Gussying Up, and Springing Forward .

Hey y’all ! Spring has been springing for a while here in the North Carolina Mountains ! The trees are turning green, flowers are dotting the grass, and the skies are turning that Carolina blue. Most of us have cleaned the windows, and scrubbed the floors , packing away all traces of winter. Though ours was rather mild this year, the warmth of that sunshine is oh so welcome! I don’t know bout where y’all live , but here we tend to have 4 seasons a day sometimes. Which leads to this weeks focus for us, our wardrobes. I would say our Spring wardrobes, but y’all today it was 82°, and Sunday the high is 53°. But we will focus on the renewal and replacing in our wardrobes.

Now, by no means are we professionals or even have a system. In fact we both wear what we feel most comfortable in, and sometimes that’s pajamas all day, others it’s a dress. Ok confession, Samantha wears more dresses, I’m a sweats and T-shirt girl. But even with our preferences we sometimes need things beyond our comfort zone or to replace what we have worn out. So here is where we take you along for our plans of our spring-ish wardrobes. And y’all we have totally different ways of doing this , so we will start with Samantha’s.

Samantha’s Fabric and Pattern pull.

Ok so in fairness, I’m not a planner , I’m a fly by the seat of my pants sewist. I make what I want when the moment strikes. Usually this consists of , I find fabric I love and then I make something I need with it. Which as Jamie mentioned is usually dresses. I find them more comfortable, and much easier. It’s one item , you don’t have to match anything , or hope the pants you want are clean and feel comfortable that day. Which is a real thing, sometimes pants just aren’t comfortable, so I just reach for dresses. That being said I do make skirts, and shorts sometimes , so at the beginning of the season I usually buy a pink, black and white shirt . Then anything I make, I’ll have a shirt that will match. I also really enjoy wearing kimonos, and sweaters. Which can make any dress look different, or change the feel of it. Dressier or more casual. This Spring, I’m really feeling blues and purples. And as you’ll see my fabric pull reflects that. I also have a love for vintage patterns. They seem to fit better and have much better instructions. And I am really excited about that jumpsuit in the photo! I also have plans for a new kimono I’m excited about . And I’ll be sharing it soon! I know that Jamie’s way is completely different from mine so I’ll let her explain her way, she’s the planner , sort of.

The Sew Over It Kimono I’m making ! 🤩

So my way is a little different, I go through my closet and see what I need. This year it happens to be a little bit of everything. I typically wear a handful of colors, so I tend to buy fabrics in those colors . Which is really helpful when it comes to making a wardrobe that works together. I have spent the time figuring out my “season” and my body shape. But honestly, I don’t really follow those. I find while it may help some people, for me it’s a stumbling block. Because I get so caught up in the rules , that getting dressed becomes an issue. That being said , like I mentioned earlier I’m a sweats / jeans and T-shirt girl. But I also know that at times I need to wear something other than my comfort clothes. So that’s when I go to Pinterest, a long time ago , I created a board called “Find My Style”. I was born without that fashion gene y’all. And as you have kids, and get older , especially as a stay home Mama…you get lost sometimes. On this board , I just scroll outfits for different seasons , and when I see something I like I pin it to that board. And what happens in time is, you’ll notice patterns emerge. For me it’s always similar silhouettes, and usually the colors. Which guess what, those happen to be the colors I’m supposed to wear, and the shapes that suit my build. Which helps for the next step , I just go pull all the patterns I like and make a pile, I also do the same with fabrics then I match them to one another. This season I may have gone overboard.

Jamie’s pattern choices.

Now, while I know I’ve pulled way to many, as I said before , here we have all the seasons in a day so this is a Spring and Summer wardrobe for me . So I have until September to make everything, but that may not be the case for you. I also won’t pressure myself to get it all done , or the choices being set in stone. I did that once , and it was an impossible goal . Which killed all of my sewjo, for a long while, and none of us want that. Now what I get done , I guess we will see , which will be a way to get y’all to come back !

Part of Jamie’s Fabric Pull.

I wish there was a formula, or equation that we could give you all for a perfect wardrobe. And I’m sure there is a bunch out there that will help you build a magical capsule wardrobe, but those aren’t for everyone. And we’re here to tell you, that’s ok. No one solution, or plan works for everyone, because we’re all different. Our plans are kind of the opposite of plans , but they work for us , and that’s what matters . They also keep it fun and flexible enough for us ,that we keep the joy of sewing without it feeling like a job. Our point is just to inspire you to sew your own wardrobe and have fun doing so ! If you all are planning your spring wardrobes , we would love to see them , tag us on Instagram #Appalachiasewsgussiedup ! We hope to hear from you soon !

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