Wednesday, December 4, 2013

A ready-to-wear fast in 2014

Ok, I did something crazy yesterday ... I committed to a ready-to-wear fast in 2014. That's right: I made a commitment that I would buy no clothing from January 1, 2014 all the way through December 31, 2014. Instead, if I need clothing, I will either sew it or knit it. I'm making an exception for bras, underwear, athletic socks/tights, shoes, purses, and belts, all items I don't tend to overspend on, except for bras, which are a necessary expense for my girls. I haven't purchased a belt in donkey's years, so who knows if I'll get to it ... and maybe I'll make one instead!

Why am I doing this? The main reason is that I like to challenge myself and was encouraged by Sarah at Goodbye Valentino, who went on a ready-to-wear fast a couple years ago and is doing it again in 2014. I was blown away by the beautiful clothing she created during that year (and beyond) and was doubly impressed when I learned she hadn't really sewn much in the 25 years prior to making that commitment.

I sewed or refashioned a lot of my clothing in high school, but put my machine away once I went to college where I took up knitting. (Smith College has a strong knitting tradition among students.) During my late 20s and 30s, I sewed mostly home dec, then when my son was born, I started sewing for him. Sewing kids clothes helped me hone my skills so that when I gingerly started sewing for myself again, I had more successes than misses. I'm confident of my basic skills.

Other reasons for a ready-to-wear fast include not wanting to buy cheap throwaway clothing created in an exploitative economic system usually found in developing countries; a desire to wear clothing of impeccable quality (not that my skills are impeccable, but at least I can get the details the way I want them); to eliminate the bulk of my extensive fabric stash; to improve my SAHM jeans-and-t-shirt wardrobe to something a little more tailored and elegant; to give myself a creative outlet from my day job as a freelance journalist; and maybe to save a bit of money, although don't kid yourself--home sewing can be an expensive hobby, especially if you're anything like me and swoon over fabrics like silk charmeuse, Irish linen, and wool from Scotland.

It's a bit mad to commit to this: 2014 is going to be a crazy-busy year for me. Economic circumstances dictate that I put off the MSW, so my co-author (and friend) Linda and I are building up our Renegade Writer business. We have big goals with lots of deadlines attached to them. On the other hand, most people who sew (and knit!) have full-time jobs, too.

So wish me luck if you're so inclined. And if you're interested in giving up ready-to-wear clothing, you can commit to it on Sarah's blog. I'll be curious if you go through with it as I plan to do. :)

OLV-LC002WS-D_Dressed


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I'm getting a jump on 2014 by heading off to Staples to print out a pattern for my next project: Liesl & Co's Woodland Cape! I mentioned this pattern last week on the blog. It's not quite Sherlock Holmes, which I think would look a tad ridiculous on me, but cape-y enough to satisfy. I bought this camel/rust/olive windowpane wool at Fabric Mart a couple weeks ago, and I'll be lining it with olive Bemberg rayon I bought at Fabric Place Basement in Natick. The only thing left to purchase are three leather toggles and two buttons.


 

5 comments:

  1. I have never made an item of my own clothing in my life! I think it is fabulous that you can do this. Really cool.

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  2. Jan, some items are very easy to make...you might be surprised! The hardest thing (for me, anyway) is finding time. I can do knitting anywhere, which is why I'm so productive there, but a lot of sewing has to be done around my tools/machines.

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  3. Just curious where would you start for easy to make wearables?

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  4. Good question, Jan! The first thing I would consider is, "What do I like to wear?" or "What do I use a lot?" Then next is to be honest about your shape. Skirts tend to be easy to make, but if you don't wear a lot of them, why bother? When I got back into garment sewing, I started very simple: tote bags, summer blouses with simple lines, knit skirts without zippers, etc. I'm not a large woman, but I'm curvy, and curves bring fitting issues, thus why I like to sew knits -- they're more forgiving and flattering. My advice would be to start with projects that have few pieces and straight lines -- even a pair of pull-on pants made from linen can be super easy! If you want some specific pattern advice, let me know what you're interested in making and I'll be happy -- nay, thrilled! -- to help. :)

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  5. Thanks! I may just take you up on that in the future. :)

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