I love overalls. When Merchant & Mills released their Harlene pattern, I immediately started imagining a pair of my own. I would wear any of the overalls pictured on the pattern page, but I think I will make a denim pair first. It's always hard to choose fabric online, when it can't be felt or seen in person. 

With a little investigation, I came across this jumpsuit in Merchant & Mills 8 ounce denim. I really like that the denim lightens + looks softer + a bit worn in after repeated washing + wearing (as noted in the description). I took a leap of faith + ordered it from Oak Fabrics. (I've now washed it three times + am still left with blue hands after handling it...ugh.)

I'm not sure these types of posts are interesting for anyone else, but seeing all of these building blocks of a project together in one place is really useful for me. I like having a visual record of the slow + thoughtful process of collecting inspiration for a single garment. I want each of my pieces of clothing to be thoughtfully + intentionally made...especially the ones that I make. I hope that the entire making process deepens my love for + connection with the resulting piece.  

All lovely images via links.

Love,
Jane

As I practiced daily watercolor painting for 30 days, I kept a few notes of the things it was teaching me. Every day I could feel that I was learning or relearning things about the water, paint + brush. The practice was teaching me deeper lessons as well.

Here are a few more of the notes I made along the way:

• I recognize painting as self care...while I'm doing it. I'm not only exercising my creativity because I know that it will be good for me. I truly feel that the daily return to paper, paint, water + brush is good for my soul.

• This practice is increasing my ability to trust my creative instincts. This so easily translates to the larger concept of trusting myself...trusting myself to find my way.

• Trust that good things can come out of uncertainty. (Wow, this is meaningful for me to read again today with new uncertainty on the horizon.)

• A little consistent practice gives rise to a little confidence. It's similar to cooking. We can hone our skills one at a time, and we get to judge what is "good" for ourselves. With time + practice, we can build our confidence + our ability to create tacos or pasta that we love.

Maybe some of these lessons seem obvious. They are the sort of things we might offer our children as encouragement to practice an instrument or skill. But it felt pretty amazing to observe these thoughts coming to mind spontaneously during my own voluntary practice. This practice was not mandated by a parent, teacher or boss. This practice was my idea. It was an open-ended invitation that I gave myself...to interrupt the duties of the day...to exercise a different part of my brain + body...to create...to sit + to linger.

As the days wore on, I gave myself the grace to paint for 30 days...but maybe not all within 30 days. The goal remained intact, but the terms were meant to free rather than to bind. I am kind to myself. I trust myself. I create.

Love,
​Jane

Yesterday, I had to get some warmer clothes out for our walk. In the process, I came across this jacket that I made from my sewing scraps. I've had a couple of improvements in mind for this zero-waste jacket since before I finished it the first time.

Today, I finally took them on. I'm really liking how these ties give the jacket just a little shape, and pockets are always a good thing! I'm down to just a very few little scraps of these fabrics now. Hoping I can patch this jacket with them forevermore.  :)

Alright (light) jacket weather, I guess I'm ready for you + some cider donuts. 

Love,
​Jane

If you are a sewist, I'm sure you've had the experience of finding it hard to cut into a precious piece of fabric. I bought this piece at least a year ago, with one project in mind (which I can't even remember). Then I had my doubts that I'd picked just the right project...and I considered other plans. I think I've narrowed it down again, and today was supposed to be the day that I finally committed + cut into that gorgeous fabric. Then I went to get the fabric + couldn't remember if I'd pre-washed it...realized that I can't tumble dry it...and now it will be another couple of days until I can actually cut into it.

Oh well. Instead I will patiently prewash + line dry my fabric...as quickly as possible. I will put my most closely related inspiration in one place (above). I will look through my scrap bin to see if I can pull something to use for binding. And I will keep all my fingers + toes crossed hoping that I will do this project justice...eventually.  :)

Love,
​Jane

I've been considering adding a crisp, white button up shirt to my wardrobe. This is not a crisp white shirt.  :)

As always, when it comes to adding a fair garment to my wardrobe, I mainly look to these three choices: buying secondhand, making it myself + purchasing a fairly made garment new. It was difficult to find a secondhand, white shirt that's free from stains online. I considered sewing one, but couldn't find just the fabric I wanted to use. Shirts are very detailed + involve quite a lot of work, so I value + am willing to pay for a carefully constructed, fairly made shirt. I found one online, but when it came in the mail this week it was too sheer.

Finally, I decided to venture out to a thrift store for the first time during this pandemic to extend my search for a secondhand shirt. I didn't find a white shirt, but did decide to take this one (+ one more) home. This shirt is quite oversized, made from a crisp fabric, inexpensive + already existed (so no new resources needed to be used). 

When I got it home, I decided to remove the collar + sew the stand closed. I was reminded of both Jess Brown's lovely shirt + the beautiful shirt I posted yesterday, which confirm this as a look I love. Not only do I like the style, but this men's shirt's collar was a bit oversized on me. Removing it makes it look less ill-fitting. With sleeves rolled up + the bottom buttons left open, I like this shirt over shorts (or as a sort of morning cover-up) now...and imagine it will layer well over almost everything later. Now it looks like my shirt...and I like it very much. (+ I might still keep my eye out for a white one next time I go to the thrift store.)

Love,
Jane

Every so often I go through my fabric scraps with a thought toward making them into something useful. There are often long quite large scraps left over from garment sewing...pieces that are too big to throw away, but not often big enough for other garments. These are great pieces for sewing masks, but I also had a couple of long, skinny pieces of fabric that I wondered about being able to make into something a little bit more permanently wearable.

The free Peppermint Peplum Top pattern turned out to be a perfect pattern to squeeze onto these leftover bits (especially in a smaller size...just right for my girls). There is a pieced shoulder that makes this an especially stash busting pattern. I had no idea there was a whole top hiding in my scrap bin!

Love,
Jane

It's been almost a week since I decided to paint for 30 days, and it's been really good. Not that I have any particular skill...it's just been fun to have a sort of arbitrarily imposed requirement to sit down in this spot by the window to play with paint. Each day I've felt like something new comes to mind in regards to this practice...nothing revolutionary...but a little something that feels worth my notice. A few of those thoughts are:

• I'm learning brush control skills
• I make the most interesting color combinations when I just choose as I go
• my hand is not a camera (via) = obvious + liberating :)
• things can take shape when I just begin + don't have a plan 
• I'm seeing things throughout the day with an artist's eye more often now

It's really quite enjoyable to observe all of this happening out of such a simple practice. I'm interested in seeing what happens next...no great expectations...but I am going to show up for it...whatever it is.  :)

Love,
​Jane

Hoping this will bring a little more color into these pandemic days. Hoping you are all finding some beauty in these days as well.

Love,
​Jane

Last summer, I tried on a pair of shorts at Madewell. While Madewell does have a few pieces that are made in a fair-trade factory, those shorts were not part of that collection...so I did not make them part of my wardrobe. This summer, I found those short secondhand + since I knew that I liked the fit of them...I did not hesitate to buy them (secondhand)...twice.

I decided to try dyeing one of those pairs of shorts in indigo to make them a deeper, richer blue. The indigo dye obscured the varigated nature of the original fabric which was not the look I was after. 

Since these shorts fit well + don't come in any other colors, I decided to sacrifice this pair of shorts in order to make a sewing pattern. Many sewists are able to make rub-offs of beloved pieces of clothing without taking them apart. I want a precise fit, however, and I find that the best way to achieve that is to have a precise pattern made up of the actual pieces of the garment (b).

I used the scraps from a pair of happy pants that I made a few years ago to make the first pair of shorts from this "pattern". I had to piece a couple of pieces together in order to make these shorts. The print camouflages this well enough for me (f). I didn't have enough fabric for the pockets + made them out of gingham fabric left over from another pair of pants (e). I used the elastic from the original shorts in these (b + c). 

These shorts fit like a dream, have pockets (!), sewed up relatively quickly + feel like a zero-waste win! I'm looking forward to making a few more of these + think this whole progression is at least part of what slow fashion is all about...keeping a piece in use, keeping resources out of the landfill + being creative all the while.

Love,
​Jane

This post started out as a place to collect all of my scattered thoughts about shirt dresses. I've been trying to choose the most versatile sewing pattern...one that could be used to sew the perfect button up shirt + also a variety of shirt dresses (+ maybe a chore coat too). Phew! That's a lot of pressure for one pattern!

I was hoping that seeing my sewing pattern choices + inspiration photos in one place would help me formulate a plan. Collecting these inspiration photos does help me to see that I love an oversized silhouette. Seeing so much inspiration collected over the years...all together in one place (rather than scattered through my pinterest boards)...confirms that I've loved this sort of shape for a long time. (I've even done a similar post here.)

I've made shirt dresses before + even documented a couple of them here: 
one ::

• used a Maker's Atelier pattern that had to be heavily altered 
• ​could not roll up sleeves enough (hot days) or wear layers over (cooler days)

two ::

• ​used a vintage pattern that involved altering
• didn't feel like it was constructed to wash + wear without ironing every time

My thoughts on shirt dresses now involve:

• construction that does not demand ironing back into shape after each wash
• being able to roll up the sleeves above the elbow in the summer (+/or)

• being able to put a layer over top on colder days​ 

My top pattern choices at the moment include:

olya :: paper theory

--positives:

• beautifully put together pattern

--negatives:

• only comes in PDF...have to print + put the pattern together

• this pattern will take more time + effort
• I'd like the bottom of the bodice to hit higher

lucienne :: i am patterns

--positives:

• the fit as a shirt looks just the right amount of roomy + fitted
• it would probably layer well under things if made in a lightweight fabric

--negatives:

• I might like my shirt dress to be a little bit more roomy 

I think I'm realizing that purchasing two patterns (instead of one) might not be a totally terrible choice. One pattern could be more oversized + the other could be a bit more fitted. I love both styles + would likely get a lot of use out of both patterns. This was definitely a helpful exercise...but this is still a hard decision!   

All lovely photos via links.

Love,
Jane