I actually was not planning on making one of these posts – considering I have a sweet swatch/planning board – but I’ve been admiring all the pretty planning posts across the web (I’m looking at you specifically, Sallieoh!) and what can I say, I got inspired.
I’ve already started pushing out some Spring/Summer pieces – here’s a collage I made for visual demonstration:
(lol like those jeans are gonna be worn at ALL come the heat/humidity. I can pretend!)
I need more, though!
So I scored my fabric and patterns – and may I point out here that it is lovely to have all this stuff uploaded into one place! – and spent an embarrassingly long time putting together pretty little collages. Because Sallieoh can’t have all the pretty, dammit.
Fancy dresses:
I bought the course, I have (most of) the materials – I need a Bombshell dress! I’m thinking birthday dress 🙂 I originally planned on making this with that beautiful silk Shantung you see in the corner, but I am also really inspired at the idea of it in this pretty tropical cotton.
Side question: my local fabric store doesn’t carry spiral steel boning 😦 Where do y’all source yours? Specifically, where can I buy this stuff and NOT pay $6+ shipping? Shipping ripper-offers! BLECH.
Don’t look at her arm; I know it’s creepy but I didn’t know what else to do with it.
Bottoms:
Plaid high-waisted capris – I think I have enough of this plaid (I hope!). Mine will be shorter, more like pedal pushers. I want to put welt pockets in the back as well.
Plaid shorts! Mine will be shorter than this, I just liked the pose of the leg-person-thing.
Tops:
I plan on making quite a few of these! I love this pattern, it uses very little fabric & it’s so flattering on 🙂
Sundresses:
(this one will need to be underlined; it is pretty sheer)
A shirtdress in southwestern cotton (everyone I’ve shown this fabric to thinks it is fug. Too bad!)
I got caught up in the spirit of the post & made a little image for my upcoming Pastille too 🙂
Oh, and speaking of the Pastille – I got the zipper in last night, and the fit is surprisingly awesome. I think it looks pretty flattering (so far – I still need to hem it!) and would translate nicely as a simple black dress. Something to ponder. Hopefully I will have pictures to share soon!
Looking at these pictures really makes me pumped for my next season of sewing! I know this is a lot to take on, and I’m not going to worry if they aren’t all completed by the time the weather turns cool again. This is also going to kill most of my stash – which is awesome, because I need to cull it down a lot 🙂
What do y’all have planned for your upcoming seasonal sewing?
LLADYBIRD 
That fabric is so not fug. Looking forward to seeing it all.
I’ve had my SWAP planned for a few weeks now, but it definitely needs revising since it hasn’t been what I’ve been sewing:
http://www.meladori.com/shesinfashion/2012/02/spring-2012-swap-revised
Ohhh, yours all matches too! I should do that hehe 🙂
I have a stupid question – what does SWAP stand for? Or is it not an abbreviation? I’ve been sitting here for 10 minutes trying to figure it out in my head haha.
I like the fug fabric! Glad you did an inspiration post – I love reading them. I think they are inspiring to everyone. That’s the perfect way to come out of the slump you were feeling. And, yes, sallieoh’s inspiration post was awesome. Glad your Pastille is coming along.
Can’t wait to see your Pastille! You have some awesome pieces in the works! I think I need to make myself an inspiration board…
All these would be soo awesome. I’m so jealous of your awesome sewing abilities.
xo,
Em
I think SWAP is “sewing with a purpose.”
Which I should do more often. Fun post to daydream through. Also, jealous of your fabric.
AH! That makes sense! Thank you!
If it makes you feel any better, all of that fabric (except for the purple floral paired with the Parfait; I’ve been hoarding that for a few years. Oh, and the silk shantung) came from the flea market, thrift store, or by way of hand-me-down 🙂
All perfectly respectable ways to obtain fabric. 😀
I can’t wait to see the results your planning will yield- I’m particularly excited to see how you work the rose embroidery into your silk shell top! 🙂
Also, I think both those fabrics for the bombshell dress are so lovely and I bet you’ll end up looking fabulous in it! 🙂
Oh awesome! You’re doing the bombshell dress too? Lavender and I are planning on doing ours in June; when were you planning on doing yours? It’s gonna be so fun to see what everyone comes up with!!! 😀
Love the combination of vintage and modern you have going on here – it’s gonna be a winning wardrobe!!
I ADORE halter tops/dresses… that Style 1568 pattern is just adorable! I’m gonna have to keep my eyes peeled for that one! 😀
I’ll probably start my Bombshell dress within the next month or so… provided I can source that damn boning haha. My birthday is May 21 so I need to have it finished before then! 🙂
Style 1568 is such a fun pattern! Although I was disappointed when I realized the “skirt” is actually a (really unflattering on me)pair of culottes. Pretty easy to fix, though! But the halter top… it’s my favorite!
That’s great, I can’t wait to see what you do! Even if you do have to source boning online, you’re so lucky you’re in the States; the shipping to Canada for anything is so atrocious… $6 seems ridiculously cheap to me 🙂
I’ve got that pattern bookmarked from an Etsy seller; just gotta hear back on sizing – the skirt/culottes I can live without (not my style) but it’s worth it for the halter top alone! 😀
Haha I guess you have a point with the shipping.. it just irks me to pay $6 to ship $2 worth of boning, you know? Plus, I know that shit only costs like $1.50 at the post office. BLECH. Ok, I’ll stop now 🙂
Oh believe me, i hear ya… I’ve paid $14 for shipping two yards of fabric in a little envelope before…. such a ripoff. These are companies that don’t tell you the shipping cost beforehand, and won’t be getting my lucrative business ever again 😉 LOL.
They have spiral steel boinking, NO PHONE, THAT’S boning at Dressew in Vancouver. Damnit, you’ll just have to make a trip here I Guess.
Impressive plans.
Ooooh! I cannot wait to see your Bombshell dress! I am planning to use that to make up at least one bustier to wear during the summer (because I think I’d get more use out of it as a separate than a dress). I love the print fabric you are thinking of using–gorgeous!
Oh, and for boning: I did notice someone on Etsy is selling 4yd lengths of spiral steel boning with tips (just use heavy duty wire cutters to cut to the length you need) for about $10 (plus shipping). Otherwise, I just made a large order from corsetmaking.com and was really pleased with the quickness of the order fulfillment (though shipping was about $9–but like I said, I made a *big* order since I’m in the middle of making a 1910 corset). One of my historic costuming friends also recommended Vogue Fabrics (though I don’t know if they sell spiral steel) and http://www.dragontowncorsetsupply.com.
Gosh, seeing this is motivating me to make a spring plan! Although I don’t really have time with a 1912 evening gown and possibly a junior prom dress for my sister-in-law that I need to make this spring. Somewhere in there I’d like to finish a few things I started for myself and make a couple Renfew tops! 😉
Ooh, Casey, you totally just saved my butt with all those links! Thank you so much! I ended up finding the etsy seller… I tried to order from Dragontown, but they didn’t tell me until the very end of my transaction that my total had to be at least $10. Derp. Whatever, I like supporting etsy sellers anyway 🙂
I am so excited to see this corset and evening gown! And the junior prom dress! Holy cow, girl, you are gonna be busy this spring!
I love the idea of the bombshell dress in that tropical print.
Yay!! Spring planning! Your boards are beautiful btw. And holy moly! You’ve got so much coming up!! I’m seriously envious! The bombshell course is great, so so much fun (but creepily enough I now totally feel like I KNOW Gertie, like, we’re totally besties because we hung out for a whole season) Although I think the one I’m most excited to see is the leopard wrap dress, because A) I have a huge boner for wrap dresses and B) I have a even huger boner for leopard print (and yours is so pretty)!!! Was that too creepy?!? Haha!
Its stupidly funny how long these posts take to make, isn’t it? But in the end it IS nice to have it all in one place.
Oh wow, what awesome plans!!! You’re gonna have such a kick-ass spring wardrobe!!!
I love your fabric choices, esp the leopard print, the bandanna print and all the sundress fabrics, oh my !
And SWAP means Sewing with a Plan and it originated, IIRC, from either a fabric store or a sewing club. Each year, they gave you a number of garments to make (usually a dozen) and they all had to match together. One detail was changed every time like one had to be a knitted item or a coat etc.
Patter Review members still hold them every year. I made one for my mother back in 1999, a full decade before I ever heard of the concept. I think I need to make one for work.
Good luck and happy sewing! Since you are making mostly TNTs, from what I see, you’re sure to have success.
I haven’t thought about warm weather sewing yet since I live in MI and we’ll still have cool weather. Though it is supposed to be in the 60’s today!!! Love your choices. I especially like the idea of plaid shorts and petal-pushers. I have a piece of plaid madras in stash. I may have to steal your plaid shorts idea….
And about the fug fabric-I don’t think it looks fug. I think it looks kind of like a ’30’s print. One of my fav shirts I made years ago looked like a mens pj print. My boyfriend at the time hated it. I loved it and wore it to death.
So jealous! No, really, this is inspiring me to get up off my butt and get down to it! I love all your vintage pattern choices, and the fabrics are great too. It’s gonna be a fun Spring in sewing land….
I really love your inspirations! How did you get the individual pictures to look like that?
I’m planning my spring/summer sewing now too. I’m leaning more towards summer than spring as I’m a tad inundated with work and whatnot. I’ve had my eye on the bombshell dress for some time but am very much so intimidated by it!
I used a combination of Picnik (for the Polaroid frames & text) and GIMPshop (for combining everything together) and way way way too much of my time 🙂 Haha!
Oooo – love all your sewing plans, and your boards are so so cute!
You are gonna rock the bombshell dress – cannot wait to see it!
great planning.. Im hopping to sort my spring look mood board soon… xx
I totally jocked on your style and made my own little photoshoppies and a post about it. http://more-better-me.blogspot.com/2012/03/planning-for-spring-sewing.html
I figure that, if I try and plan ahead, I might actually do some of them. I’m definitely going to sew up that tank dress sometime soon and I’m pretty excited about that.
Looks like you already found your spiral steel boning (yes?), but if not I’d be happy to pick some up in NYC for you and drop it in the mail. The lovely dudes at Steinlauf & Stoller will cut it to your specifications and it’s pretty cheap. Lemme know if you need any (or next time, if you already got some)!
I did already order some, but thank you so much for the offer! Will definitely be hitting you up next time I need to buy more 🙂
Anytime! 😀