Guess Denim Skirt Copy

I made a "rub off" copy of a denim skirt I wear all the time.  I used a version of the fly and fly facing from Vogue 8774 and drafted the waistband based off the curve of a leather belt I wear all the time. I made my own pocket pattern for this, I wanted deep pockets I could shove my hands in; the dinky pockets most RTW has are so pathetic! I made this in about 8 hours, give or take.

I'm mostly happy with it, the inside of the waistband doesn't look great but there is always next time for that.  I made it about an inch longer than the original, and copied a lot of the topstitching ideas for it from the original as well.  I did not do any distressing on this, I may try that for the next one.  It takes just under a yard of denim and a quarter yard for the pockets (I wear an altered Big4 14 for reference).

I may make some minor adjustments for the next time I make this.   I think the yoke can be a little narrower in the center back, and I'll reduce the seam allowance on the waistband to 1/4 inch.  I may also play with the back pocket placement a bit.

Wardrobe Planning for 2017

I took a staycation week off from work, and in that week got a crazy idea; what if I made all my clothes for next year, and only purchased things I could not/won't make for myself (shoes, underwear, socks, certain pieces of outerwear and athletic/technical gear)?

I've attempted to sew with wardrobe plans in mind before, with abysmal failure.  I spent some time thinking about why and now believe I have a plan for success now.  After looking at several different wardrobe planning ideas, I've decided to work with Jennifer Skinner's idea on 6 bottoms, 12 tops, a few pieces of outerwear that interchange, and a handful of small capsules focused on a specific function.  With this in mind, I've decided to start with a couple looks that suit my lifestyle (work from home most days with a couple days a month in the office) that would be easy to sew.  This gives me the flexibility to incorporate colors that may not necessarily go together (I've picked a pale pink and medium teal as my Spring accent colors, which do not go well with red, a color I generally look great in and love to wear on occasion), as well as not forcing myself to make things in a "Core 4" set that I may or may not end up wearing in the end.

The basic look I'll work with for Spring/Summer is either a mariniere top or a woven button-down top with leggings.  A third layer could be a cardigan-style top or a sleek leather jacket.  I've chosen New Look 6402 and Vogue 1440 as the patterns I would work with.  I can use the jacket from V1440 or Vogue 1517 for dressier looks, or McCall's 7055 for something simpler.

I'll plan on setting aside a few hours each week to work on my wardrobe (at least 4 hours, per this Seamwork article).  I know I can make a knit top in around 4 hours, and if I make the same one multiple times I could get really fast at it!

Colors: Black, Grey, White neutrals with Pink and Teal accents
Patterns: NL6402, V1440, V1517, M7055