This month was a good one for letting go of a few things + getting them into the hands of people who will use them. It's nice to make a little money (especially when it's tight), but I try to hold that somewhat loosely. I've already spent the money to buy the items in my home, so any money I make is something more than nothing. I'm more focused on getting the things that are no longer serving me back into service elsewhere.

Some of the ways we moved a few things on this summer:

• I sold a few name brand things on Poshmark + Ebay
• a couple of vintage pieces were sold on Etsy
• a couple of pillows made out of name brand fabric were sold on Instagram
• my partner sold some cycling kit locally on Facebook
• a bag of clothing (including some handmade items) was sold at Buffalo Exchange 
• a handful of books were sold at Half-Priced Books
• I'm going to list a couple of mesh baskets on Craigslist

Just a few reminders:

• Sometimes you can sell surprising things, so it might be worth giving it a go.
• Getting to know where people shop for each type of item helps get it back in service.
• Right now is a good time to look through our clothes, because we know what we are actually wearing in this season + what we can do without.
• It's always a good time to look through our bookshelves, closets + cabinets and to share our unused resources with someone who will use them.  :)
• Once I decide to let something go, it's going. This time, if a piece didn't sell online in a couple of weeks, I put it into the bag to take to Buffalo Exchange. If Buffalo Exchange didn't want it, it was donated.
• Use this process to learn + internalize what is not quite right, no longer necessary or more than enough.  :)

​Love,
​Jane

May I be filled with lovingkindness.
May I be well.
​May I be peaceful + at ease.

May you be filled with lovingkindness.
May you be well.
May you be peaceful + at ease.
​
~Jack Kornfield

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

Nettle Studios makes me smile. While they do stock the ubiquitous, ethical fashion pieces such as the wide leg pant, cropped tie-front or back top + boxy dress...they come in non-typical, popping hot pink, hot red + lavender. I'm particularly drawn to the translucent fabrics that would layer interestingly over more basic pieces.

The pieces offered by Nettle Studios are designed + made in-house in San Fransisco. They offer inclusive sizing + use natural fibers. Thank you for injecting a little happy into my day, Nettle Studios!  :)

All lovely images via Nettle Studios.

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

Whatever makes you feel
the sun from the inside out,
chase that.
​~Gemma Troy

When I started this indigo project, my main goal was to dye these two white tanks. They are lovely when white (and I still have one that I kept white), but a little sheer. I envisioned a deep, rich indigo for them. I lost count of how many times these two were dipped, but it was a lot.  :) 

It's been almost five years since I used indigo dye last, so the process is more an experiment than a skill at this point. Like most of my experiments, some results were better than others.  :)

What looked like a deep, dark indigo straight out of the vat often washed out to a lighter patchy blue. So back into the dye it went...again + again. It's hard to know what color has been achieved without washing the pieces, so it took a few rounds of dyeing + washing + dyeing again to achieve the color I was hoping for on most things. ​

These will make lovely, zero-waste, gift wrap!

I thought that the shorts would also retain some of their varied coloring, but now they are just a very solid blue. ​Boo.

There were a few happy accidents too...like the resist pattern that developed on this bandana.

​It feels really good to just play + not take any of it too seriously.  

Love,
Jane

Dying with indigo feels like pure magic to me. 

This deep rich color develops right before our eyes. ​

The pieces emerge from the dye vat a beautiful emerald + oxidize into deep indigo.

I guess I only wear indigo now.  :)

Love,
Jane

Since we were trying to squeeze every ounce of fun out of this project, we decided to try a few shibori techniques on our bandanas + kitchen towel. This turned out to be a sort of finger strengthening exercise as well.  :) The binds we chose are simple + are meant to produce squares, swirls, stripes + circles. I keep my expectations low with this sort of thing. For me, it's not about perfection...it's just about experimentation, enjoyment + discovery. 

Love,
Jane