Weekend Review: Sewing The New Classics

Sewing the New Classics: Clothes With Easy Style / Carol Parks
NY: Sterling, c1995.
152 p.

 

Since I was thinking so much about capsule wardrobes this month, I checked out this 1995 tome from Open Library to see how it had aged. Surprisingly well, actually! It's old school; there are 10 patterns for "wardrobe essentials" included, in the way that it was done in the 90s -- sketched out on a grid for you to enlarge by hand yourself. You'll find these items: a traditional shirt, a collarless tunic, a T-shirt, a straight skirt, a full skirt, elastic-waist pants, tailored pants, a jacket, a fitted waistcoat, and a big vest or jacket.

I remember wearing some of these styles in the past, but many of them could be very easily translated to contemporary styling depending on the choice of size and fabric. The 90s aesthetic is still current in its use of more casual and boxy wear. You might have to change up some of the styling choices, ie: the excessive layering, or accent choices, but I think a lot of this book is still really useful. And the colour choices here are often natural tones, and a lot of linen, which I think is very similar to a lot of current styling. 

I found the shirt and tunic, and the waistcoat, all intriguing for me right now. I think if I would have been sewing like I do now back in 1995 when this book was new it would be have been ideal to stitching up a very handy capsule wardrobe. Of course, now that we're used to pdfs or traceable pattern sheets, the idea of enlarging a pattern manually via graph paper feels VERY old school! But it's still possible. Of course with this kind of book and the pattern options, the sizing is quite limited. 

There is some good info on planning out a coordinated wardrobe, and tips on working with these patterns, as well as some sewing techniques. There is also a chapter on embellishments to change up these simple silhouettes -- things like adding tabs, insertions, embroidery or decorative painting/stenciling. I found it quite entertaining.

There are tons of great photos, and it's actually a really fun book especially if you like late 80s/early 90s style. It's a collection of loose fitting, coordinating patterns that will make up a capsule wardrobe of sorts, easily adaptable and able to be personalized. Enjoyable to look through for the retro feel but patterns are also still relevant if you like the boxy casual style.

Weekend Review: Sewing Your Perfect Capsule Wardrobe

 

Sewing Your Perfect Capsule Wardrobe /
Arianna Cadwallader & Cathy McKinnon
London: Kyle Books, c2017.
175 p.

I recently got this book from my library; it's one I've seen mentioned here and there, and thought it would be interesting to see the advice about a capsule wardrobe given here. Well, I'm glad I got it from the library, because overall I found it a bit underwhelming. 

The book is organized into a structure around 5 core garments: The Vest Top (a tank top in North American speak), Basic Skirt, Shift Dress, Trousers, and Blouse. These are all fairly basic silhouettes -- the book is aimed at the advanced beginner, which I think is about the right level for these designs. There are fold-out pattern sheets included in the book, so you can trace and alter right away. Each basic piece has a straightforward main pattern, then tells you how to alter and redesign the piece to create something different, sometimes just a hair of difference but others are quite changed. You go from a below-knee pencil skirt to a short a-line, for example. There are also discussions of style changes you can make -- changing a neckline/collar, sleeve style, adding embellishment, etc. to really take these patterns and expand them in your wardrobe. 

I obviously like this idea a lot. However, this book as the main source of this kind of capsule wardrobe seems limited to me. The sizing is miniscule -- there is a range of 6 sizes with a 10" difference between them. Bust 32-42, Waist 24-34, Hip 33-43. It's a small range, and I fall near the top. So the actual patterns in this book will only be useful for a small proportion of sewists. And the patterns are also pretty standard, so any sewist who has been at it long enough will most likely already own similar pattern styles already -- some could even be equated to a few of the more well-known free patterns out there. 

The ideas for changing a base pattern into new styles are pretty handy here, though. They start with the "main" pattern and give a "sister" style then some other ideas for additional changes. You could take those ideas and apply them to the patterns you prefer to use. That might be the takeaway here. 

There isn't really a discussion about putting together a capsule wardrobe in the more traditional sense - they don't talk fashion, per se. To me, the book is more about creating a Capsule Pattern Collection. And that can be a good way to focus your sewing in light of the incentive to buy so many new and exciting patterns out there! 

So my view on this book is: good idea, some interesting ideas and instruction, but a fail when it comes to providing actual patterns that are useful for more than a sliver of readers. 

Weekend Review: Work to Weekend Wardrobe

House of Pinheiro's Work to Weekend Wardrobe / Rachel Pinheiro
Exeter: David & Charles, c2020
127 p.

I recently took a look at this sewing book released by a well known British-based Brazilian sewing blogger. I was interested in the concept; taking one pattern and moving it from 'work to weekend' with styling and fabric choice etc. It kind of works. 

The book is laid out by day, so, there are 7 patterns included. They range across a wardrobe, from trousers/jumpsuits to shirts/tees and suits. Sunday's projects even include a backpack and organizer. Each pattern is made up 'straight', so to speak, and then there are some adaptations suggested for each. For example, Tuesday's project is a basic dress:

There is quite a lot of sewing info included as well, both the basics and a bit more, from fitting tips like a chart to help you read wrinkles and fix issues, to info on finishing and alterations. The pattern instructions and diagrams are also fairly clear.

Unfortunately for my purposes, the aesthetic isn't really mine. I wasn't caught by any of the patterns enough to spend time on tracing them off. (There are pattern sheets in the book so that you can trace any of the patterns). But the biggest issue with this book is that the size range is extraordinarily limited. The patterns are drafted for a height of 5'7" and come in sizes 1-5. That means a range from a 33-39" bust / 25-31" waist / 37 - 43.5" hip. That's really limited for most sewists -- I fall at the very top of the range and my waist is bigger than the biggest size. I'm not sure why this decision was made, but it does make the book less appealing to a lot of potential readers.  

If you're a fan of House of Pinheiro already and know that her aesthetic is more in line with yours, you might still find this an interesting read. There are many solid sewing basics in the intro pages and the instructions so you will certainly find something useful there.  A chart explaining interfacing options was a useful element, for example. But as an actual pattern book, I didn't connect with this one very well at all. 

Summer Capsule Wardrobe plans

I've been feeling more and more intrigued by the idea of capsule wardrobes, although I still think I'm rather more of a maximalist and like having lots of variety and standalone prints in my wardrobe. Still, thinking of sewing in capsules appeals to me. 

I've looked at some capsule planning guides, like the Canadian Capsule Planner by Couturious and the Mood Capsule Creator planning guide. Both are free, and downloadable and printable if you are also interested. They both gave me some really good ideas. 

And of course I've been playing with MyBodyModel since I first got my croquis back in March. So I decided to make a plan for next month's sewing using a capsule framework combined with the MyBodyModel 3x3 technique. 

I took a piece I just made, the Adrienne Blouse, as the keystone of this one, and looked at some of the other patterns and fabrics I've been wanting to make. Here is my plan, which I think is doable, to get some matching options in my wardrobe for the summer. 

I'm adding two more tops, a McCalls 4591 (a thrifted pattern c.2004) and the Edith Blouse by Maria Denmark. Both of these are stash fabrics, although I bought the fabric with the Edith Blouse in mind at least 3 years ago! Where does time go?? (But isn't this fabric fantastic?)

And I'm going to try out the Peppermint Pocket Skirt, a community hit, in a brick coloured linen that tones with all three tops. I'm going to add a fitted knit skirt (Pirate Pencil Skirt), and a pair of wide leg cropped pants from Vogue 9364 - both in black - for good measure. 

Well, at least that's the plan! I also have a big stack of dresses I want to make this summer, and with those I don't worry about matching with anything else :) I may want to make a couple of lightweight cropped summer jackets to go with the dresses but that's about as much matching as I worry about there. Dresses are a great way to be fully dressed without having to coordinate anything further than my shoes, so I love to use my bright prints and novelty fabrics for my multitude of dresses. 

Are you more into capsule planning or mood sewing? I haven't really been a plan maker in the past, usually just looking at my fabric and deciding what I wanted to make next by feel. But I'm kind of enjoying the sketching and fabric matching process, and while I don't think I'll ever plan every single make, I'm finding it fun and helpful to whittle down my huge mental queue of things I want to make into a reasonable month-at-a-time plan. I will always have more that I want to sew than time available to do it -- but this is a great process to prioritize things I need most in my wardrobe. 

The Clothes Come Marching 3x3

I have been using the My Body Model croquis & methods in a basic way since I was fortunate to win a package from them at the end of February. I really enjoy it! I'm not usually a planner when it comes to my sewing; I generally have a list of potential makes and then follow my mood. So taking time to match things up & organize actual outfits by drawing is still quite new to me. 

Erica from MyBodyModel is currently running a 3x3 Spring Challenge-- to create a 6-9 piece capsule wardrobe for the upcoming season using your croquis. The due date for entries has been extended to May 2, just in time for MeMadeMay. You can check out the ideas others are sharing by searching IG for the hashtag #mybodymodel3x3

I was fiddling around with some sketches & some pattern ideas, trying to decide what went together, what could be made from stash fabrics, & what I was in the mood to make. I came up with this essentially black & white capsule, adding accents of green.

I ended up using the top & pants (green print, black) from Vogue 9364 and the top & skirt (black,  white) from Simplicity 9115, then added in a knit pencil skirt (black) from Patterns for Pirates plus the top view of Merchant & Mills' Factory Dress in green.

I'm not sure how many of these pieces I will actually get made up - but if was a fun exercise & got me looking more closely at the patterns & fabric I already own.

I enjoy the drawing process & think I might work out another wardrobe shortly!