Sewing Inspiration

Don't you just love thumbing through the "resort wear" section of catalogs during the winter months?  Sneak previews are always available right after Christmas.  Let's look at the photo above (Nordstrom's).  Knit jacket (it does have princess seams on the front, no seams on the back) for 1038 Euros, Skinny pants for 397 Euros and a scoop neck tank top (ribbed knit) underneath for 236 Euros.  No mention of shoes, but truthfully, I wouldn't wear shoes like that anyway!  But the outfit - I like it.  So, let's see...

Simplicity 2136 looks very similar to the jacket (loose the bow!)  Or - there are lots of other similar ones - this is just the first one I came across in a search!  You have to love that it is an "It's so Easy" pattern!  I think I might even own this pattern - if not this one, then something similar that I bought with the idea that I might make a fleece blazer.  If it works for fleece, I bet it will work for a nice, thick double knit, you could even line it so it won't be clingy.

Skinny white jeans.  Old Navy?  Gap?  I take a long length which isn't always easy to find.  I made a pair of skinny pants 3 years ago from a German magazine and I still have that pattern - it would work perfectly.  Or, maybe Jalie stretch jeans pattern has many happy reviews over on patternreview.com.  You need just over 1.6 yards of 60" wide fabric to make these jeans (plus/minus depending on your size).  Stretch denim (60") is on sale right now at fashionfabricsclub.com for $5.25 per yard.  Order the 2 yards and use the scraps to make some cute coin pouches or whatever.  Add a zipper, jeans thread, jeans needle, grommets and top snap.

Black tank top?  I think I have that covered!  However..  there is always Simplicity 2599... another patternreview favorite.  1 1/2 yards of 60" wide knit should do it for most sizes.

Almost 1700 Euros for the outfit from Nordstrom's.  Not that I shop at Nordstrom's anyway - but I do like to look at their website because their fashions are very current.  If I am going to take the time to sew something, I don't want a mish-mash of bargain basement fabrics.  It is easy to get distracted when buying fabrics and then end up with something that you weren't envisioning in the first place!  If you line these 3 patterns up in a row, would you imagine the Nordstrom's outfit unless you already had that in mind?  I don't - that is why I like to have a plan in place before I go pattern/fabric shopping!
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So - that is part of what I did today.  Post-Christmas - spent putting together Lego's, a model with evil soak off decals that are fragile and easy for a boy to rip, drawing, hanging out, etc.  We were going to go ice skating, but it is raining.  Very warm for December.  A perfect day for thinking about some clothes that I would like to make!