I sew almost every day, and yet I don’t have a single self-sewn piece in my wardrobe right now.
How can this be?
Full Disclosure…I Will NEVER Have A Completely Self-Sewn Wardrobe and Here Is Why
I am always amazed by people that sew their entire wardrobe, but it’s just not for me. (Crazy coming from a professional sewist, right???) Hear me out…
First, I have my favorite brands of jeans that fit me perfectly…I’m not giving those up. End of discussion. Nothing I make could ever hug me in all the right places like they do.
Second, I am so lucky to live in a town that has great boutiques that match my style perfectly. Shopping in them is a completely different experience compared to larger, chain stores. I know I won’t find the pieces I see there anywhere else. Hunting down a perfectly fitting garment that I know no one else will have is one of my favorite things to do, and I love it too much to ever stop.
So while I’ll never have a completely self-sewn wardrobe, I am determined to have at least a few more self-sewn pieces.
And while I could drape or draft all of the pieces myself, to save some time, I think whenever I can, I’ll hack a store bought pattern to match up with the style I’m going for.
I’m IN LOVE with the blouse shown above from Anthropologie. (You can get a close up look at it here!) I can picture it styled with my favorite jeans and heels…perfect for the spring…but I could also layer it under a chunky cardigan and wear it in the fall and winter.
This McCall’s pattern was the closest I could find to it and I don’t think it’s going to take too many changes to recreate the look.
Pattern edits needed:
- Change the neckline to have a slit in the center.
- Add a ruffle layer. (The Anthropologie blouse has two ruffles that are not sewn into the same seam…that’s going to mean splitting both the front side panel and the back side panel into two pieces.)
- Draft the bottom ruffles.
I’ll be working on these pattern changes over the next few days while I wait for some fabric swatches to arrive. Look for a post about both of these things, pattern edits and fabric choices, coming soon!
XOXO,
Nikki, In Stitches
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