Sewing A Collection,Part 3:

Once I had chosen a color palette (side note: I think it may be more descriptive to call it a “color story”) , I went into my closet and pulled a few things that a) I really like b) are in the palette and c) fit the season the collection is intended for. Many more garments than these will fit with the collection pieces, but I am simplifying this project to avoid overwhelm. (I get overwhelmed by options.)

I made a rough chart that included the pulled garments and that list of wardrobe “gaps” (see Part 1). I lightly shaded in the squares of pieces I have in grey. The To-Make pieces are shaded in beige.

Next, I pulled out all the fabrics that fit the palette, and I mean alllll of them- even though I wasn’t going to use every single one. I pulled every pattern from my stash that could be used to create the garments listed. It was a crazy mess, but a necessary one! Some decisions were made right away, and others took a couple weeks. Some matches were based on how much fabric I had vs. how much a pattern required, and vice versa. I cut swatches and played bingo with them on my chart. A navy knit blazer is the perfect “completer” (a layer -sweater, jacket, or vest) for each of the tops.

Use any technique for planning that makes sense to you! My method had a lot of back and forth, Sudoku-like deductions, googling for inspiration, and a lot more processing time than I have ever put into my sewing projects.

Its totally OK to start sewing the pieces that have been decided, in fact I recommend it. This way the undecided pieces can happen as the collection develops. For example, it was almost the end of the process when I realized I wanted the knit blazer to be cropped. It completes all the outfit silhouettes, gives me a great alternative to the mid-length cardigan, and will get way more wear.

Take some time, don’t feel pressured to make all the decisions at once , try to use what you have, and keep building on it.

Stay tuned for the collection itself! Its coming.