Lindy Petal Skirt and Jalie 3352/Sewaholic Renfrew Mashup

Since December last year I have been logging each and every item I wear on Stylebook.  This has been a very interesting exercise and although I haven't consciously altered the way I sew this year, it certainly has had an influence.  The environmental cost of clothing is something that doesn't sit well with me and wasting resources money and my valuable time making clothing that sits in my wardrobe unworn is a huge waste.  I do recycle and send my unworn clothing to the local Hospice shop but what I really aim for is clothing that is worn constantly.  I tend to find anything that falls into the comfortable category is what I reach for most so my aim is to combine comfortable with stylish and I will then have a winning recipe for a functional wardrobe.  I have also realised that I have a lot of clothes worth a lot of money and the reality is I really don't need more.  I am not going to let that fact stop me because the urge to create does get in the way but when I balance this with my massive fabric stash I have realised that I also shouldn't be buying anymore fabric for a very long time.  With that in mind, it was well and truly time I used some of my leftovers.

A bout of the flu provided the opportunity.  I have been sick for the last month so anything too complicated is just not on the cards at the moment.  A little bit of time in my sewing room however, did result in a couple of very easy and satisfying items on repeat.

The first such item is a Lindy Petal Skirt made using some bengaline left over from my Elle Pants.  There was actually just enough to make this skirt and no more.  As in previous versions, I cut two backs instead of a front and back to create this pencil skirt.  I was not sure whether this bengaline would be too stretchy for this style but I am actually really happy with the resulting skirt and best of all there was next to no fabric left once I was finished.

Next up on repeat is a second version of Jalie 3352/Sewaholic Renfrew mash up.  I really love my pink version.  In fact it is my favourite top at the moment.   I knew from when I made it, it would not be the last.

  

The fabric I chose is another merino blend knit.  This one I picked up at a closing down sale and I have quite a lot of it.  It has a lovely weight and drape so was a perfect choice for the Renfrew cowl neck.  In fact the cowl is the only part of this pattern I used, the rest is Jalie 3352 which is currently my favourite long sleeve tee pattern.

 The first photo is how I wore my skirt and top today, paired with my Tessuti Sydney Jacket which was the perfect combination for a cold wet Monday at work.

So what has my Stylebook experience taught me?  Well apart from the quantity of clothing I own, my most worn item since December is my Levis rub off jeans which comes as no surprise as I do love wearing jeans.  After this my jandals and then the polar opposite, my down jacket.  I have just spent a week skiing in Queenstown and my down jacket is an essential item for Saturday sport watching.  As for my most unworn items, these will be the first things to go in my next wardrobe purge.