It been a while since I have felt super excited about sewing anything but loungewear, but I am finally feeling the itch to sew "outside" clothes again. I decided to go big, so I put together a fall wardrobe plan for this year using only True Bias patterns.
Here are some of the rules I put together for myself as I planned out my capsule wardrobe.
1 - Only True Bias patterns (Hacks are OK) - Honestly, I can't believe I have enough patterns to do a capsule wardrobe with them. This feels a bit like a milestone to me, but I digress. To get more mileage out of each pattern I am allowing hacks. Most of these hacks you will be able to find on my blog and I will link to all of them in case you want to do a similar look for yourself.
2 - Tight Color Palette With Mostly Solids - Keeping a really small color palette will let me mix and match these items the most. I landed on a fall color palette with rust, camel, gray, black and ivory as the main colors. Luckily these are the colors I already like to wear so it was not a hard choice. I am allowing a few prints in the mix to keep it interesting. I tried to keep them pretty tame though so they can go with as many things as possible.
3 - No Skirts or Dresses - I went back and forth on this one, but decided not to include skirts and dresses to keep the capsule very everyday wearable. I wear a lot of skirts and dresses in the warmer months, but Colorado gets cold fast and I just tend to avoid them this time of year. Also, with Covid still in our lives, I'm not doing a lot of going out so they just seemed unnecessary. With patterns like the Roscoe and Nikko that include dresses, I opted for the top version of those patterns.
4 - 13 Sewn Items Total - It was hard to narrow down, but 13 sewn items seemed like the right balance of enough items to have lots to mix and match and a small enough number that I could reasonably sew them all over the next few months. Keep in mind, that since these are all my patterns, I have sewn them many times and will not need to do any muslining. Whenever there is a pattern that I am sewing multiples of, I will batch sew them. These two facts make it much easier for me to sew this many items in just a few months. Also keep in mind that I am not including undergarments or any kinds of accessories in my total.
TOPS
Nikko Top (2)
- black and white stripe ribbing - I'm thinking about cropping this one to just around the waist so there is not as much to tuck in, but otherwise it will be sewn straight from the envelope.
- black knit - Last year I sewed up the Nikko using a square neck hack and I love it. This year I want to do the same thing but with a scoop instead of the square neck. I also want to scoop the back for a ballerina type look.
Roscoe Blouse (2)
- rust cotton lawn - I will be sewing both of these blouses using the button front hack tutorial by Tessuti which you can find here.
- ivory rayon crepe - I think this will be such a great basic. I will be using the button front Tessuti tutorial for this one too.
- retro stripe ribbing - This will be sewn up using my long sleeve crew Rio hack from my blog which you can find here. I love this retro stripe and think it will be a big hitter in my wardrobe.
- light gray ribbing - I decided I needed another basic layering piece and this light gray seemed to fit the bill. I will be using the crew long sleeve hack again for this one.
Marlo Sweater (2)
- black sweater knit - I think this black Marlo is going to get so much wear. I will sew up the longer view of the pattern for this one.
- rust sweater knit and ribbing - This really is the perfect color and can't wait to wear this one. I will sew up the shorter version of the pattern for this color.
BOTTOMS
Lander Pant (2)
- denim - I've been needing a classic pair of Landers for awhile. The plan is to sew this one straight from the envelope with buttons, patch pockets and all.
- plaid suiting - I'm obsessed with the plaid 70s look and think it will be great for Landers. Since this fabric is closer to 7oz I am going to use the zipper expansion and omit the pockets for a cleaner look (and no plaid pattern matching). I also have some lining I can add if I think it needs more structure.
Dani Pant (2)
- camel corduroy - I've been wanting a more weather appropriate pair of Danis since I drafted this pattern and think that a lightweight corduroy is perfect. The corduroy has a thin 21 whale and is only about 4oz (more of a shirting weight) so I don't think it will be too bulky around the gathered waistline. At least that is what I am hoping.
- plaid suiting - I am so excited about these plaid Danis. I am going to add belt loops to this pair so that I wear a belt with it for a bit more dressed up look.
Hudson Pant (1)
- black sweater knit - This faux cashmere sweater knit has such a beautiful feel to it. I immediately thought it would make a luxurious pair of Hudsons. I've never used a sweater knit for the Hudsons before, but think it will make it feel a bit more upscale which I am excited about. I think this will be fun to style too.
OK, that is it. I'm not sure exactly how long it will take me to sew these all up, but I expect 2-3 months. I will be sharing all of my final makes here and will be documenting the process on instagram. Once done, I will mix and match all of the items to make as many outfits as possible and will show them all to you here. Can't wait to get sewing!