Blog #2 - Planning my Chicago Capsule Wardrobe

One of my favorite parts of sewing garments has always been deciding what fabric and patterns to use together.  I love this planning process.  It can take hours for one garment or days for something like a capsule. 

I know I am using the word "capsule" loosely.  (In my first blog, I talk about why I am making a Chicago wardrobe.)  I do want the wardrobe I have in Chicago to all mix and match, and to work across seasons when possible with cohesive colors.  However it won't be a minimal wardrobe, and I do like dresses quite a bit vs. separates.  

I do have a decent stash – picture below – so I started pulling out fabrics first.  I knew I wanted black & white as a base – those are the clothes I start with when I pack now for Chicago.  And I wanted to start this first capsule – a warmer weather one – with a bright color or two to wear with the black & white.

 

I also have some existing clothes – both me made and ready-to-wear (RTW) – that are more Chicago attire, than casual South Carolina attire. I have always loved Eileen Fisher and those are the majority of the clothes I kept from my working years.  Some of those will go to Chicago for sure, including a few black dresses that are great for dinner out in the city.

As for what I will make new to go to Chicago…this picture shows the fabrics I plan to use.   As you can see I chose turquoise, aqua, and some pops of pink to go with my black & white.  Apparently I like turquoise because I found quite a bit in my stash and that influenced the bright color aspect of this collection.

There are two garments that I wear a lot – to the point that I really need to branch out - knit tunics that I wear with RTW leggings and casual knit dresses.  Most days you can find me in one of these, so I'll start with these for Chicago.

For the tunics that I like to wear with leggings – the fabric I use over and over again is Modern Jersey from Spoonflower.   I have no affiliation with Spoonflower – I’m just a happy customer.  I love this jersey because it’s still lightweight...but more stable that other jersey I’ve purchased.  It doesn’t roll. 

In this next picture, you can see close-up of an existing tunic and three pieces I plan to use for more tunics.  All this fabric is Modern Jersey.  

And for the dresses I like to wear the most, three gorgeous fabrics…a stripe Ponte knit from Oak Fabrics in Chicago, a large scale floral Liverpool knit from Fabric.com, and a stretch velvet from StyleMaker Fabrics.  Three very different fabrics.

Whew!  That’s all for today.  In my next post, I’ll talk about the two TNT patterns I’ll use for the fabric above.  Bye until then!

Barbara

You can find me on Instagram & Raverly as SewBKnit.