I have spent the last week alongside half of the blogosphere joining in with Handmade Jane's OWOP 2014 .
I thought this would be easy to participate in, basically wearing clothes made from one pattern every day for one week. How hard can that be? I chose to use Simplicity 5776.
I say "chose", but it was the only pattern from which I had made more than two versions!
So here goes then; day 1:
This version was the first one I ever made from this pattern: a purple skirt made from a double knit. It was just supposed to be a test garment, but I've ended up wearing it all the time. The blouse is one I posted about here. (Beside me on the mannequin is my first try at "Coco" but I've had to abandon it for a while to get another Simplicity 5776 skirt churned out, or else I wouldn't have had enough to see me through the week!)
Day 2:
This is my camouflage skirt, and it's another popular one with me - I wear it at least once a week. The blouse is homemade, but pre-blog.
Day 3:
This is my favourite version in woollen tartan. I feel good in this skirt. The top is a RTW jersey top from Principles Petite. I have worn it almost to death; in fact, I could claim it was a partial make as I have patched up holes in it at least three times. But I'm not ready to part with it yet.
Day 4:
This look is so comfy and natural to me - a cotton blouse with a pleated yoke (I own 5!) scruffily untucked with a structured skirt.
Day 5:
This is my new skirt, an everyday kind of skirt but I am pleased with it. I made it with the remnants of my temporarily neglected Coco's material. It is a lovely soft knit with a mottled pattern reminiscent of cable sweaters! I added pockets as they are so useful, and I opted for a longer length this time, more Autumn friendly.
Day 6:
Purple skirt again, this time teamed with a silk RTW shirt. By this point, I'd failed to keep up tweeting the pictures. I'd be no good at "me made may"; nagging family members to take the daily pictures was hard work!
Day 7:
My new skirt again, this time with a jumper and scarf as it is starting to get a little chilly! And the week was over...
Conclusions: Did I enjoy OWOP? Yes, loved it. It was good to make a conscious effort to think about what I wear, and deliberately choose me-made over RTW.
Would I do it again? Yes, definitely, but I'd choose a blouse so I could wear it with either skirt or trousers. By the end of the week I was gagging to pull on some jeans! Also I've realised that I do not accessorise well! Can't have everything, I suppose.
I am also including this skirt in my Fall sewing for Sarah's FESA sew-a-long from The Creative Perfectionist.
I need to put a bit of thought into this one. First, though, I will finish the Coco in faux-jumper-look knit! Nice and snuggly, hopefully. Then, I'll have to seek out more patterns. I'm actually really excited at the prospect of focusing on everyday essentials for Fall / Autumn. So, watch this space.