Basically...

Let's take stock of progress on the Spring Basics Palette:


Recall that the mandate is to make 6 "basics" in 12 weeks, using a spring colour-scheme (whatever that means), wearable throughout that season.

Well, so far I've been doing pretty well. I can check off:

Kwik Sew 3115 Lounge Pants:

They may not be exciting, but they sure are practical. To wit: I'm wearing them as I type this...

Jalie 2921 Scarf Collar Top:

I liked this pattern so much I used a remnant of a cheery orange to make a second, sleeveless version:


T Shirt "from TNT":

Needless to say, as this is the Magic Blouse and not my T shirt sloper, it's not the garment I originally planned on making - nor is it in the originally planned colour-scheme. Nonetheless, it counts!

Butterick 5681 Culottes:

No photo yet, peeps. Still coming to terms with this garment, though I did wear it to work last week - with the vintage Magic Blouse, of all things - and I actually got some unprompted compliments.

Technically I have but two items left to construct before April 1, in order to meet my target timeline: one bias cut Ginger Skirt, in a gorgeous cerise fabric, and the orange, double knit, Vogue 8413 cowl neck dress (sleeves tbd).

How I've Gone "Off Road" Sewing:

The sewing journey is rarely straight, though, and I've taken a fair number of detours already (which, objectively, in no way compromise the integrity of this adventure - even as I am the arbiter of said integrity). How have things gone other than planned?

• The lounge pants were to be made in the grey cotton jersey but, in the absence of enough of that fabric, I used the aubergine bamboo jersey (chosen for the T shirt) instead.

• The idea then, was to make the T shirt in the grey cotton jersey (check) but I opted not to use that pattern in the end. Instead I used it to make the Magic Blouse (see above), embellished with pretty, pink flowers. It's totally wearable and it's made of T shirt material, so it counts.

• I loved the Jalie scarf top so much in the floral rayon jersey that I made it again, but without sleeves, using a remnant of orange rayon jersey in my stash (see both versions above). This was an unexpected but great use of stash fabric that I couldn't in good conscience trash, but that was not quite ample enough to make much of anything.

• The culottes project turned into a whole side-adventure: an experiment comparing a modern version against a vintage version to determine which would work better on me. While the culottes are wearable (see blurb above), and while they have taught me a variety of valuable sewing lessons, I feel that these (which I sensed from the get-go would be the outliers) are still in wearable muslin format. The other 4 garments, however, are well-made, durable and highly-wearable staples.

Next on the list is likely to be the Ginger Skirt. After that, I'm going to start tailoring a suit jacket, using Gertie's new tailoring Craftsy course as a complement to pattern instructions. Still determining whether I'll make this one:

this one:

or the princess seam, peplumed 40s-style suit jacket that Gertie herself designed and teaches in the Craftsy course, inspired by Dior's mid-century New Look.

I will write more about her interactive tailoring course soon but, have to say, I have rarely learned as much about sewing as I did when I followed Gertie's Lady Gray Coat sew along in Fall 2010. Gretchen brings a passion to tailoring that is utterly infectious. And she's incredibly organized in her teaching style.

So, any thoughts about where I'm at with the Spring Palette? Have you signed up for the Craftsy course? Done any suit tailoring lately - or intend to do some soon? Do tell.