Is a minimalist wardrobe possible for one who loves to sew?

Minimalism has been a round for quite a while and there have been those who have designed minimalist wardrobes.  The styles tend to be without much detail, but attention to quality and quantity.  The simpler the better and easier to dress up or down with accessories.

Styles are individual and how they look depends on preferences.  The variety ranges from very casual in knits to tailored in linens, wools, and different dress/suiting fabrics depending on the season. 

Using the colors that look best on you can enhance the whole concept of mix and match to your advantage. 

I once made a summer cotton mix and match with tops and skirts and got a lot of mileage out of them.

The challenge will be to find the patterns and fabrics that will work best together and also to not have to put out a lot of money and find that they don't work as well as planned.  This will require some concentration on what my needs really are, what kind of mileage I will get out of them, what limits to have on total pieces, and what I can use from my present wardrobe. 

I  love to sew dresses but find skirts and tops more practical for everyday.  You might prefer the opposite. 
Pattern companies offer coordinated patterns.  If you can't find the all-in-one-pattern-envelope, then find individual ones and make a notebook page with pictures/sketches to give you ideas and then when you have finalized your thoughts and have written them down, make sure to keep the yardages needed for each piece in  both measurements of  45 inch and 60 inch widths of fabric.  A lot could be done on the computer and just print out the pages when you need them.

I will be adding more to this post.  In the meantime, be looking for ideas that will work in your wardrobe.

Time for change

Christine Jonson Pattern 1219

All things considered, it is probably about time to re-assess my current wardrobe as I have to find ready-to-wear and patterns in a couple sizes smaller than I wore last year.  I had some favorites, but they don't fit well anymore so most of them are going to thrift stores.  I don't feel like remodeling the garments as they never fit the same when redone.

We live where there are definitely two seasons:  winter and summer, with spring and fall being rather short-lived.  A few transitional pieces of medium weight work as well as layering for the spring and fall wear.  Summer has been very warm this year and winter was cold, dry, and windy.


I have often dreamed of making a coordinated wardrobe but have yet to set aside the time and money for the fabrics and patterns.  So it seems now is a good time to start. Fall is here in another month and with my sewing time, I may have to find a pattern and make pieces as the seasons progress.

The basics usually consist of tops, skirts, vests, jackets, jumpers, and dresses.  JoAnn's and Hancocks are having pattern sales this month so be sure to check out the catalogs for styles you like.  At  $.99 , $1.99, and $3.99 per pattern of the four major companies, it really is a savings considering the 40% discounts or full prices.

Classic with a twist!

Serendipity Studio has entered the circle of shirtwaists worthy of putting together.  Kay Whitt has taken the classic and made it with a new twist:  The Sally Shirtdress.  Rather than sewing the bodice to the skirt as in most shisrtwaist patterns, this is a one-piece front and back with tucks/pleats to make the waist indented.

I like the idea of being able to use a border print.  The dress looks very comfortable and I hope to be able to have the pattern to work with soon.  I have several fabrics waiting for "the perfect pattern."

50's Circle Skirt

This was passed down to me along with several dresses of different eras-even a handwoven milk-maid dress. I found some shoes at the thrift store that matched.