Skip to main content

Starting with the Shoes


Sometimes the best way to start a sewing plan is from the ground up.  And from the ground, I mean new shoes!  Yesterday, I was floundering about, looking at my fabrics and just couldn't settle on anything- I have too many options.  So, as I often do, I went to my favorite resale shop for inspiration.  There I found a pair of Merrell's with a pretty milk chocolate leather, trimmed in plum, in my size!  I loved the color combo, and they fit my specifications- low heel, good arch support, comfy without socks, and under $30.


So, I came home, and started checking out what fabrics would work with the shoes.  Going into September, October, I like darker, earthier shades.  First I found some rayon/lycra knit prints.  All of these were purchased while traveling. 

This first one I bought in Finland, way back in 2012.  I only have 1-1/2 yards of it, so it will have to be a top.


These next two were bought in Barcelona when we went there for Christmas in 2016. I have about 2-1/2 yards of each of these, so I'm thinking a long tunic or dress, but short sleeved, since it can still be quite hot in September/October. 


So, for bottoms to wear with the tops, I have a active wear knit in a cocoa brown, and a ponte knit in burgundy that I will make leggings out of.  I believe that these were both mystery bundle fabrics from Fabric Mart.


Then to extend the season and add some textural interest, I'll make some knit cardigans out of these two knits- a taupe patterned sweater knit and a sueded burgundy knit.  I found the sueded burgundy knit at our local re-use shop this summer.


I'm planning on visiting my daughter in Germany in October, and will be bringing this wardrobe with me.  A good travel purse is essential, and I also found this Baggallini cross body bag in taupe at the resale shop that will be ideal.


And lastly, I am a necklace girl, and had to make sure that I have enough necklaces to work with these fabrics.  The first purple one is from my mother's jewelry box, the second one was bought my daughter when she was in Argentina, and the red one with the birds was a present from my husband for our 25th anniversary.  So, all have personal meaning to me.  In contrast, I have no idea where these sunglasses came from- I don't remember buying them, but somehow  they ended up in my house, and I think they are pretty cool looking.


I can't wait to get started, but first I need to clean my house, buy some groceries, and prep some meals, cause once I get started sewing, I don't want to stop to cook or clean!  I'll keep everything in a laundry basket, so they are washed and ready to sew.  I'm sure that my patterns will be super simple- the prints are large, so I won't want a lot of seams to break things up.

Have you started sewing for fall yet?  How do you decide what to sew?

Happy Sewing!

Ann

Comments

  1. The colors you've chosen are luscious! They will make a beautiful wardrobe.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Carol! I can't wait to get started.

      Delete
  2. I love these color combos, and the prints. Beautiful!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I really love your color scheme, and the inspiration of the shoes! It's gonna look great! Oh, and how amazing that you are going to Germany!! My mom is from Nurnberg, and I was born there too. Where will you be visiting?? Best wishes as it all comes together!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Vanessa! My daughter is in a little town called Geisenheim, near Frankfurt. It is vineyard country and should be beautiful in October! I bet you must speak some German then- have you visited often?

      Delete
    2. I am not familiar with Geisenheim, but I definitely know Frankfurt. There is so much beautiful countryside in Germany. I know you will love visiting there. And yes, I do speak German, though I am a little rusty. :)

      Delete
  4. Your colors are luscious! They'll be great for fall sewing. I sometimes get inspired by my shoes too :-)

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Thanks for visiting my blog! I would love to hear your opinions! Please share your comments here.

Popular posts from this blog

What to Wear in Madagascar

To be honest, I have no idea what to wear in Madagascar, and this title may need to be changed to "what NOT to wear in Madagascar" in a few months.  We will have to wait and see.  My 22 year old daughter, Alyssa, left for the Peace Corps this week, and she will be stationed in Madagascar for the next 2 years and 3 months.  Yes, you read that right- TWO YEARS and three months!!! We are very proud of her for wanting to help make the world a better place, and for being fearless in doing so, but it will be a looooong time for Mama and Papa back home. Not knowing anything about Madagascar, the first step in figuring out what to pack was to figure out the weather and the cultural norms.  Madagascar is a very large island off the southeastern coast of Africa.  It's very, very unique in it's ecosystem, and has many species that are not found anywhere else in the world- most famously lemurs. Right now, it is experiencing it's rainy season, as you can see by the

Vogue 9305 Asymmetrical Tunics

It's April and we're expecting snow tonight.  Have we switched hemispheres?  Nevertheless, I am sewing with visions of warm sunny days.  And for those warm sunny days to come, I imagine sitting in the shade with a light breeze flowing through the air, enjoying a light beverage with friends.  Just close your eyes and you can imagine too.  What would you be wearing?  Well,  I love a dramatic asymmetrical tunic made of the softest linen.  As luck would have it, I found just the fabric in the "As Is" section in Fabric Mart's sales category.  With just some irregular dye marks on the selvage, it was marked down, but still completely usable.  It started out as a solid color, but I did an ombre dip dye process to get this look- more on that later! For my pattern, I chose Vogue 9305 , a tunic with a shaped hemline, and two styles of pants (I didn't make the pants).   This pattern must be the biggest bang for your time possible.  The tunic went tog

Grey Cashmere Coat Simplicity 3672

For the past few months, Fabric Mart has had the most gorgeous array of Michael Kors Wool Blend Coatings that I have ever seen!  During COVID stay at home time, I've been letting my gray grow out, and I thought that even though some of the delicious sounding shades like apricot and apple green would be beautiful, the heathered gray shade would be the most flattering to my gray hair and the most versatile for a winter coat.  And it was one of the coatings that listed Cashmere as one of the fiber components, so I was curious as to how that would feel.