Announcing: June Capsule Competition 2 (JCC2) - Rules and discussion thread

[RuthieK]

Hiya Marilyn, thanks for the comment on the pearls. I would love to wear my grandmother's pearls, but don't have many formal occasions, and they seem like overkill at other times.
Maybe I could start to wear them for work with the wrap tops I love.

For the JCC I am definitely going to go with the lime, black and white colour scheme, and DH agreed I could buy new fabric for the lime part as long as I sewed it up straight away (I have a stash problem which only came to light fully when we moved it all). The bottoms will be black with fine white stripes taken from the stash for a skirt and trousers (different fabrics) and then I would sew a lime tailored blouse or maybe a jacket and a knit top of some sort. Everything except the blouse/jacket will be TNT patterns, so I can concentrate on getting the blouse/jacket right.

I am quite excited about the lime as its a new colour for me but I think it has a great fresh summer vibe, and as a Spring I can carry it off. And as someone who is heavier on the lower body dark bottoms, but a punch of colour/texture/pattern in my tops is a good look.

This is my 'orphan' necklace in lime and black which inspired the capsule.

[kitnrose]

Oh, Ruthie, that's a gorgeous necklace! 

[clambaby]

Having just finished the WiaW contest in another thread 40 minutes before the deadline last night, the first thing on my mind this morning is what am I going to do for this contest. I have gone through many considerations and have decided that the navy skirt I made for that contest is my orphan. Although it goes with a jacket and the two blouses I made for that exercise, as  every other item in my wardrobe is black, grey or patterned with those colours and red and it seems to me that something serviceable like a skirt needs to be more applicable. Also in response to a comment made a few weeks ago that my washing on the line was "a gloomy bunch of clothes" this skirt that represents a whole new colour direction and hopefully more cheerful colour direction for me. I want to see if I can make brighter clothes and be comfortable with them.

So if my navy skirt is my orphan/previously made I think I will make:

1. a shocking pink jacket
2.  "               " linen short sleeved blouse (hopefully another TNT pattern when it's done)
3. A navy and pink print sleeveless blouse
4. Navy stretch denim capri pants
5. Bag TBA

Some recovery time for this house after the last competition will be required before I launch into this one though.

[Robin]

Barbara, I LOVE this idea.

Keep going!

Perhaps I will do something similar.  The chiffon top I made last year is nice and all, but it doesn't inspire me as much as the garments I have made more recently.
And, like you Barbara, I have entered some new wardrobe territory with my WiaW and those pieces will become orhans if I don't continue to build upon them.

[Beebeedee]

Here's my plan

http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb213/Bluebelldesign/junecapsulecollection.jpg



Lois

[RuthieK]

Lois I love the lime pieces especially. I am going on a fabric hunt next Saturday and will see what I can come up with myself in lime :-)
I promised DH I would only buy fabric for summer clothes and sew them all up straight away!

[Beebeedee]

Thanks Ruthie. It's one of my favourite colours too. The stripe is not a very intense shade, but it's definitely not a mint green - it's a very yellow green and that classes it as lime in my book. The floral is a complete departure for me, but I couldnt' resist the combination of deep blue with lime flower centres. I'm still not 100% convinced by it, or the style of the tunic, but I'm determined to get out of my clothing rut and try some new things.

I was planning on making knit fabric trousers but that's more or less my staple, so it felt a bit of a waste to do that, hence the denim trousers. It's  really lightweight denim so I think the drape will be good enough for these trousers. We shall see.....

Fabric shopping is one of my favourite acitivities, but we've got a dearth of good dress fabric shops locally. I could go into edinburgh or glasgow for Mandors, but that's time wasted if I can get what I want mail order, so that's what I do.

I get the seasonal collections from Craftswoman Fabrics, who're based in Northern Ireland and are absolutely fab. For just a few pounds a year you get four seasonal selections, plus every so often they send out another few samples that have come in and look interesting.

They've not yet got online ordering, but if you call them (number on website) then the do the orders then and there. Delivery is brilliant - I think I've waited at most 5 days for my stuff.

They do a Bridal collection as well, which I get every year, as it covers all special occassion fabrics. There's also a Dancewear collection, with the lycras and nets etc for tutus and ballgowns. I've never bothered with that one yet, but one day I may get asked to make a ballgown.....

[Marybi]

I'd like to make an "AT Home Capsule" as I don't have an apron that is both serviceable and sanitary, and could be worn to answer the door. My p.j. bottoms would not be accepted by any thrift store and the tops are so boring they shout old! old!old! Is this an acceptable possibility or is the JCC purely for out of the house "public" things? My orphan would be a solo pj piece, and the apron would be the accessory.

[clambaby]

Not authorized to be the decider but I think this sounds like a great idea Marybi. I myself wear aprons most of the time when I am at home even when I sew because of the threads and last summer made myself some cool ones from vintage patterns. At home is where many of us are a lot of the time and a wardrobe geared to give you some style at home is something that many of us could do.

[Marybi]

Clambaby, thanks for the positive, I was afraid I might get laughed off the page. Whether it's sewing, crafts or cooking; I really get into things,and aprons are my salvation. I'm glad you like vintage. I'm going to trace some vintage aprons that I don't want to spoil by doing what I do to aprons, and make some that way. How did you come up with the Clambaby name? Mary

[clambaby]

Glad you are joining in Marybi, these contests are a lot of fun and give a person motivation to try new things, at least in my case. Clambaby is an embarrassing name. We have a cottage here at a place in Nova Scotia called Clam Bay and my DH came up with this as my eBay name, when groups like this were just getting off the ground (and before I realized how much I would get involved) I just transferred this as a user name. Of course once you start with something it's hard to lose your identity.

Just call me Barbara, and I look forward to seeing your aprons.

[Carla]

Marybi, I wear aprons a lot and some of them are a simple vintage style.  I know they are not "fashionable" but they are highly practical and can also be very pretty!     An At Home capsule sounds like lots of fun and something imminently usable.  Good luck in the contest!

[ElaineMC]

Marybi - I think an "at home" collection that is acceptable to answer the door is a good idea, but Elizabeth is the expert!
Lois - I really like your plan.

I have decided on this lavender scarf as my "orphan."  I really don't remember when & where I purchased it, but the label says "Banana Republic."  I have found fabric in my stash for a jacket, pants, and blouses, and I'm confident all will be worn with my existing purple & black wardrobe.  I will work on a story board & post it later.

I don't think I will actually finish my plan during June, but I sure I will finish it in time to wear this fall.  However, I need to make a dress for DD to wear to a wedding and a jacket for me to wear to a conference before I can start on JCC . . .

-EMC

[Robin]

Marybi and Barbara, you are making me think of aprons as something even I might use.  Hubby & I went out for dinner to a trendy restaurant and the waitresses looked so sharp in their vintage aprons.  They all wore their own white tops, the same gray knit skirts and different unique vintage aprons.
One girl wore her ensemble with cowboy boots, another in cute sandals, etc.  Each girl looked so cute in her apron, it made me want one!

Anyway, I am definitely using my black knit top as my orphan and the reason why is because I canNOT wear that thing until I get myself something to go under it!
It is waaaaay too low cut.  The cami in the picture was pulled up as high as it would go - good enough for photography, but not good enough for work.

Elizabeth, is this OK?  My thought is to master a pattern for tank tops and camisoles and make several.
And I want a bright jacket!

I have some gorgeous polartec (yes- fleece type stuff) fabric that would be really cute in a cardigan of some sort... still mulling that one over.
I know it sounds weird, but I have a vision!

[fzxdoc]

Robin, I made a shrug out of polartec with lots of pintucks, which turned out to mimic ribbing pretty nicely.  I just thought I'd mention it in case you wanted your polartec cardigan to have ribbed cuffs, for example.  Here are some  photos of the polartec shrug:





Kathryn

[scarletthread]

Here is my storyboard for the JCC.  I am hoping to start this grouping after I finish a maternity dress.  I know that I have too many top options, but I will cull it out later.  A purchased top is my orphan, and a baby sling will be the accessory.

http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/photo/2395470580059268832cxWHxC?vhost=home-and-garden

[MaryAnn]

O.K., I'm ready to post of picture of my orphan surrounded by the raw materials for my JCC:


Clockwise from upper left hand corner: grey rayon lycra knit for top, grey melange rayon/linen hopsack for jacket, grey/silver metallic stretch lace for tank top, light grey with silver metallic pinstripe for trouser.

I'm probably going to take the easy road again, and use Loes Hinse' already tested patterns. I do have a couple of other fabrics that go with the shoes, as well. One is an interesting sheer crinkled silk in grey, olive and yellow. If I can pull together a tank dress, maybe I can also make a wrap cover-up out of the sheer. After the first 4 pieces of course.

[Janis]

Okay, I'm in, but I haven't had time to take pics of what I am doing.  Basically, I'm taking a garment that is an orphan because it is too big for me.  It's the Sewing Workshop Hudson pants that I made awhile ago in black bamboo.  I LOVE the fabric, but have never worn the pants because I really need to alter them.  So last night I started ripping them apart .  

So I have some linen in an off white with black, taupe, and rust dots embroidered on it.  This is the top I will be making out of that fabric:


It's the cap sleeve, yellow view.

I'm making these pants out of a rust colored linen/silk blend:



The shortest cropped pants.
I'm making this Jalie top(or something similar) out of an off white knit and a taupe knit:


So, I have one pair of pants and three tops.  Plus, I have the orphan pants.  Is that right?

The accessory will be a necklace.

Please let me know if I'm doing this correctly.  Thanks.

Janis

[Jafael]

June is just, erm, a day away! I don't even have a photo of my orphan yet! And I have no idea about fabrics or anything! Well, that's not entirely true. I know a few things.

My Orphan (photo will have to be taken tomorrow. Um, today.) is a pair of sandals that I bought last year and have never worn. I have no idea why I never wore them, but they sit in my closet mocking me.

I need, make that NEED some summer clothes, so that's going to be my focus. Convenient how that works out with the sandals, isn't it? It's almost like a plan is coming together here! I have piles of fabric purchased for various SWAPs that I never sewed (ah, those best intentions sure do add to my stash!) so I have decided that I will sew my June capsule entirely out of stash fabrics. The question becomes which ones, and what pieces? I'd best hit the drawing board tomorrow (um, that would be TODAY) because this contest begins in an eye blink!

[Robin]

Kathryn, I am so glad I mentioned the polartec - because the shrug you posted is just the sort of thing I was contemplating.  I thought it would be fun to use a technical fabric in an unexpected way.  I need something that is casual, warm (to combat air conditioning) and versatile.

That shrug is darling!  I love the pintucks, too.

I love seeing everyone's plans.

[mdmcgrath]

I would like to join in with the JCC2.  Here is my "orphan".  It's a reversible jacket that I purchased last year.  I have worn it a few times with black pants and the lighter side showing. It's not really my colors (except for the blue), but I always get compliments when I wear it.  I have some French terry in the blue color and some Tencel in the gold color that I plan to use for my capsule.  I haven't decided on patterns yet, I'll have to get back to you on that.

[RuthieK]

What a beautiful jacket. I can see why it has inspired a whole capsule! Really looking forward to seeing how that turns out.

[clambaby]

I'm with Robin on this one, the best part of these contests is the pictures and watching everyone else's plans unfold. I usually come away inspired to try a whole new series of patterns and ideas. Love the jacket too.

Question about the accessory. Does it have to be sewn? Could I knit a bag? I am saying this because I just unearthed some shocking pink silk and cotton yarn from a long time ago ... of course I haven't used it because I am not a very good knitter and am very slow. Oh I forget the other things these contests unleash are the big dreamers among us. Not a bad thing, this is a safe environment.

[RuthieK]

Oh you know we could start sewing tomorrow, but I am not going to buy my tops/jacket fabric until Saturday (remind me again why they make me go to work all week?).
I could however start on the planned bottoms from stash. Or I could have a few days off from sewing......

[KathrynT]

Janis, that New Look shirt pattern is my turn to TNT pattern.  In fact, I haven't made any others since I started with that one.  I hope you like the result as much as I do.

Good luck everyone.  I'm looking forward to seeing your progress and will be cheering from the side lines for this one.

[sdBev]

Robin, I made a shrug out of polartec with lots of pintucks, which turned out to mimic ribbing pretty nicely.  I just thought I'd mention it in case you wanted your polartec cardigan to have ribbed cuffs, for example.  Here are some  photos of the polartec shrug:


...
Kathryn

That is gorgeous.  What's the pattern?  

[sdBev]

..

I'm probably going to take the easy road again, and use Loes Hinse' already tested patterns. ..

I have nothing but good to say about using your TNT patterns.  Especially in a sew-a-long like this TNT pattern can be the difference between completing and not completing.  It really increases my sewing time when I have to fit-from-scratch  the pattern as opposed to tweaking a TNT. 

If you really feel badly about using all TNT's, why not fit just one and use TNT's for the other pieces.

[sdBev]

.. (remind me again why they make me go to work all week?).
......

I always thought I needed a way to support my favority activity, fabric shopping, ergo the job to which I traveled every day....

[Towanda]

I joining this challenge for the fantastic support and to push myself to continue to work on garments suitable to wear to church. I'm tired of trying to find something to wear which doesn't exist in my closet. The closet is bare of spring/summer clothes. My core colors are still black and white. A couple of the garments from the wiam will fit in with this group of garments. I've been struggling with making a final decision on my orphan.
I bought the shoes last year and just took them out of the box. The necklace is one that I beaded last year but have not been wearing.

I haven't decided on all of the garments yet. The only thing so far is a jacket from a linen blend which I used for the wiam black skirt. I think that I have enough to make a skirt. I'm thinking about a six gore skirt with godets. The fabric is soft and will have a nice swish when I walk. I have a bunch of fabrics for tops. The hard part is trying to decide which patterns and fabrics to use for the tops. I also want to make some dresses for the summer. Decisions, decisions.

[RuthieK]

Oh very nice :-)

You will be very smart, and black and white mix well with lots of other colour schemes.

[ejvc]

Hi everyone!  It's time to start sewing!!!

I will try to answer questions -- marybi, I love the idea of an at-home capsule, go for it.  Janis, your capsule sounds legal.  Clambaby, you may feel free to knit or otherwise craft any of your items, both garments and accessories.

The point of the orphan is that this new capsule should tie into your current wardrobe, and possibly in an unexpected way. 

If I didn't answer anyone's questions please let me know!

Elizabeth

[Katrinka]

Is it too late to stop lurking and start sewing???  I'm trying to get back into garment sewing and this challenge would be a great way to jump start my plans!

I haven't decided on my orphan... it could be the tote I got for Mother's Day - brown with aqua, white and green.  Or the little print skirt that I can wear again after losing some weight this past year.  The skirt is black with grey and a lavender pink.  Either one of them will require some fabric shopping.  Maybe a trip to NYC will yield the perfect pink for a simple jacket. 

Anyway, I reread the rules and see that I should have posted a picture of my orphan by the 31st.  Can I still participate PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE?  I should have everything ready for pictures and plans by Thursday.

[Janis]

KathrynT,

That New Look pattern was the recommendation of my sewing instructor.  I already have the pattern fitted and ready to go.  I'm looking forward to it being a TNT pattern.

[ejvc]

To clarify:  I just meant that when you decide to participate you need to post a picture of your orphan so that we can all see it!

Elizabeth

[marciae]

Is it too late to stop lurking and start sewing???  I'm trying to get back into garment sewing and this challenge would be a great way to jump start my plans!

I haven't decided on my orphan... it could be the tote I got for Mother's Day - brown with aqua, white and green.  Or the little print skirt that I can wear again after losing some weight this past year.  The skirt is black with grey and a lavender pink.  Either one of them will require some fabric shopping.  Maybe a trip to NYC will yield the perfect pink for a simple jacket. 

Anyway, I reread the rules and see that I should have posted a picture of my orphan by the 31st.  Can I still participate PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE?  I should have everything ready for pictures and plans by Thursday.

Welcome to sew guild and the JCC2!  Look forward to seeing your projects.