pieces of jersey to make into dresses and I'm not sure which one to put on the list. I have plans for a border print Tiramisu dress, a blue patterned Moneta, a navy floral jersey tea dress, and a grey spotty Vogue 8615, so you'll be seeing at least one of those along with the rest of the list. I know, I know, I probably ought to just pick one. But there is such a thing as too much planning, right?

resolutions

Every year since I was sixteen I've made ten resolutions every January, then come back to them at the end of the year to see how I did. It's such an ingrained tradition now that I forget that literally nobody else in the world does this. I've made my resolutions as usual, but I feel like before I take a blogging break for Christmas it would be nice to make another ten here, relating to my new area of interest, split 50/50 between sewing and style:

Sewing

1. I will learn to fit properly.

Since one of the major advantages of making stuff yourself is that you can fit it correctly, I want to learn how to do that properly. Mostly any 'fitting' I've done when not in the presence of expert tuition is of the "pull seam in a bit more here, sew it up" variety, which is fine but still leaves a lot of fit issues in my clothes and adjustments I could do with learning. I'd like to get a better understanding of my body's individual shape and fit requirements and how best to serve them.

2. I will plan my projects two months at a time.

I was surprised at how useful my Unnecessary October Dress Pattern Haul was. I bought five patterns at once, which is not unusual, but then I posted about them and began thinking of them as a set, which gave me a lot more incentive to actually work through them. I ran into problems with not having appropriate fabric at hand though, and I need to work on getting these two lined up a bit better. I'll probably end up writing myself a set of guidelines or something equally dorky to make sure that I get through some of the stuff I actually have instead of buying endless new stuff.

3. I will be more creative.

Because I'm just a beginner, what I do right now is: buy pattern, cut out as instructed, sew up as instructed. What I'd love to be able to do is understand patterns well enough to be able to mess about with them, change necklines and sleeves and shapes and turn a tank top pattern into a wedding dress or whatever the hell it is other people seem to be able to do. I'd also like to be able to turn inspiration into wearable clothes, and I have acquired myself some croquis with the intention of attempting this every month or two.

4. I will work out what the hell to do with my scraps pile.

At the moment, I have two bins and two bags full of pieces of material that aren't big enough to go in my fabric cupboard but aren't small enough to be thrown away without guilt, and I need a good way to reduce this to at least a quarter of the size and keep it there. I think using pieces to try out bodice fitting is probably not a bad idea to start off with, as is reminding myself that whilst random sewing bloggers are perfectly entitled to write appalled posts about how they would never throw out a scrap of anything, they aren't actually the governor of my life choices and I can throw stuff away if I want.

5. I will become a more disciplined fabric buyer.

My fabric buying policy so far has been "buy as much as you can as cheaply as you can", which I think is a large part of the reason my cupboard is so full of stuff I don't seem to be able to pair with a pattern. I will still buy cheap fabric for my first attempt at something, but I would like to keep at a similar level of spending and acquire smaller volumes of better fabric that's more compatible with my pattern queue.

Style

6. I will get a grip on my shoe situation.

It's only fairly recently that I realised how much better I feel in a good pair of shoes, and to be fair I have recently started taking steps to sort that out. But next year I want to build up a small collection of comfortable and pretty shoes that I can wear on a day to day basis without hurting my feet. The chances are that I'm going to have to get more of a grip on shoe shopping (which I hate because I have weird-shaped feet and it's so difficult to find comfy shoes), and also spend more money on each pair of shoes (which I also hate because even shoes that feel comfy in the shop often start hurting after I've paid money for them). But I will feel better for it, and I know that.

7. I will elevate my everyday casual wear.

I don't really want this to be anything drastic, I just want to have a slightly more polished baseline than jeans and a top, i.e. jeans + random top isn't an outfit, but jeans + specific top + specific jacket is. At the moment a lot of my handmade stuff goes unworn because it's too far above my baseline casual - I go out in a dress and it's such a noticeable shift in my style level that people ask me what I'm dressing up for. I'd like to be able to wear dresses on a day-to-day basis and not have people look at me funny, is all.

8. I will maintain a haircut.

This is weirdly fundamental to the success of my previous resolution. I find it almost impossible to dress in a put-together way if my hair isn't behaving itself, and my hair has spent most of this year not behaving itself. Having now got my hair cut into a proper style, I need to commit to getting it cut every couple of months and not letting it grow back into a mop.

9. I will shop more carefully and more ethically.

I haven't done a ridiculous Primark shopping spree in a while, but I think at this point I'm going to put a conscious end to them. I have done so many cheap-ass shopping sprees and thrown out so many of the things after one, two or no wears (I do have one Primark jumper that is amazing and is still alive and I love it and it was £9, but that was years ago and it's literally never happened again). No more buying disposable shit from places with dubious labour practices. I want a wardrobe that makes sense, which means not just chucking random stuff into it because I saw something purple that maybe doesn't exactly fit or go with anything but look, purple (genuine thought process I have had). I can afford to put a little more thought into this stuff.

10. I will find out what 'me' clothes look like.

This is the intended outcome of my "attempts to develop style" series, and it's something I want to work on next year because I think it'll make everything a hell of a lot less confusing. I want to have a very clear picture of what's 'me' and what's 'not me' while still leaving room for me to try shit that may not be exactly me but is fabulous.

I'm now going to take a couple of weeks' break. I'm at home with my family for Christmas, and next week my boyfriend and I are flying out to spend New Year in Sicily (yes, we suck, I know). But I shall be back in January with sewing plans of all kinds. Merry holiday time to everyone!

Jen attempts to develop style: observations and step one

Let's start off with a word dump.

Observations from hits post and past makes:

saturated colours
solids
graphic and tonal prints
black tights
sleeves
movement
structural details
streamlined
navy + white
shoulder detail
wrap style
waist emphasis
minimalist accessorising
red
comfort
very dark + very bright

And now some words I think of when I think about an aspirational style I'd like to have:

olive green
balanced proportions
deep shades + cream
vintage inspired
soft
swishy trousers
Italian style
legs
headwear
drape
effortless

There's a bit of crossover there, but Imaginary Jen appears to be more elegant, sophisticated, and subdued than Actual Jen. Given that so many of my favourite clothes are crazy bright colours I'm not going to try and bring Imaginary Jen to life, but I think I can accommodate a few elements of the second list. Enough that I can choose to swish around and pretend to be Sophia Loren and/or Phryne Fisher every once in a while and nobody will think it's weird.

And now, the tremendously exciting debut of my first step towards this whole style thing: after looking back at my old photos, I decided to cut my hair again. Now it looks like this:

I was worried it might be a tiny bit too short when I first saw it, but now that I'm used to it I think it's a lot better. My hair is super-thick, sort of curly but not curly enough to be actually curly, and never behaves in the same way twice, so when it's a bit longer it sometimes looks fine and sometimes looks like I've had some sort of horrendous accident with an electrical socket.  It was starting to drive me nuts, and the time was right for a symbolic chopping of hair, so here is my proper-short bob!

Having an actual hairstyle as opposed to a mop forces me to pay more attention to what I wear, and one of my resolutions (which you will be seeing in a couple of weeks) is to commit to regular hairdressing appointments. If my hair is up together I'm a lot less likely to fall back into the "eh, fuck it, that'll do" manner of dressing. I do think that what I wear is likely to shift slightly now that my hair is this short and I'll be keeping an eye on that.

Technically I've done step two as well; a few hours after I had my hair cut, a van turned up and took away several bin bags' worth of clothes and shoes I don't wear anymore, so there is now a small amount of space in my room for me to accumulate new and better things. Marching with grim determination down the road to progress, that's me. Also it's just over a week until I leave for Christmas and I'm having serious trouble convincing my brain that that's not sufficient time in which to make three and a half dresses. Sigh.

Unnecessary October Dress Pattern Haul

Earlier this month I got a bit of sewing block. I had loads of patterns and a cupboard full of fabric, but I couldn't find any matches. I went out and bought more fabric to make a specific dress, then couldn't convince myself to get on and do it. I was uninspired.

So I did what any normal person would do. I went online and bought a bunch of unnecessary dress patterns. Then a few days later I went online again and bought a couple more. Within the space of a week I bought five.

(Excuse the terrible photo.)

Cake Patterns Tiramisu dress

This one had several things going for it. One, I did actually have a fabric I thought might work for this dress. Two, the sizing is determined by high bust and cup size, not just full bust measurement, so there was a better chance it would fit my FFs without gaping massively around the neck and shoulders. Three, it was named like a pudding and that delighted my simple soul.

Colette Patterns Moneta dress

This one I bought partly because it looked like a great dress for everyday wear and I want to be able to wear my stuff more often, but mostly because I've been dying to support Colette. Colette as a business seems to do everything right. They have a wide sizing range, they use genuinely diverse models, they're clearly engaged with their customers, their blog is incredibly useful and insightful, and they periodically release cheaper PDF-only quick projects which I would be ALL OVER if it weren't so difficult to print things right now (when I find a way to make it less difficult, I will be ALL OVER the Seamwork patterns). Problem is, a lot of the stuff in their regular pattern line either really isn't me at all or is basic enough to be very close to something I already have. I'd been going back and forth on the Moneta for ages and finally put it in my cart after looking at a ton of women wearing very flattering versions of it on Flickr.

Sewaholic Cambie dress

This is totally not the time of year to be buying a dress like this, I know that. As a result it will probably be the last of these patterns to get made up. But it's so pretty!

And then, a week later...

Colette Patterns Wren dress

...Colette released a wrap-front dress and offered a free long sleeve pattern for everyone who bought it in the first week. So I did. I'm a bit worried that one version will be too clingy and the other will have too much volume in it, but I really want to support a company that gets its practices so consistently right and I'm on a wrap-front dress kick.

By Hand London Elisalex dress

Since I was already buying something, I thought I might as well get something else to get better value out of the delivery charge. I've seen By Hand London dresses all over the place (though most of them were Annas, which is now PDF only and printing is a pain in the bum) and I thought I'd like to try one. Out of the ones Sewbox still had as paper patterns, I thought the Elisalex looked most like something I would wear. In at the waist, out at the hips, what's not to like?

Of course, having bought all these, we run into the problem of not actually having any appropriate fabric for them, which means buying more fabric even though my cupboard is already too full to fit everything in. So I'm going to try a "one in, two out" policy until everything fits in my cupboard with a bit of space left over.

planning

A few days ago I started thinking about what additions to my pattern and fabric stashes I'd be making once pay day hit. I found a couple of sites which sell patterns from small indie companies and within about half an hour I'd amassed a wish list of well over 20 patterns. It's probably fortunate that it was so many, because if it had been ten or so I'd probably have just bought them all and then got massively overwhelmed when they all showed up on my doorstep. As it was, my sensible side was forced to come out of hiding.

SENSIBLE JEN: This is ridiculous. You may buy four patterns, maximum.
REGULAR JEN: Four? How am I meant to pick four? Look how pretty everything is!
SENSIBLE JEN: What do you actually need in your wardrobe? What will you actually wear?
REGULAR JEN: ...need? ...actually wear?
SENSIBLE JEN: Well?
REGULAR JEN: I... hadn't actually thought about that.
SENSIBLE JEN: In that case, you can't buy anything until you've thought it through properly.
REGULAR JEN: Awwww.
SENSIBLE JEN: See, you stayed up too late and now you're getting all cranky.
REGULAR JEN: I'm fine! What do you know, anyway?

(...yeah, sometimes it's a little bit like I'm babysitting myself)

So I thought, and looked at all the patterns again, and read some blogs, and flailed around a bit. I thought about the things I've already made and how little I wear most of them, I thought about my wardrobe, I thought about my fabric stash. Pay day came, and all I knew was that I was definitely getting the wrap dress pattern I've been thinking about since before I learned how to thread a sewing machine. I bought that, and I made a dress. This will have its own post so I don't want to go into too much detail now, but the next day I made another dress, with fabric I bought a month ago specifically for wrap dress purposes. I was SO PLEASED with myself. Pleased enough that it gave me a tiny epiphany: maybe don't buy things if you don't know what you're going to do with them.

I went back to the patterns and came away with three ideas: a black brocade jacket with electric blue lining, a heavy burnt orange autumn skirt, and a pair of high-waisted olive green trousers. Those were the patterns I allowed myself to order. I don't actually have any of these fabrics, but I do have a dark green that ought to make a nice skirt and a super soft grey that I've been hoarding for months as trouser material. So I'll make those too, because I can. This is the month I learn to make trousers (erk), and, hopefully, make stuff I can actually wear on a day to day basis. Looking forward to it, August. Please be nice to me.