Thoughtful Planning: April

Every since Colette’s Spring Palette Challenge has ended, I feel as if I’ve been floundering as to what I should make next.  I have so many patterns I love and I feel as if I want to make them all in the month of April.  As I continue to add your fun blogs to my rss reader, I keep seeing what everyone else is making and I’m feeling a mix of awe and envy.  It’s awe because you guys are doing some great sewing and envy, because I want to do it all too.  I just can’t seem to create as much as I want, in such a limited 24 hr. time period.

As a result of all of this, I get overwhelmed, *freeze up*, and do nothing.  And usually after the period of *nothing* I become a sewing machine.  (No pun intended.)  While this is my usual process and I’m feeling the strong urge to try and break this (bad) habit.

During the CSPC, I felt forced to have a plan of attack for the upcoming spring season and I really liked it.  As a result of the challenge I didn’t stray in the fabric store as much, refrained from buying patterns on etsy, utilized more of my fabric and notions stash.  All in all I saved money, had more focus, and ended up with a whole new wardrobe.  The only downside was that I only had 10 weeks to make everything.

During my current sewing lull, I got to thinking…  What if I planned out my summer wardrobe, and fall wardrobe, and winter wardrobe (etc.) with particular color schemes and patterns but without the serious time crunch.  I can do it on my own terms, regain focus and my sanity, all while having FUN!

Thinking about all of this over the past week or so, I’ve started to get the itch to sew again.  Between you and me, I haven’t actually sewn one stitch since the Challenge ended.

And to take all of this planning to the next level, I’m thinking about incorporating my sewing plans in with my knitting plans.  Because what’s the point of having a really cute new jumper if I have absolutely nothing to wear with it?!

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This is my sewing space (aka dining room table) in the midst of my planning phase.

I’m thinking about sewing 2-3 garments a month (1 top, 1 bottom, and 1 dress) and also attempting to knit up one piece a month.  Writing it down on paper, it doesn’t seem like that much stuff, but given that I make a muslin (or two or three) for each of my projects along with incorporating new sewing techniques, I think this will keep me quite busy throughout the next several months.

I don’t want to get too ahead of myself, since I will need to take this month by month and see how I do.  But here’s what I have planned for the remainder of the month:

2 Vintage 40’s skirts from the same pattern, because I love the looks of it oh, so much.  One will be in an off-white linen which will go with my Briar Rose Jumper as well as the jumper I have planned for May.  I’ve never worked with linen before so it should be fun to work with.

And my second version will be in a really light, flowy denim material, perhaps with some piping details.  I’ll be trying out sewing with denim for the first time as well as applying piping to clothes, too.  But I’m really trying out this particular denim to assess if it will work on a dress that I want to make in May/June.

And of course you know, the knit I’m working on this month is the Briar Rose KAL.  It’s going well so far with no major issues, so I hope I can keep up my knitting pace to finish by the end of the month.

I really did love hearing about all of your plans for the upcoming spring and summer in the giveaway comments.  You guys are all such awesome motivation for me and has spurred me on to make plans instead of just sewing up anything, halfheartedly.  So thank you!!!

In: Knitting Sewing

Blogger for 6 years and counting, I am a passionate creator who loves to tinker.

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