My summer project

I cleaned out my closet a few weeks ago (yay!) and stumbled upon a sad pile of me-mades that just don't get worn. You know the feeling when you put so much love and effort and hope into a garment and it turns out just... sad. Ill-fitting, (or my favorite) terrible fabric choice or just plain old what-the-f-was-I-thinking.

Usually I don't have the heart to throw away things I've made, but this time I wasn't that kind. Some of the worst things had to go. I'm a terrible optimist when it comes to sewing sometimes. I look at a pattern and think, hey, that's not my style at all, but let's try something new. Better yet, let's pair it with some crazy-ass fabric that I wouldn't normally wear either! And there you have it, a big pile of shame at the bottom of my closet.

So what is my mission this summer? To salvage as many me-mades as possible. I have high hopes for some pieces and even see the potential for new wardrobe favorites. Will I get through the pile by the end of summer? Most probably not. Will all of these items become new favorites? No way. But that's not the point. The point is to look at the things I've made and realize, hey, I'm not that bad after all. Look at this, it's actually quite well made, now let's just make it a little better.

So what's been hiding in my closet? A flowery shirtdress that I have actually worn a few times. Analyzed my image in the mirror though, and decided that the long sleeves need to go. Too much flowers, and without sleeves it will be perfect for summer.

An ooold white shirt with puff sleeves and a mandarin collar. Not really my style, but white shirts are always good basics. It has snap closures in the front, and I need to reconsider those since they tend to open on their own. And then there is a top in some lovely cotton that needs to be more fitted.

Then there is a true let's-try-something-new-moment. I don't know if this puppy is ever going to see daylight. It's some kind of vest-shirt-thingy with a kimono belt and the worst cap sleeves ever. I'll start by removing the sleeves and see if the rest can be salvaged.

The blue dress on the bottom was one of my favorites last summer. It's a simple dress, but it has some fit issues. If I figure those out I should definitely make another one. Already dreaming of some kind of lovely floral fabric...

This is my big pile-o'-hope. The dress in purple linen is the first on my to-do-list. More on that soon, I hope. Then there is a pair of linen shorts that are just...no. Just bad. Really bad.

This was unintentional, but then there is a third garment made of linen. This is a playsuit that I wore a lot last summer. I was feeling too cautious and cut it a size bigger than it probably needed to be. So now I'm taking it in.

The last one in the pile is a true result of ill-placed optimism. A pattern that is not my style, paired with a fabric that isn't my style either. Something happens with my brain when it gets warmer outside. Suddenly I'm convinced that I'm the most romantic dresser of all times and will only wear floral prints from now on. Needless to say, I'm not that cute of a dresser. This case of spring optimism is a long summer jacket without lining. The sleeves turned out too nineties so it never got worn. When I tried it on again this spring, I decided that I should probably cut down on the amount of flowers by shortening it. The choice of zipper also needs some serious re-consideration.

So there you have it folks. My to-do-list for this summer. Seems manageable, but these guys need to constantly fight for attention with all the new project ideas I come up with... let's see... every two hours. Wish me luck, at this stage I'm still optimistic. And if you haven't seen any of these blogged by the end of september - kick me.