SWAKOP - Sewing With A Kind Of Plan - 1.05. - 31.10.2019

[SewRuthieSews]

Well I completed my SWAKOP but haven't done anything other than hanger shots so far.

@Manuela, what is the deadline for photos?

[Manuela]

@SewRuthieSews, November 7th for early finishers, December 7th for late finishers 

[SewRuthieSews]

November 7th for early finishers, December 7th for late finishers 

Great I should be able to find a light and dry moment before then.

[renita]

Well done @SewRuthieSews !

Good luck on the trouser fitting @Francesca - that will go a long way towards your second group.  You've made good progress so far - don't give up yet.

I'm probably wildly optimistic about my chances of making the deadline, given I've only really got my bridging garment done. I'm going to have a go at getting a couple of t-shirts cut out tonight.  I know I need a fairly simple wardrobe to get me through summer - some tees, lightweight trousers and a couple of dresses.  The only other real requirement is a pair of dressy trousers, so I'm hoping the simplicity of most of the garments might make the time-frame possible.  Nothing like a bit of wild optimism to get some progress underway...
 

[SewRuthieSews]

I snapped a few outfit shots today, not all of them came out and its dark now, but the ones I managed give a good idea of how it all works.

My first colourway was Sage and my second colourway was dark Purple. They do work together quite well.


Pink New Look 6735 top, with floral skirt badly creased after wearing to work all day. I added a purchased stretchy belt.


Purple Style Arc Molly top and Sage skirt based on Simplicity 8175 view B, though with the front cut on the fold, pockets omitted and elastic waistband casing instead of the shaped waistband.


Dark purple trouser suit in a stretch woven, jacket uses Wendy Ward's Kinder Cardigan and the trousers are  New Look 6216. Pink top as before.


Same top and trousers but cardigan made from a blanket, adapted from Prima Pattern from November 2010.


I switched the belt on the Kinder Cardigan to tie in with the sage trousers from New Look 6216.


Sage top and skirt worn together as a dress look with a different purchased belt. Top from New Look 6735 and skirt adapted from Simplicity K8175 view C (with pockets and waistband omitted and elastic waist added).
Below same skirt worn with pink top and purple Kinder jacket.



The photos of me wearing this Style Arc Nina were all blurry so here's the hanger shot.

Clickable photos and links to more detail on my blog
https://ruthieksews1.blogspot.com/2019/10/wearing-sage-and-purple-swakop.html

[renita]

I've made up two knit tees for my chocolate group - one 3/4 sleeve and one short sleeve.  With my bridging garment already done during the Fun With Stripes sewalong, I'm a third of the way there. 
I have a pale mustard linen dress cut out, but not sewn yet.  I'll need to get 2-3 garments a week done, to make the extended deadline.  Nothing like leaving things to the last minute.

Here's the rough plan - not sure about the cohesiveness of the second group, will have to assess once I have the pieces together.

Choc group
Formal trousers
Dress
3/4 sleeve tee (done)
short sleeve tee (done)
Optional: Linen trousers

Spice group
Mustard dress (started)
Mustard linen trousers
Cinnamon tee
Red pettercorn woven blouse
Optional: Sumac cardigan/sweater

Bridge
Striped tunic (done)

[Manuela]

A query for @Manuela - could one of my garments be a slip that would be worn under a chiffon dress, if I also wore that slip separately? E.g with a t-shirt or possibly just as-is in the summer though I don't often get my arms out.

Yep, absolutely no problem @Francesca

[Manuela]

@SewRuthieSews, is this your submission post, or willl there be another one?

[SewRuthieSews]

Your clearly labelled submission post with pictures must be up here one week after you finished, i.e. on 7.11.2019 for early finishers, on 7.12.2019 for late finishers. I don’t set a limit for pictures, but there should be one image showing the whole collection.

@Manuela, not all the photos I took came out and I've not included one (yet) of all the items together. I've been away over the weekend and its now below 10C even in the daytime. brrr
So yes if the timeline permits (and it look like it should) I would like to do some more photos, and should get chance this week to do so. I think I might try and put some of the photos together (if that's permitted) so there is less scrolling up and down.

Short answer, no I would like to improve my presentation a bit, so the formal entry will come on Thursday.

[Manuela]

@SewRuthieSews, it’s perfectly fine to combine images 

[Renegade Sewist]

@SewRuthieSews, November 7th for early finishers, December 7th for late finishers 

On calendar now. I'm working at it. OH should be gone for 5 days toward the end of November which will definitely help.

@SewRuthieSews , lovely collection!

[renita]

My speed SWAKOP continues.  I've made great progress in the last couple of weeks.  I now have enough garments to meet the minimum requirements (4 per group), but I'm going to take stock now and see what might need some work.

I'm not entirely happy with my mustard garments as part of the collection, though I love my dress.  It required a petticoat though as it's a bit see-through, so I abandoned my plans to make trousers from the same fabric.  The top I made instead is not bad, but I think the fabric is too stiff for the sleeves, so I might have to take them off.
My other concern is that they might not go with the other garments in the 'spice' group. I need to find a way to integrate the group a bit better.

Here they all are hanging on their rack - two empty hangers still waiting, in case I go to 5 garments per group.

Hanging on the left end are some additional fabrics, which may be part of the final mix.

On the right end hangs my new petticoat.

As I said, time now to take a break, take stock and see where to go next. And to prepare my house and garden against fires!

It's a bit off-topic, but I'm on the east coast of Australia, surrounded by bushfires.  They have been around in the distance for weeks now and everyday our skies are filled with smoke. Sewing has been taking my mind off the troubles outside and keeps me indoors out of the worst of the smoke (my house currently smells like I'm a 2-packs-a-day smoker though). 
I might have a sleepless night tonight, as the day has been labelled as 'catastrophic danger' and fires have moved close enough to be a concern.
 I'll likely need to stay up and watch out for any embers.  I'd rather be sewing...

  [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]  

[SewRuthieSews]

@renita I love how your collection is looking now. They all look to work together colour wise.

I did take some more photos of my collection, but we've had a lot of rain here and so opportunities to be outside were very limited. After I put everything away I realised I'd not included one item (which doesn't hang well on a hanger).

The rain has caused flooding in the nearby area, including a few road closures and fields underwater. No homes affected near me but quite a bit of travel chaos.

[Renegade Sewist]

Lovely pieces @renita ,somewhat like what I'm trying to do but my SPEED factor is lagging. You've inspired me that I might maybe be able to pull it off.

Stay safe. I'm far enough from our California fires to not be threatened but close enough to be effected by the smoke. My asthma's kicked up and I've not been able to garden or do other fun outdoors things for weeks. It'll end when it rains which could be weeks yet. What you folks are going through in your area is pretty bad.

[renita]

Thanks ladies!

I'd love some of your rain @SewRuthieSews, sorry to hear it's hampered your final photography efforts.  I like what we've seen so far.

You can do it @Renegade Sewist!  Especially with the 5 days you mentioned you'll get towards the end of the month.  You can do a lot in 5 days, when you get right down to it (and ignore the housework).

I've left my hardest pieces to the end - the formal trousers that I've been wanting for a while and a shirt with a collar seem to be still missing from my collection.  So far, I've managed to avoid zippers and buttons and interfacing and all the complications they entail.  Time to face the music I guess.