Sewing a Winter Vacation Wardrobe

Happy New Year!  I haven't blogged for almost 3 months, but I have definitely still been sewing!  Almost all of my sewing has been geared towards some exciting vacation plans and a wardrobe that I can wear on vacation.   This is part 1 of a 2 part post, and I'm keeping our destination a surprise until the 2nd post when I plan to show you the wardrobe on location!  I will give you a few hints, and maybe you can guess.

It's a big city, and the temperature is in the high 50's during the day and the low 40's at night.  I read where the people in this city dress mostly in black, grey and brown during the winter months.  So, to fit in with the locals, I decided to go with a black/grey/brick red color palette.  All fabrics are from FabricMartFabrics.  I figured that I would be outside and wearing a coat on most days, so the coat had to coordinate with everything.  To do this, I chose a printed double knit that had a black background with red and gray accents.  This fabric was heavy enough to be a midweight coat, and I chose Butterick 6384 for my pattern.  I trimmed it with real leather, and found this great toggle on Ebay to use as a closure instead of a belt.  I realize that using a print for a coat is a bit crazy, but this city is used to avant garde artists and architects (hint #1).

I then set my mind to making everything else.  First up, (since I still had black thread in the serger), was a very basic black turtleneck.  This was a fleece lined knit and I used Butterick 6389 for the base, but then lengthened it and made it more swingy.  I think it looks super dressy with these pearls that I picked up at a local resale store.  But really, it feels like a sweatshirt, so it is crazy comfy. I'm showing everything with a black skirt, but I will likely be wearing leggings with everything.

 For my second tunic, I chose a grey french terry type knit and used McCall's 7435.  This is a great tunic, because the cowl is actually also a hood!  It also has a really nice shaped hem.  I figure that I will wear this on the plane so that I can pull it up over my head and sleep during the long plane ride over the Atlantic ocean (hint #2).

 For my 3rd tunic, I used a brick heathered knit  For this one, I used Simplicity 8265.  Just a very basic tunic with side slits.  I like how it gives a nice canvas for necklaces.  Also, this city serves a very popular alcoholic beverage with fruit that will blend in with this color, should I spill any on myself.  (Hint #3)

And for my last tunic, I decided to go with a striped charcoal grey and white pique knit. I used McCalls 7020 for this one.  I thought something sporty would be appropriate, as this city is crazy about football (hint #4)! This is lightweight, but it has both silk and wool in the fabric content, so I think it should still be warm.  I decided to place the stripes vertically and added patch pockets at the front and a fold over neckband.

Here's a closer look at the fabric:

I'm a little worried that the coat will be too hot during the day if the sun is shining, so I decided I should take some fleece vests as an alternative.  I had purchased a quilted red fleece and a black corded fleece during one of Fabric Mart's fleece sales.  For the red one, I used Butterick 6388.  I like how the color on the wrong side shows with this design.

 For the black fleece vest, I added patch pockets to Simplicity 8217.
 The bands are made with a faux suede knit, that I also used to make leggings.

And lastly, I had enough of the brick heather knit to make a dress, so I decided to make one that I have been wanting to try for a while Butterick 6241.  Some would say that this shape is "gawdy", but that would be a very high compliment in this particular city (hint #5).

Here's how it looks with the opened coat:

And lastly, here are the charcoal grey faux suede leggings, and jewelry to "tapas" off the looks (hint #6!).  My other pair of leggings will be a basic black.

To sum it all up, my destination city is known for it's unique architecture, modern art, sports, delicious (but small) foods, and stylish citizens.  Can you guess where I'm going?  I'll be back next week with photos to see if you guessed right. I'll also let you know if my wardrobe plan worked well or not!

Happy Sewing!
Ann