Hi pinups! Something a little different for you today and a topic I've been thinking a lot about this year, it's also a topic which is certainly in the media at the moment too with the popularity of that Stacy Dooley documentary 'Fashion's Dirty Secrets'. But this doesn't just apply to RTW fashion, but dressmakers too and our demand for fabrics. So I've been thinking about how I can make a change with my dressmaking habits, including restyling old makes.
In general, the amount of dressmaking I've done in 2018 has been a lot less than the previous 2 years of having my sewing blog. When I started dressmaking and blogging, I would sew something every week and blog every week so I could share a new pattern review. I wanted fresh content to share constantly as I felt no one would be interested otherwise. It was something that this year I think finally caught up with me, resulting in a total break from dressmaking over the summer after juggling an unrealistic workload resulting in a wardrobe of half loved me-made clothes I would likely never wear more than twice.
I could feel myself drowning in my handmade clothes that weren't making me happy and it was time for a BIG sort out and a reassessment of my sewing. Whether it's getting carried away with creativity or the fear of not keeping up (I've been guilty of both), it's time to change and to sew more sustainably, not only for the betterment of the environment, but also for my own mental health.
I'm lucky that I work for myself, and sometimes my work projects involve dressmaking, sew alongs and reviews. But I'm making a conscious decision going forward to really assess my style, wardrobe and needs, to only sew new clothes that I know I'll get a lot of wear out of, made with higher quality fabrics and sewn with better finishing techniques for longevity.
I'm definitely guilty of getting carried away with the idea of a project. Of sewing a garment I think will be fun and popular rather then 'when will I actually wear this?'. I'm not someone who's going to get dressed up daily, working from a desk all day I need comfort over style. But that's not to say I don't want cute pjs or stylish casual wear for popping out, I just need to sew realistically instead of frivolously. Something which I think I've been achieving recently. I've also never been one to have a large fabric stash, but I have noticed it growing recently (thanks to a new fabric shop opening in my town) so I'm on a mission to get it down to one space in my Ikea Kallax shelf!
So that's what I'm focusing on going forward, but what about everything I've made so far? Well I've been digging through my wardrobe, having a massive clear out (recycling or donating old makes & RTW clothes) and keeping the things I actually wear. I like the rule that if you haven't worn it in a year, it's out. I'm not sentimental at all and hate clutter so having a good purge always feels so good! I feel like when I started sewing blogging I made a lot very quickly without a lot of thought. Makes that now look a little rushed or ill planned. I think it's a difficult thing to confront, but a good lesson to learn.
I thought the topic of this post would be a great time to style up some old me-made clothes and bring them to the front of my wardrobe again with some new life! This Vogue coat is one of my most worn handmade items of clothing ever, and this Butterick 1940s tea dress definitely hasn't been loved enough since I made it in 2016. I thought it was too low cut to wear in the day time (my personal self consciousness!), but I never thought to actually wear a vest underneath before. Paired with tights and boots, this is a comfy and cute outfit with a little nod to vintage.
In this post I'm wearing...
Coat:
Pattern: Vogue V9123
Read my original post HERE.
Dress:
Pattern: Butterick 5209
Read my original post HERE.
I just wanted to share my thoughts on the topic of sustainable sewing and how I'm trying to improve my own habits. I also think learning to knit has slowed down my whole thought process on creativity. I'm learning to slow down and appreciate the time and be more mindful, which has then also reflected on my dressmaking.
I hope you enjoyed this post and I'd love to do some more featuring restyling old makes in the future. What do you think about sustainable sewing?
Thanks for reading, pinups!
Abi xo
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